President McKinley: Architect of the American Century

by Robert W. Merry

In this great American story, acclaimed historian Robert Merry resurrects the presidential reputation of William McKinley, which loses out to the brilliant and flamboyant Theodore Roosevelt who succeeded him after his assassination. He portrays McKinley as a chief executive of consequence whose low place in the presidential rankings does not reflect his enduring accomplishments and the stamp he put on the country’s future role in the world.

Republican President William McKinley in his two terms as president (1897 – 1901) transformed America. He established the US as an imperial power. Although he does not register large in either public memory or in historians’ rankings, in this revealing account, Robert W. Merry unfolds the mystery of how this bland man managed so much powerful change.

McKinley settled decades of monetary controversy by taking the country to a strict gold standard; in the Spanish-American war he kicked Spain out of the Caribbean and liberated Cuba from Spain; in the Pacific he acquired Hawaii and the Philippines through war and diplomacy; he developed the doctrine of “fair trade”; forced the “Open Door” to China; forged our “special relationship” with Great Britain. In short, he established the non-colonial imperialism that took America into global preeminence. He expanded executive power and managed public opinion through his quiet manipulation of the press. McKinley paved the way for the bold and flamboyant leadership of his famous successor, Teddy Roosevelt, who built on his accomplishments (and got credit for them).

Merry writes movingly about McKinley’s admirable personal life, from his simple Midwestern upbringing to his Civil War heroism to his brave comportment just moments before his death by assassination (it was only six months into his second term when he was shot). Lively, definitive, and eye-opening, President McKinley resurrects this overlooked president and places him squarely on the list of one of the most important.

Genres: Biography, Presidents, History, American History, Nonfiction, Us Presidents, Politics

625 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 5, 2017

About the author

Robert W. Merry is an American journalist, publishing executive, commentator, and author. He is the editor of The American Conservative.

Robert W. Merry was born in 1946 in Tacoma, WA. He served three years in the U.S. Army, including two years as a counterintelligence special agent in West Germany. He graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1968 and earned a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1972.

Merry started his career as a reporter for The Denver Post and became a Washington-based political reporter in 1974 when he joined the staff of the National Observer, a Dow Jones weekly newspaper. When the Observer folded in 1977, he became a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, and spent twelve years there covering Congress, national politics, and the White House, among other beats. In 1987 Merry became managing editor of Congressional Quarterly. He was promoted to Executive Editor in 1990 and became President and Editor-in-Chief in 1997. He held that position for 12 years and led CQ into the digital age.

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Employing listless rhetoric and subtle persuasion, the president had got what he wanted.”

I picked up this book for a few reasons. I love history, I am an Ohio boy (as was McKinley), he was a member of the same fraternity I am (and briefly attended my undergrad school) and I spent an evening insanely intoxicated at his tomb in Canton as part of a fraternity ritual. So I should know more about the guy, right?
Although “President McKinley, Architect of the American Century” is an informative book, it is probably more detail than the average reader wants to know. For example, there is a paragraph about a train schedule, a great example of unnecessary information. I almost feel like the author had it in his possession and was determined to use it. Robert W. Merry (the author) is not a David McCullough, or Candice Millard. He lacks their stylistic skills.
This line from a speech McKinley gave in Boston sums up the man’s mind better than I can-

“Grave problems come in the life of a nation, however much men may seek to avoid them. They come without our seeking- why, we do not know, and it is not always given us to know,- but the generation on which they are forced cannot avoid the responsibility of honestly striving for their solution.”

The five years McKinley was president of the United States he did in fact do just that, as this book makes clear.

On page 455 of the hardcover edition Mr. Merry writes of McKinley’s first term-

“He settled the currency issue, which for years had driven a nasty wedge through the nation. He mustered a consensus behind his tariff philosophy even as he sought to unite the country in refinements in that philosophy. He kicked Spain out of the Caribbean and rendered that strategic body of water an American lake. He initiated the ‘triumphant march of imperialism’ through the stunning victory over Spain. He pushed America far out into the Pacific and into Asia by acquiring Hawaii and the Philippines and establishing the Chinese open door policy. He fashioned a concept of non-colonial imperialism that would guide his nation for a century or more. He developed a powerful special diplomatic relationship with Great Britain. He fostered weighty expansion in American overseas trades. And he gave the country a level of economic growth and prosperity unseen since the early 1890s.”

Whew! And in essence, Mr. Merry’s book goes about explaining the hows and why of the above. And for the most part it is interesting reading and key to understanding the America that rose to world leadership in the 20th century.

The assassination of President McKinley just happens in the text, no dramatic prelude, and really not a lot of attention given to it, 5 or 6 pages total. This irritated me at first, then I grew to appreciate Mr. Merry’s restraint. Most people with a little knowledge of American history know the basics of McKinley’s death, very few know the impact and details of his political life and especially presidency. Robert W. Merry wisely focuses on how he lived, not how he died.
In “President McKinley, Architect of the American Century” we see how William McKinley was one of “the few chief executives who presided over so many pivotal developments in so many civic areas.” As I read this book about a man who died 118 years ago and I read about tariffs, fair trade, war, imperial power, importance of a strong navy, military spending, China, etc. I marveled how true it is that “There is nothing new under the sun.” Read history folks, read it! Otherwise you will be arrogant enough to think the time you are living in is unique and like no other. You are wrong if you think so.
I did not love this book, but I certainly liked it and I am very glad that I read it.

[Richard Derus]

Damn! As interesting as this book is, and as McKinley's presidency was, I can't finish it in the library's time allotted. Must be returned and, at a future time, rechecked. Blast!!
UPDATE 31 August 2019
Some fancy begging and a lot of whimpering later, I got this for one last renewal! YAY!!

[Brett C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this and learned a great deal. Robert Merry did a great job of presenting the information clearly and without being boring. I just finished his other presidential biography on James K. Polk and I have to say I thought this was more interesting. Like Polk, William McKinley was another president who's accomplishments were overshadowed by predecessors and the times that followed.

During his presidency, McKinley moved the country into a bold new era of economic growth and global stature and ushered in a Republican dominance that would endure for most of the next thirty-six years. Indeed few chief executives have presided over so many pivotal developments in so many civic areas: the destruction of the Spanish Empire and consolidation of America's Caribbean sphere of influence, the rescue of Cuba, the push into the Pacific with the Philippines and Guam, the open door policy in China, the doctrine of noncolonial imperialism, the emergence of reciprocity as a trade policy synthesis (called "fair trade" in later decades), growing momentum toward an isthmian canal (Panama), and forging of a "special relationship" with Great Britain.

Overall this was an excellent narrative detailing a lesser ranked president in American history. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in American politics. Thanks!

