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In the Days of McKinley
Biography of william mckinely
686 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1959
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333 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Leech
13 books11 followersMargaret Kernochan Leech also known as Margaret Pulitzer, was an American author and historian, who won two Pulitzer Prizes in history, for her books Reveille in Washington (1942) and In the Days of McKinley (1960).
She was born in Newburgh, New York, obtained a B.A. from Vassar College in 1915, and worked for fund-raising organizations during World War I, including the American Committee for Devastated France.
She started her writing career for the Condé Nast publishing company before World War I. Leech also worked in advertising and publicity. After the war, she became friendly with members of the Algonquin Round Table, including critic-raconteur Alexander Woollcott. She was an associate of some of the wittiest and most brilliant men and women of literature that spent time at the Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan.
In 1928 she married Ralph Pulitzer, publisher of the New York World newspaper. (His father, Joseph Pulitzer, had established the Pulitzer Prize by a bequest to Columbia University.) They had one daughter, Susan.
Leech also wrote three novels: The Back of the Book (1924), Tin Wedding (1926), and ,i>The Feathered Nest (1928).
Leech died of a stroke in New York City at age 80.
She was born in Newburgh, New York, obtained a B.A. from Vassar College in 1915, and worked for fund-raising organizations during World War I, including the American Committee for Devastated France.
She started her writing career for the Condé Nast publishing company before World War I. Leech also worked in advertising and publicity. After the war, she became friendly with members of the Algonquin Round Table, including critic-raconteur Alexander Woollcott. She was an associate of some of the wittiest and most brilliant men and women of literature that spent time at the Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan.
In 1928 she married Ralph Pulitzer, publisher of the New York World newspaper. (His father, Joseph Pulitzer, had established the Pulitzer Prize by a bequest to Columbia University.) They had one daughter, Susan.
Leech also wrote three novels: The Back of the Book (1924), Tin Wedding (1926), and ,i>The Feathered Nest (1928).
Leech died of a stroke in New York City at age 80.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 27, 2010
I've been reading biographies of each U.S. president in order, and this is, the 25th book, is the best I have read. In fact it's one of the best books I've ever read...period. It is long, yes, and it is packed with detail. But Margaret Leech is an utterly splendid writer, with the best novelistic style brought to bear on what could have been dry material. Her format and detail gave me the best sense I've ever had of what it must be like to do the job of president day in and day out. It took me a long time to read this book, but it was so completely, splendidly worthwhile. (The last chapter reads like a thriller, too.)
May 31, 2009
Margaret Leech has been gone more than a third-of-a-century. Of course there is small mention of her. An admirable writer and a closely-informed historian, Leech was among the pioneers publishing the studied, popular histories which are common in this age. In 1941, Leech wrote, "Reveille in Washington," which certainly is a landmark volume (deserving of separate attention). "Days of McKinley," came in 1959. Each earned a Pulitzer Prize. William McKinley and those who share history with him seem austere, colorless, incidental historical characters and their days and their deeds seem only remote until/unless attention is turned to Leech's commendable effort. Great credit to her memory.
January 31, 2020
Margaret Leech’s “In the Days of McKinley” claims to be a biography, but it didn’t come up to my expectations on that point.
The book can be logically divided into two parts: McKinley before his presidency (the first 70-80 pages of the work) and the five years of his presidency up to his assassination (the remaining 500-510 pages).
The second part includes a large amount of details about the McKinley administration, cabinet members, and the most important events of the period.
However, Margaret Leech often forgets about McKinley and for many pages he is only mentioned (if mentioned at all).
Another disadvantage, in my opinion, is the lack of introduction. I would have eagerly traded a dozen pages of details about Ida McKinley for a couple of ones expressing Leech’s point of view.
The book ends abruptly with the assassination of the President in September 1901, which I, going by the amount of information the author gives us, found rather strange.
Again, there is neither an epilogue to tell us what happened to the other “characters”, such as his wife or the murderer, nor a summary of Leech’s thoughts on McKinley’s life and administration.
Furthermore, although “In the Days of McKinley” is well-written, and I enjoyed the author’s old-fashioned style, it was tough to read at times due to the lack of chronological order. Leech arranges the events by topic, which makes them hard to follow.
Actually, “In the Days of McKinley”’s title suits the work’s content very well. The book is less about the President himself than about the days of his administration. The Spanish-American war, for example, is profoundly discussed.
I think that, if not perceived as a biography, Margaret Leech’s work is worth reading.
The book can be logically divided into two parts: McKinley before his presidency (the first 70-80 pages of the work) and the five years of his presidency up to his assassination (the remaining 500-510 pages).
The second part includes a large amount of details about the McKinley administration, cabinet members, and the most important events of the period.
However, Margaret Leech often forgets about McKinley and for many pages he is only mentioned (if mentioned at all).
Another disadvantage, in my opinion, is the lack of introduction. I would have eagerly traded a dozen pages of details about Ida McKinley for a couple of ones expressing Leech’s point of view.
The book ends abruptly with the assassination of the President in September 1901, which I, going by the amount of information the author gives us, found rather strange.
Again, there is neither an epilogue to tell us what happened to the other “characters”, such as his wife or the murderer, nor a summary of Leech’s thoughts on McKinley’s life and administration.
Furthermore, although “In the Days of McKinley” is well-written, and I enjoyed the author’s old-fashioned style, it was tough to read at times due to the lack of chronological