[Jill H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is unfortunate that usually the first thing that people think of when President William McKinley is mentioned is that he was assassinated in the beginning of his second term. But there was more to this President that should be remembered. even though he was not flamboyant, controversial, and sometimes came across as rather uninformed. It was during his Presidency that momentous events occurred and the country moved into a new era of economic growth and global stature. Few chief executives have presided over so many pivotal developments:
* the definitive embrace of the gold standard
* annexation of Hawaii
* governance of the Philippines
* destruction of the Spanish Empire in the Caribbean
* rescue of Cuba
* "open door policy" with China
* momentum toward an isthmus canal
* numerous tariff and trade agreements.

This biography covers all of the above issues in minute detail which sometimes slows down the narrative but keeps the attention. The author is very pro-McKinley but also is honest about the President's shortcomings, admitting that he lacked imagination and boldness but had a talent for nudging people and policies in the right direction for the policies that he wanted. And of course, the question that can never be answered.....what would have been his goals for his second term.

This book provided me with a new perspective on McKinley, and though a rather slow read, I would recommend it.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2021...

Published in 2017, “President McKinley: Architect of the American Century” is Robert Merry’s fifth, and most recent, book. He is a former journalist and executive at the Wall Street Journal, Congressional Quarterly and The National Interest. In 2009 he wrote a biography of James Polk and is well-known for his 2012 assessment of the presidents: “Where They Stand: The American Presidents in the Eyes of Voters and Historians.”

For the most part, William McKinley is a faceless, forgotten former president whose memory is overshadowed by his successor – the ebullient and outspoken Teddy Roosevelt. Merry seeks to elevate McKinley’s historical standing through a systematic recollection and review of his fifty-four-month presidency which was cut short by an assassin’s bullet in the early months of his second term.

But Merry is hardly the first biographer to undertake a rehabilitation of McKinley’s legacy. Margaret Leech (in her Pulitzer Prize winning 1959 biography) and H. Wayne Morgan (in his excellent 1963 biography) each argued McKinley was a potent president whose steady hand guided America’s transition into the 20th century. This far more recent biography by Merry seems as much an effort to remember McKinley as to rescue his image.

The resulting 488-page narrative proves to be a straightforward “no frills” exploration of McKinley’s life. And despite the author’s insistence that history has short-changed McKinley, this biography is both nicely balanced and remarkably convincing. It is difficult to walk away from this book without believing the 25th president was far more consequential than remembered.

Unfortunately, like every biography of McKinley I’ve read, there is disappointingly little insight into his early life. The paragraph announcing the future president’s birth ages him by nine years in just a few sentences. And just four more pages are required to sweep McKinley into the U.S. Army at the age of eighteen.

Merry’s writing style is occasionally euphonic and enticing…but more frequently it is candid and matter-of-fact. Much like McKinley himself, this biography is serious, methodical and often unexciting. And with a few exceptions (such as the tariff and currency issues) relatively little space is devoted to background or context; readers unfamiliar with the global challenges of the era may periodically feel lost.

More disappointing is that readers never get to know important supporting characters such as Elihu Root and John Hay particularly well. One might expect notable public figures to receive robust introductions and ongoing attention. But with the exception of Mark Hanna they do not. Even the seemingly irrepressible Teddy Roosevelt is uncharacteristically subdued.

Finally, the matter of McKinley’s death is dispatched with surprising brevity; just one page is devoted to his assassin’s life, motives, mental state, and preparation. Readers interested in learning more about Leon Czolgosz’s tragic encounter with McKinley may wish to peruse Scott Miller’s wonderfully engaging “The President and the Assassin.”

Overall, Robert Merry’s biography of William McKinley is a solid but unexceptional review and revaluation of the life of a generally overlooked president. Given his importance to America’s midlife transition, McKinley undoubtedly deserves a biography which combines the best of Leech’s writing with the captivating clarity of Morgan’s analysis. But until that book is written, this is likely to be the “go to” biography of McKinley for most modern readers.

Overall Rating: 3½ stars

[Alan Tomkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. This was a surprisingly captivating biography, well written and thoroughly interesting. Why McKinley is not better known or held in high regard as one of our best presidents is beyond my ken, unless it is because that era is more readily defined in the public eye by his bombastic successor, Theodore Roosevelt, who took Americans on a rollercoaster of a ride, politically speaking, for several years. McKinley, with his understated, congenial, incremental style of governing never sought the limelight. But under his first four year administration, the transformation of America and its place in the world is remarkable. In fewer than four years, McKinley lifted America from a lingering depression and budget deficits to prosperity and surpluses; he ejected Spain from the Caribbean, liberating Cuba and acquiring Puerto Rico as a U.S. territory; he projected the U.S. into the Pacific by annexing Hawaii and taking the Philippines from Spain; he established a sound money policy for the U.S.; and he and his state department brought about the "special relationship" status between the U.S. and Britain that carries on today. He transformed America from an inward looking isolationist nation into a global power within a few short years, creating the new doctrine of non-colonial imperialism. He had the trust and the love of his countrymen. He laid the foundations for how Americans would see their government and its place in the world for the coming century. How, throughout his political career, he outmaneuvered the cynical political bosses who continually underestimated him makes for fascinating reading. The story of his assassination at the hands of a pathetic anarchist loser is sad indeed. His character after being shot, and while he lay dying, speaks volumes about his goodness. I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, nor to be so moved by reading it. The author has done a magnificent job of bringing McKinley to life for a new generation of Americans. I highly recommend this book for all who love reading about American history and politics. The complexities of the geopolitical forces of McKinley's era make for fascinating reading, and the measured, ethical manner of McKinley's governing skills inspire those who do believe in the promise and ideals of America.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

William McKinley is one of the 2 forgotten assassinated Presidents, the other being James Garfield. Lincoln and Kennedy's assassinations get all the attention nowadays. But in his day McKinley's assassination traumatized the nation...or should I say further traumatized the nation given that his was the 3rd assassination of a US President in just 36 years.

Think about that....1986 was 36 years ago, imagine if 3 of the last 7 Presidents had been assassinated.

William McKinley was the 25th President and is widely considered today to have been the first "modern President". A lot of monumental things happened during his presidency.

- He developed the special diplomatic relationship with Great Britain
- He solidified the Gold Standard
- He lead the emergence of Free Trade
- He oversaw the fall of the Spanish empire
- the annexation of Hawaii
- He pushed for an open door policy with China
- And generally oversaw the rise of American imperialism

When he died he was one of the most popular Presidents ever! And his Presidency is considered to be the beginning of "The Progressive Era"

So why is he almost forgotten today?

It might have something to do with his successor...Theodore Roosevelt. Once Vice President Roosevelt became president he pretty much made it his mission to erase or take credit for all of McKinley's successes. And Teddy was way more charismatic than McKinley so people just gradually came to believe it.

Now McKinley wasn't perfect, he like almost every President did very little for Black Americans despite winning their vote. He preferred to stay out of "Race Matters". I wish I could say I was disappointed but as a Black American I'm used to politicians wanting the Black vote but not caring about Black folks once they get it.

Overall I enjoyed this biography. I knew almost nothing about McKinley before picking it up. I would have liked to know more about Mrs. McKinley. She was sick most of her marriage but the author never really gives us a good idea of what her actual illness was. He tells us what her doctors at the time thought it was but I would love a deeper dive into what modern doctors think. I Google'd it but all the info was just as vague.

I recommend this book to history buffs like myself. I don't think casual Nonfiction readers would like it but hey! maybe get the audio and try it out.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

William McKinley is one of those oft forgotten American presidents. Despite having a transformationally consequential presidency, he is largely overshadowed by his more boisterous vice president and successor Theodore Roosevelt, while being more remembered for his assasination by Polish-American anarchist Leon Czolgosz than any of his achievements as president. In President McKinley: Architect of the American Century, author and historian Robert Merry seeks to remind readers of McKinley's enduring achievements and to resurrect his reputation into the upper pantheon of American presidents.

McKinely, a Republican, would serve as president from 1897-1901, serving one full term and six months into his second, and presided over a transformational period of economic growth and "non-colonial" imperialism. Campaigning exclusively on domestic issues (McKinley's 'Front Porch Campaign' would become a legend in American political history) which included a strict gold standard and high tariff policy, both the dominant issues of the day, but it would be foreign entanglements that would come to define his presidency. Shortly into his first term, McKinley would be pushed into war with Spain, dispelling them from the Caribbean, annex Hawaii, instigate a brutal war with the Philippines and conquer their territory with "benevolent assimilation", and establish an "open door" policy with China.

At 488 pages of text, President McKinley is a fast-paced and nimble overview of this consequential presidency. Merry clearly admires McKinley's conservative temperament, quiet discipline, and behind the scene maneuvering that always seemed to favor McKinley's preferred outcome. Given the lack of McKinley biographies in recent times, this is a fresh and friendly portrait but hard to classify as definitive. For those seeking to get more familiar with this president and period, you cannot ask for a better introduction.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though nowadays overshadowed by his young, energetic successor that built upon his foreign policy successes in history, if not for his transformative Presidency the 20th Century could have gone differently for the United States. President McKinley: Architect of the American Century by Robert W. Merry explores the four and a half years of William McKinley in office and whether he led events or where led by them.

Merry begins his biography by leading up to its end, the assassination of McKinley in Buffalo at the Pan-American Exposition after the recently reelected President made a speech that seemed to show him turning towards freer trade and away from the protective tariffs that had defined his political career. After this dramatic beginning, Merry goes back to the first McKinleys to arrive in the Ohio territory where the future 25th President would live his life when not in the Union Army or in politics. Quickly going through McKinley’s early years, Merry spent a little more time following McKinley’s military career and how he rose quickly from a private to a Lieutenant within a year before finishing the war as a Major. After quickly covering McKinley’s time in law school, Merry covered his early years in Canton as a rising lawyer and meeting his future wife, Ida. As McKinley’s political career began and slowly took off, Merry slowed the pace of the narrative to give more facts including the how McKinley became a specialist on the tariff and dynamics of the Ohio Republican party that would impact his career. Once McKinley is in the White House, Merry slows down the narrative and focuses on the eventual four and a half years the redefined the United States at the end of the 19th Century leading to the 20th on the world stage from the lead up to and through the Spanish-American War to the Insurgency in the Philippines afterwards and the Boxer Rebellion in which the United States became a Great Power. Though McKinley’s time in office is now viewed as more foreign policy Presidency, McKinley himself had wanted to focus domestically more and Merry covered the many issues at home from the tariff to the gold standard to anti-imperialist sentiment that McKinley dealt with.

Merry began and ended his Presidential biography with how McKinley having been reelected based on his accomplishments of his first term was evolving his long-held political positions to meet new requirements to set up and complete his view of McKinley making decisions then incrementally push the political attitudes of others towards supporting his new position. Throughout Merry’s look at McKinley’s time in office, he showed evidence of McKinley’s incremental decision making and its high success rate but also the times when events moved too fast and how McKinley dealt with those events. Though focused on McKinley’s time in office more than the rest of his life, Merry’s biographical background of McKinley before his Presidency was fine but at times went back and forth in time during his political career that made things hard to follow and anticipate.

President McKinley is a well-written, informative political biography by Robert W. Merry of the 25th President’s time in office and how he made the decisions he made. While not a thorough biography of McKinley, it succeeds at it’s aim at covering the four and a half years that dramatically changed the United States standing in the world.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

What kind of detailed, well researched biography of a president makes you nearly tear up at the end? Something about how this book was written made it difficult yet worth the effort. There's no doubt that Merry has written an extremely well researched, robust bio of McKinley - so much so, that much of the political detail tends to really drag on the highlights of his life. In the end that really didn't matter to me because Merry has demonstrated McKinley in a very positive light.

Why don't we know more about him in American history? His time as president (1897-1901) was an amazing period - sinking of the Maine and the Spanish-American war, annexation of Hawaii, expansion of the US with Cuba, The Philippines and Puerto Rico, pushing to the Panama canal, the Boxer rebellion in China, etc.

The real reason we don't know him well is due to his personality - not really charismatic, but a war hero, a good listener, a persistent persuader, a leader for the people rather than for himself, allowing others to get credit, endowed with high integrity, devoted to his sick wife Ida along with the loss of their children - never showy or bragging, but, putting his foot down that he was the final say as commander. This type of personality doesn't get recognized in history as do the passionate positive visionaries or the bragging, showy egos. McKinley led America out of a depression, expanded its worldwide reach without imperialism and fought for the people. Early biographers dismissed him as just reacting to events - but Merry dispels that.

At 488 pages, the book leads you through exciting moments in history and also bogs down in political details that drag for some chapters. However, you really come to respect McKinley and his journey up until his assassination just after re-election in 1901 (which is absolutely heart-wrenching after experiencing his life as a reader). I see now why his political ranking by historians has risen in the last decades to be one of the top 15 presidents of all time. As a political history book this is a 5 star effort (4 stars for the interested reader).

[Christopher Humphrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robert Merry’s book, “President McKinley: Architect of the American Century” is a solid history of William McKinley’s life and presidency. The work is straightforward and workmanlike. It is, however, written in a stolid prose that lacks the narrative ability of better know popular historians like Carro, Chernow, McCullough, or Millard.

As one born and raised in Stark County, I learned a great deal that I did not know about my home town of Canton. Merry also did a fine job at describing the intersection of world events with McKinley’s ascension to power. More, however, could have been made of the “power behind the man” Mark Hanna. One also would have expected more about the McKinley’s assassination in Buffalo, NY.

I did enjoy Merry’s book and I now have a better idea of the great convergence of world events at the turn of the century. So, perhaps, Merry accomplished something rather worthwhile—he made me wish to learn more. Happy reading!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good solid and well-researched biography on William McKinley, a President who is often overshadowed by his successor, Teddy Roosevelt.

Even though he is from Northeast Ohio, I knew very little about McKinley when I started this book. Although not always easy to read, I did learn a lot about this man and all he accomplished during his lifetime. Much of this information is interwoven throughout this book, so this is what I have pieced together:

McKinley was born on January 29, 1843 and when he was nine years old his parents moved to Poland, Ohio (near Youngstown). His parents held education as sacred and really respected the school and the teacher where McKinley and his siblings attended school.

While Ohio was against slavery at the start of the Civil War, it also proved inhospitable to freed blacks desiring to settle here. However, due to Ohio’s abhorrence of slavery AND its devotion to the union, Ohio sent more recruits per capita into the Northern Army than any other state, placing 320,000 men in blue uniforms during this struggle. One of these men was William McKinley, Jr. – barely 18 at the time, he had worked as a schoolteacher and summertime postal clerk in Poland.

McKinley fought with the 23rd Ohio. As the war progressed, McKinley moved up through the ranks and for the rest of his life, was often called Major, from this period of his life. During the Civil War, McKinley’s commanding officer and later, political mentor was [future President] Rutherford B. Hayes.

From Soldier, McKinley set his sights on a legal career and from here [what seems today a natural progression] a political career. The information surrounding the Ohio Republicans, especially with regards to the state’s industrial development, was fascinating! Further, the information, about the people who lived and worked in Ohio during this time, was equally engaging.

The time period is the 1870’s and guess what? At this time the Ohio Republicans were headed towards a political rift – not due to political ideology, but of personal temperament and the political ambition of four large figures – three rising politicians and one old salt of a politician. Have we learned nothing in almost 150 years?!?!?

FYI! The old salt was John Sherman, brother of Civil War General, William Tecumseh Sherman, He figures prominently throughout most of this book, eventually becoming a member of McKinley’s Cabinet (Secretary of State).

Back in 1877, at the beginning of McKinley’s career as an Ohio Congressman, he received a bit of advice from the man he admired most. “To achieve success,” Rutherford B. Hayes said, “you must not make a speech on every motion offered or every bill introduced. You must confine yourself to one thing in particular. Become a specialist.” This was great advice at this time, but would be extremely hard to do in this day and age, with all of our technological advances.

The election process for this time was engrossing. Things worked so much differently back then! Better? Perhaps.

The chapter on building the cabinet was intriguing, especially in regards to the
“political-ness” tied to Mark Hannah and his desire to be a senator and not a member of McKinley’s cabinet. It is situations such as this that leave a sour taste in voters’ mouths (today). However, the final assemblage (the geographic area covered was impressive (p.157).

The whole discussion about Teddy Roosevelt was interesting. I sincerely believe that if McKinley had been able to choose his VP (in the way we do today), Teddy never would have been McKinley’s choice, thus TR would not have been McKinley’s successor after his assassination, thus altering the course of history, forever. Note: Garret Hobart was McKinley’s VP during his first time. Unfortunately, he passed away. Thus opening the door for TR. Also interesting, according to a member of the press, no president and vice president have ever been as close as McKinley and Hobart.

McKinley’s sincere utter devotion to his wife, Ida, was just plain weird. I have not seen a politician since (including George and Barbara Bush) this devoted.

The Civil War reunion of the 23rd Ohio in Fremont, Ohio in September 1897 was a poignant one. It said a lot about McKinley, the man. “Today, instead of having sectional divisions beneath this flag, we have none … and the men who fought for this fag and the men who opposed it … are now forever united in faith and friendship for its defense.”

On an interesting note (because of the war that was fought), although he was quick to offer praise for efforts by individuals and groups to improve the lot of African Americans, McKinley considered North-South harmony a higher priority. During his presidency, he accepted the racial status quo, but did nothing to further the advancement of black people. This, in my opinion, may have been one of only a couple of black marks (the handling of Mark Hannah (political cronyism) being another) on his presidency.

After the resignation of Alger as Secretary of War, McKinley’s selection of a successor in Elihu Root, was an intriguing one. The fact that he did not require someone with war experience was extraordinary for this time period and what was occurring around the world.

The story behind McKinley’s re-election, including his continuous study of Ohio politics, was riveting. His continued focus on the matters important to the country, instead of primarily on his re-election … You will never see this happen again!

Just as with Garfield, the events that immediately followed the shooting of McKinley are sad. If we only had the medical advancements that we have in place today …

During his presidency, America rose (significantly) as a global power. American economic and diplomatic power also surged. The whole discussion on the Gold Standard was most interesting, but there was more.

America’s annexation of Hawaii in 1898 extended US territory into the Pacific and highlighted resulted from economic integration and the rise of the US as a Pacific power. Hawaii was made a territory in 1900 and a state in 1959.

The Spanish-American War which started in Cuba, changed the history of the Philippines. Faced with defeat, the Philippines was ceded to the US by Spain in 1898 after a payment of $20 million (US) to Spain, in accordance with the Treaty of Paris, ending the Spanish-American War. On June 12, 1898, Filipinos declared independence. The declaration was actually opposed by the US who had plans to take over the colony. This led to a guerrilla war against America. In 1901, William Howard Taft (and his is another interesting story) was appointed as the 1st US Governor of the Philippines.

After Columbus’ arrival, Cuba became a Spanish colony, ruled by a Spanish governor in Havana. However, the Spanish-American War resulted in a Spanish withdrawal from the island in 1898, and following 3 ½ years of subsequent US military rule, Cuba gained formal independence in 1902.

In 1899, Secretary of State, John Hay (one-time secretary for Abraham Lincoln) created the Open Door policy where the US asked China to make it so that all nations would be able to trade equally in China. However, in June 1900, the Boxer Rebellion occurred in China which targeted Western missionaries and foreign communities. The Americans joined forces with Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Japan to stop the rebellion.

The "Isthmian Canal Commission aka the Walker Commission, issued a 17,000-word report stating its unanimous opinion that the most practicable and feasible route for an isthmian canal, under the control, management, and ownership of the US, is that known as the Nicaragua route." The price tag was $200,540,000, more than $50 million more than the Panama route.

The discussion about “free trade” of goods with Puerto Rico was most fascinating. Asa territory, was Puerto Rico on equal footing with US citizens? Did the Constitution follow the flag? Thus conferring US citizenship upon Puerto Ricans now under American jurisdiction? OR, Could Congress govern the new possession as a domestic territory, conferring what rights it saw fit under its own constitutional authority? The US Supreme Court ruled for the latter (which was McKinley’s belief). Powerful stuff!

Fun Fact: Every president who has been assassinated has had his face on a piece of our currency. McKinley was on the $500 bill, which is no longer in circulation.

So, where does McKinley stand today? Was he a successful president? Check out this book to learn more!

[Brian Pate · Rating 3 out of 5]

What if a man with a commitment to high tariffs and expansionism became president? In the case of William McKinley, it positioned the US as a superpower at the beginning of the 20th century.

McKinley was a good man -- unwaveringly devoted to his fragile wife, unassuming in his personality, subtle in his leadership style, and always honest and a man of integrity. He set the US on a course of "noncolonial imperialism" (p. 455): annexing Hawaii, pushing Spain out of Cuba, beginning negotiations on the Panama Canal, and controlling the Philippines as a strategic center in the Pacific.

Even though this book was well written, I felt like I lost track of McKinley at times. I'm not sure if this was the fault of the author or due to McKinley's quiet personality. I feel like I learned about American history at the turn of the century, but didn't get to know McKinley the man very well.

[Brian E Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is neither an overly scholarly nor gossipy bio of the American President who served during a time of a great rise in the U.S.A.’s world stature, due to its involvement in Cuba, the Philippines and China. Merry objectively portrays McKinley’s life, personality and accomplishments. Although Merry feels that McKinley, through his insight and personality, led America to this growth in stature, he does leave room for one to consider McKinley a more passive President who just grabbed on to the inevitable rise in America’s stature.
This book provides sufficient information for the reader to learn about McKinley, why he made his decisions, and then to evaluate him as a politician and President. It's clearly written and is a worthwhile read.

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the world of presidential biography, how would you grade the biography of one of our lesser – known presidents? Without doubt, it requires more of the author. The two main characteristics of such a presidential biography must revolve around: a) skilled writing that draws you into the life of one you never realized was interesting, and b) enough depth to make you feel that you really know this person. Granted, the life of the president that headlines the biography is what it is, and the author will be greatly aided if that individual happens to be compelling, even if the accumulating years pushes him into obscurity.

In this work by Robert W. Merry on Pres. McKinley, all these factors aligned beautifully to create an outstanding biography. It’s a joy to read and it moved me firmly into the category of counting McKinley as one of our better presidents. In fact, Merry is so successful here that I’m still scratching my head how that I, as one who enjoys presidential biographies, thought so little of McKinley before. The subtitle “Architect of the American Century” is in no way an overstatement. Probably the only reason that McKinley has suffered such obscurity is the unfortunate circumstance of being followed by the flamboyant Teddy Roosevelt. I found Roosevelt larger than life myself, and in reading his biographies found McKinley pushed exactly where Roosevelt wanted: in the shadows.

McKinley is easily one of the more upstanding men to hold the office. Merry is extremely fair, and worthy of praise even, in his presentation of the religion of McKinley. In other words, he reports the facts, and doesn’t pass judgment on those views, nor does he attack the sincerity of those views. McKinley was raised in a dedicated Christian family. He was a gentleman, he did not use swear words, yet was not overly judgmental of others. As a young person, he came forward at a camp meeting to profess salvation at a mourner’s bench, and in my view, stayed true to his roots in a much greater way than most presidents.

The author seems amazed, and I agree, that McKinley was extraordinary in managing and getting his way, yet without running over others. Though he took great pride in his military career in the Civil War, he was not horribly vain. He seemed to always rank getting the job done more than getting personal glory.

Whether it be with the gold – versus – silver issue, the Spanish-American War, a foreign policy that predicated itself upon America’s greatness without features of colonialism, the Panama Canal, and even economic policy, McKinley moved us from post – Civil War times to the 20th century. I’m glad Merry pushed Teddy Roosevelt enough to the side that we could see this great president.

As presidential biographies go, this one is a winner. I enjoyed it, and suspect you will to.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Donna Pfeiffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prior to this reading, I knew very little about this president. I not only learned about him and his accomplishments, I also learned more about the conflict between Cuba and Spain, the annexation of Hawaii, Phillipines, and Puerto Rico, and the Boxer Rebellion. All of these fell under his administration. He finally determined our country's economy would be backed with gold, not silver, as our economy flourished he emphasized reciprocity for fair trade, grew our naval fleet, formed a standing army, and began the formulation of a canal thru Central America. He was also a man of faith and very devoted to his invalid wife. He was elected to a second term but assasinated shortly into that term.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well researched and written biography of William McKinley. He is most remembered for being President during the Spanish American War and being assassinated shortly after his second term began allowing Theodore Roosevelt to ascend to the Presidency. The author brings forth in the book that he was not controlled, but influenced when he agreed, by Mark Hanna, a political power broker in Ohio and eventually a United States President. McKinley preferred to work behind the scenes and through others to accomplish his goals. He was a strong believer in the gold standard and protective tariffs although he was going to give a speech modifying his stand on tariffs when he was killed. He was also very protective of his wife who was in ill health for much of their marriage. The most disappointing thing about this book was the author only spent a few pages on McKinley when he was young from birth to enlisting in the Civil War. So it is not clear how his early development may have impacted him later in life.

[Scott Klemm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up a copy of Robert W. Merry’s President McKinley expecting a straight forward biography. However, I encountered long sections where McKinley was barely mentioned. (Perhaps a more suitable title might have been The United States in the Era of William McKinley). The book is very detailed and meticulously researched. Of the book’s 608 pages, 82 are notes. Personally, I sometimes found it a bit tedious wading through detailed accounts of such issues as tariffs, the gold standard and bimetallism.

I always regarded Theodore Roosevelt as one of our greater presidents and was surprised that Merry didn’t agree. Some of his short descriptions of TR include: “irrepressible bureaucratic busybody,” “the meddlesome Roosevelt,” “usual Roosevelt hyperbole,” and “taking a bit more personal credit than was warranted.” Roosevelt’s famous charge up San Juan Hill is dismissed as “foolhardy glory.”

Merry’s disparaging remarks about Roosevelt become more understandable in his last chapter, the Epilogue. He laments that McKinley has been underrated and overshadowed by his successor, Theodore Roosevelt. I tend to agree. McKinley, like Eisenhower (see my review Three Days in January) was willing to allow others to take the credit. Along with his “constant overtures to members of Congress, openness toward the press, widespread advocacy of his policies, leadership of indirection, and affable persona, he always managed to shepherd the flock where he wanted it to go.” McKinley’s style was never that of the polemic attacker – but rather one seeking common ground and “nudging events incrementally to the desired goal.” Among McKinley’s accomplishments are: the annexation of Hawaii, the freeing of Cuba from Spain and the consolidation of America’s Caribbean sphere of influence, the open-door policy in China, and the movement towards building an isthmian canal.” The book’s subtitle best sums it up – Architect of the American Century.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: A biography of McKinley's life, from Civil War hero to Canton attorney, congressman, governor, and to a presidency ended by an assassin's bullet, arguing he was a far more consequential president than usually credited.

My home state of Ohio holds the distinction of producing the most presidents, and many would also say, the most mediocre presidents. In many rankings of presidents, William McKinley is included in this number.  He is often portrayed as the colorless pawn of Cleveland industrialist Mark Hanna. Robert Merry is one of those who would argue that he was far more consequential as a president, and able as the nation's leader than he is often credited.

Merry's account traces his life from its beginnings in Niles, Ohio, the family move to Poland, Ohio, near Youngstown, from where he enlisted to serve with the Union army in the Civil War. It is often not known that he rose from private to major during the war, based on his meritorious and occasionally heroic service, notably at Antietam, where as quartermaster, he made his way through enemy lines and fire to bring rations to his pinned down unit.

Legal studies followed his war service and a move to Canton, which he called home for the rest of his life. It was here where he courted and married Ida Saxton, and sadly buried two daughters, Katherine and Ida, both dying of typhoid fever in childhood. After the second daughter dried, Ida began to have epileptic seizures, and the biography recounts the struggle McKinley lived with between his political ambitions and his lifelong devotion to her care. He was rarely far from her side, although some of the doctors he worked with may have caused her more harm than good with their bromides.

McKinley's rise in politics followed a defense of mine workers involved in a clash with strikebreakers. Even though mine owner Mark Hanna was on the opposing side, McKinley's conduct of the case caught his attention. Hanna became a backer of his political ambitions, first in Congress, where he became an expert on tariff policy, later as state governor, and finally as president in 1896. Merry chronicles the divided Republican party in Ohio at this time, and McKinley's shrewd efforts to gain control of it from his rival, Joseph Foraker. This introduces a quality Merry notes that runs through McKinley's presidency as well, that quietly and assiduously, McKinley worked to achieve the outcomes he wanted, often against more fiery and public opponents.

McKinley was elected in 1896 adhering to the gold standard against William Jennings Bryan's "cross of gold" rhetoric. As president, his tariff policies and economic conditions and growth in the gold supply led to a booming economy. Like many presidencies, circumstances beyond his control created challenges to which he responded in ways that expanded American power and influence. He accomplished the annexation of Hawaii through a joint resolution of Congress when approval of a treaty of annexation appeared doomed, projecting American presence into the Pacific. While trying to avoid war with Spain until findings (later considered dubious) attributing the explosion on the Maine to hostile Spanish action made war unavoidable, he prosecuted war diligently, leading to defeats of the Spanish navy in the Philippines and in the Caribbean, and the seizure of Santiago, Cuba, and the island of Puerto Rico. In the settlement with Spain, Cuba gained independence, and Puerto Rico and the Philippines became American territories, making America an imperial power. He also nurtured the Hay-Pauncefote negotiations that renegotiated agreements with Great Britain, fostering a closer relationship between English-speaking peoples that cleared the way for the U.S. to build a canal in Central America.

In consequence, McKinley easily won a second term, though both William and Ida longed for a simpler life in Canton. McKinley refrained from personal campaigning in both, relying on an increasingly sophisticated political machine and surrogates to do the work on his behalf, including "Rough Rider" Teddy Roosevelt, who had been nominated his running mate. Six months into his second term, which he had announced would be his last (presidents were not then limited to two terms except by custom), anarchist Leon Czolgosz fired two bullets at close range into McKinley at the head of a receiving line at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Though seriously wounded, McKinley interceded with agents to show restraint in their efforts to subdue the assassin. He died of infection after initially rallying, putting Roosevelt, a very different leader, into the presidency.

Merry argues that while not a visionary nor dynamic leader, McKinley was an effective president who, for good or ill, expanded American power including the size of its army and navy, a shrewd politician whose party would occupy the White House for sixteen years, and who presided over the economic growth that propelled the United States into world leadership at the beginning of a new century, an American century, aided by a growth oriented monetary policy. His youthful heroism, his personal integrity, and devotion to Ida commend our attention. He was criticized, notably by the Democrat-oriented William Randolph Hearst, for his association with Mark Hanna, yet no president is elected without the support of such figures, and Hanna combined both resources and organizational skills, along with a genuinely warm personal relationship with McKinley. Yet in matters of patronage and policy, McKinley listened to Hanna, but also others, and made decisions on his own terms.

Whether or not you agree with Merry's case for McKinley, you will find this a highly readable and extensive biography. My own suspicion, as well as Merry's, is that McKinley has been overlooked because of the far more dynamic president who followed him. Yet he was elected to the presidency twice in an era of one-term presidents, a claim even Roosevelt could not make, and fulfilled his office with dignity, competent leadership, and honorable character to the very last. In my estimate, he is a president, if not among the greatest, certainly one my state can be proud of.

____________________________

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Judy Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Merry's biography, President McKinley: Architect of the American Century, was my first foray away from recommendations by Stephen Floyd. I had initially considered reading Lewis Gould's The Presidency of William McKinley (the other recommendations requiring more of a time commitment than I desired), but was so very bored with the book about Benjamin Harrison of the same series, that when I saw this book at Ollie's for $4, I took a chance...and am glad I did. Merry researched well and included much about the events of the time, which with my fledgling grasp of history is a plus. His writing style was engaging as he follows Mckinley's rise from childhood, his military career, his work as a legislator and governor, and finally as President. Merry makes much of the view that McKinley was an incremental decision maker and leader, who would not be able to mold events to his vision, but who could work with what he was given and make it come out to his liking. While in terms of visionary capacity, he was quite different from Abraham Lincoln, (I have always felt that Lincoln made the times, while I can quite see that the times had made McKinley), there are some striking similarities. Both men seemed to be able to work with difficult personalities and through charm, wit and wisdom come out on top. Both men had wives with emotional and physical ailments that required the patience of their spouse and the generosity of the public, and both men were assassinated at the beginning of their second term in office.
One of highlights of his tenure was the defeat of the Silverites and the unequivocal adherence to the Gold standard, though this was may have been as much the credit of the improvement of the economy. Gold would be king, until 1971 required a new infusion into the money supply.
But perhaps he will be best known for his non-colonial expansionism. The Cuban situation was deteriorating, Spain attempted to control insurrectionists by developing concentration camps which were really more like death camps: no food, water, sanitation. American lives and livelihoods were threatened, and McKinley used that argument to tell Spain to clean up their act in Cuba or get out. Spain dithered and dithered and dithered some more, probably because their national identity as a global power had been deteriorating over time, and that it was difficult to let go. Ultimatums were made and agreed to, but there was no change. Finally, enough was enough, especially after the Maine incident, and by then even Congress agreed to "let loose the dogs of war". Here we begin to see the impulsive nature of the up and coming president, Theodore Roosevelt. And of course, other Spanish colonies come into the frame: Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines, which turned out to be a much stickier wicket. We simply could not let the poor Filipinos be threatened by other world powers with Spain out of the way. It seems that the United States was beginning to find her place in the world, and the rest of the world was beginning to take notice. When the major world powers of Great Britain, France, Italy, German, Russia, and Japan began to trade in on some of the weaknesses of the Chinese dynasty in power, Mckinley promoted the "Open Door" policy and joined those nations in putting down the Boxer Rebellion, handing the reins of government back to the dynasty and preserving China. Odd to think that within the next 50 years, those very nations would be squaring off against each other in not one, but two world wars! Americans were trying to come to grips (no doubt, we still are) with their roles and responsibilities that come with being a world power. Just when and why and how do we step in when there is a bully in the playground? We have seen this same identity conflict since. We were slow to enter the world wars, then became embroiled in the Korean and Vietnamese conflicts. Then there was Cambodia and Laos, the 2 Gulf Wars. I note some interesting parallels with McKinley's Cuban War and Bush's Gulf War. We tried negotiating, embargoes, but when ship sinks or the towers fall, the hedging stops.
McKinley rides all of his successes to a second term, and then is cut down by an anarchist's bullet.

I found myself, while reading this book, pondering what my ancestors thought of all of this, and how it actually affected them. Mckinley represented Stark County, were the Simpsons came from, and he and his wife are buried in the same cemetery as many of the Doolittles, Quayles, and Owens are. They may have voted for him to be their governor. And I wonder how all of them fared through the depression of '93 and its ensuing years. By this time, all of my grandparents have been born (Helen Quayle MacPherson, the youngest, was born in 1897). It would be most interesting to have their take on these events, though, if I had the opportunity to do so, we would likely talk of other things.

[Mark O'brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a long slog of a book, with way too many extraneous passages, but it reveals a lot about life in America in the 1880s-90s and McKinley’s beliefs and activities.

While he was not a transformative figure, he was a significant factor player in his era.

In our age of Twitter it’s especially interesting to look back at McKinley and politics in the late 1800s. When he ran for the presidency, he actually sat –- on the porch of his home because he knew he couldn’t match the oratorical firepower of his opponent, William Jennings Bryant. McKinley, a Republican, invited people and groups to visit him on his porch. Visitors often were vetted in advance by McKinley and his people.

McKinley, who kept his ambitions and his ego largely to himself, had a great knack for getting people to like his ideas. He also would compromise when necessary.

He was a devoted husband to his wife, Ida, who was often ill – epilepsy, perhaps. She required lots of handholding by her husband. This is a reminder that our leaders often have private matters on their mind when they are dealing with major public issues.

Overall, author Robert Merry does a great job of explaining events of that era and showing that McKinley did shape many events even if he lacked the mind of Jefferson or the flair of Teddy Roosevelt.

My beef with the book: It needed editing. One example: McKinley had to go to Boston to make an important speech. Mr. Merry spends all sorts of time documenting how McKinley traveled to Boston and who accompanied him. I kept waiting for something to happen on this trip, but no, it was uneventful. The book would be more effective if it skipped such minutiae.

My advice to readers: Skim as you wish.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merry adopts the theory that McKinley was a forerunner of Eisenhower, the type of executive who seems merely to hover in the background but in fact is directing events precisely where he wants them to go. Whether he proves this theory is another matter.

Merry provides a biography of McKinley's full life, not just his 4.5 years in the White House. It should be clear to all that McKinley was an admirable man, worthy of being honored and emulated. He had a strong sense of civic duty; he served his country well--and extremely bravely--in the War of Southern Secession; he was a model husband to his oft-incapacitated wife. Sure, he had the sort of drive and sense of importance that any president required, but it was not hubris.

McKinley was certainly a capable president. The prosecuted the Spanish War ably. He warmed to free trade if partners were willing to pursue reciprocity. After a few false starts he surrounded himself with a competent Cabinet. He strove for national unity. Merry wants to argue that McKinley orchestrated events in a master way that hid his own hand but achieved his own goals. But he still leaves unclear how much credit McKinley could claim for the country's progress at the end of the 19th century (after all, the Trump administration has achieved a lot of my goals and aspirations, but that doesn't mean I am responsible!). Maybe if he had beaten his own drum, a la his successor (who, let's face it, was almost a jerk), he would receive more credit. But as it is, he was a capable administrator who pursued noble goals, and was certainly superior to nearly any of his successors.

In any case, he's earned the right to have the tallest mountain in North America named for him. It will always be "Mount McKinley" to me.

[Rory · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some presidential biographies you have to stick with, despite having the same points hammered home too often, because the historical record isn't so wide. Robert W. Merry's biography of William McKinley is one of them, which has fostered in me new interest in McKinley to one day seek out the significantly earlier In the Days of McKinley by Margaret Leech, which Merry mentions, and which is available at the Ventura College Library, local to me.

But others may not have that opportunity, so there is this one. It's a serviceable look at a mainly forgotten president who actually had more to offer than historians would have you think, particularly those historians in thrall to Theodore Roosevelt, who became president after McKinley was assassinated. But to write of a president that he believes should receive more credit than he has, Merry bogs his writing down with consistent mention that McKinley didn't have imagination or flourishes of thought that would befit a formidable statesman, along with slogging through the Hawaii annexation, tariff battles, and the crisis over Cuba against failing Spain, which would certainly have received more interesting treatment within the minds of more lively historians.

But Merry is the one for McKinley and at least we get a wider scope of who McKinley was, how he operated as president, and his personal life, including his devotion to his infirm wife Ida. I know a lot more about McKinley than I did before, and I want to read more about him through past biographies, and it's to Merry's credit in all that he covers that I intend to do that.

[J.D. Frailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe people genuinely interested in political history and the deals and details that make politics work will rate this book four or even five stars. It was way too detailed for my taste, giving backgrounds and context on all the opponents in various political races in which McKinley was involved, from Congress to the governorship of Ohio to presidential races, to the chronic ill illnesses of his wife, to just about any subject covered in this really well researched book.

I definitely know a lot more about McKinley now, and why he is sufficiently admired by Donald Trump that the name of the highest peak in North America was changed back to McKinley from Denali, how McKinley‘s expansionist outlook and penchant for protectionist tariffs helped consolidate and focus Republican party power and lead to a period of prosperity.
He also appeared to be a person of high morals and exemplary character, referring to McKinley here and not Trump 😉

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Policy in Full, Personality in Absentia.

Robert W. Merry’s President McKinley: Architect of the American Century (2017) sets out to rehabilitate the reputation of America’s 25th president, and in many ways succeeds. Merry provides a comprehensive account of McKinley’s presidential term (1897–1901), highlighting his role in steering the nation through monetary debates, the Spanish-American War, and America’s first steps into overseas empire. The book is detail-rich, fact-driven, and firmly focused on policy and politics, making it an effective political biography but a limited personal one.

Merry traces McKinley’s positions (though not his evolution of thought) on bimetallism and the Gold Standard, his embrace of American expansionism in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Guam, and his reluctant but decisive role in nascent imperialism in the Philippines and Cuba. He also covers McKinley’s push for the “Open Door” in China and the forging of closer ties with Great Britain. These episodes are well-documented and clearly presented, giving readers a strong sense of McKinley’s presidency as a turning point in America’s global role.

Where the book falters is in its portrait of McKinley as a man. McKinley comes across less as a human being than as a political automaton, with little exploration of how or why he arrived at his positions. Merry does offer glimpses of McKinley’s devotion to his wife Ida and the challenges posed by her chronic illnesses, and these passages are touching. But beyond that, the biography provides almost no psychological or personal insight into McKinley himself. For readers hoping to understand the inner workings of his mind or the roots of his worldview, the book feels insufficient.

Another disappointment is the treatment of McKinley’s assassination. Despite its historical significance, the event receives surprisingly little attention, almost as an afterthought to the broader narrative. Given that McKinley’s death ushered in Theodore Roosevelt and a new era of American politics, this brevity is frustrating.

Stylistically, Merry writes with clarity and authority, but the book can feel dry and overly chronological, more a recitation of dates and facts than a deeply interpretive study. It succeeds as a political history of McKinley’s presidency, but not as a rounded portrait of the man himself.

[Kate]

Finally done with this one - OOF. Not my favorite read, but I’ll acknowledge that these past 2 months have been pretty busy and this was the one thing standing between me and going to sleep, so I have a slight bias (the only time I read my presidential bio is for 10ish minutes before bed each night!). I did learn A LOT about McKinley, and didn’t know how many of his policies (imperialism, treatment of new US territories, etc) had such an impact on American foreign policy in the 20th century. The ending was abrupt (I mean, he was assassinated…) but some more wrap up/closing thoughts would’ve made for a stronger conclusion. I think I’m going to wait until January to start my 3 volume read on TR!

[Clem · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, Robert W. Merry’s biography of President McKinley is about as perfect as a biography as one can read. I’ve read a lot of them. I’ve read many that were too short, too long, too detailed, too unbalanced, and there were many that I struggled to stay awake while trying to finish. This book seemed perfectly proportioned. I never found myself mentally drifting. The only drawback that I can state is that I wanted more. But shouldn’t that always be the case with a great book?

We read a fair amount of William McKinley’s childhood, his service in the U.S. Civil War (he’s quite the soldier; he achieves the rank of Major near the end of the war at the young age of 22), his career as a young lawyer, and a husband to his young love, Ida. Then he enters politics, becomes the protégé of the current president Rutherford Hayes, and is essentially chosen by the Ohio political ‘boss’ Mark Hanna to be molded into greatness – eventually becoming President himself. What makes this book so special and so unique, though, is the subtitle ‘Architect of the American Century’.

When one thinks of the word ‘architect’, they think of a builder and/or designer. This is what McKinley essentially was. Then, when we hear ‘THE American Century’, we’re talking about the twentieth century, which McKinley was the president of when it began. For America to grow and prosper in this new century, a strong leader is required. A leader is needed who understands how fast the world is changing, and ensuring the nation adapts to this change while still licking some wounds from the U.S. Civil War and the aftermath of Reconstruction.

This book spends a great bit of time talking about worldwide events where the United States steps in and makes things happen. We read about Hawaii (not a U.S. state nor an annexation of the U.S. at this time), Cuba, China, and The Philippines. There’s a lot of subjugation and suffering in those places, and opportunists see ways where America can make its mark, and also expand the borders, relatively speaking, from where they currently are. Does the U.S. belong in these places? Is it necessary to go to war in places like Cuba and The Philippines? Isn’t the main goal nothing more than colonization? These are fair questions, and one where not all can agree on the answers. The arguments McKinley makes are that the presence of the U.S. in these countries is a win/win. These neighbors really are better off with American presence, and much more good is essentially done than is harm. I also learned more about the Spanish-American War (which only lasted about four months) in this book than any other book I’ve read.

McKinley also sets the goal for keeping the nation strong at home as well. He’s a big advocate of the protective tariff (which his predecessor Grover Cleveland basically abandoned) while at the same time attempting the notion of reciprocation with other nations to ensure a delicate global balance is achieved financially. He also sets the wheels in motion for the building of the Nicaraguan Canal that will aid in the strength of the nation during this new century (the canal location would eventually be moved to the Panama several years after McKinley is out of office).

Throughout all this, it becomes apparent that McKinley isn’t necessarily a bold visionary. He seems to be rather quiet and introverted. His strengths seem to rely more on reacting to events as opposed to initiating them. Not that there’s anything really wrong with this style, as long as the country is progressing in the right direction. This seems to be the overall theme of the book. We rarely read of any misgivings or faults of the man. His mannerisms and demeanor seem to always dictate positive results. Perhaps someone with a deeper understanding of history during the turn of the century might be able to debate the opinions the author sets forward, but you get the impression that McKinley is always quietly doing what’s right for the nation.

Strangely, it’s near the end of the book when we meet the man who seems McKinley’s complete opposite. A man everyone knows, Governor of New York and former Rough Rider Theodore Roosevelt. In many cases, Merry seems to not be too fond of Roosevelt. Although he doesn’t state it specifically, he paints the picture of Roosevelt being a bit of an arrogant loud-mouthed windbag. When McKinley is nominated for a second term, Roosevelt is eventually nominated as his Vice-Presidential running mate. Strangely, this portion of the story is only briefly touched, and one wishes the details could have been more expanded. We must remember that candidates for president didn’t choose their running mates back then, and one almost gets the feeling that, whereas the two men were cordial towards each other, their personalities were too different to where any sort of cohesive bond could exist between the men.

The pairing, sadly, is short lived, as McKinley is gunned down by an assassin’s bullet only a few months into his second term. Again, this part of the narrative seemed too brief, and I would have liked to have read more about the episode, the assassin, the reasons, etc. Like William McKinley’s life, I felt this book was abruptly cut short.

Still, this was an outstanding biography. Not only was the account of the man outstanding, but also the accounting of the times and events of the beginning of 20th century America as well.

[Leon O'Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good bio, as has been pointed out in other places a little detailed in palces.

I really enjoyed learning about his role in history, I wonder what would have happened if he had not been shot.

[Cindy]

I just couldn't get through this monster of a book. I had zero interest in finishing this one. I'll choose something else for the challenge.

[Morgan Flannery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did a particularly good job of convincing his audience that McKinley was a “modern” president who set the stage for US hegemony/ imperialism that would define the 1900s.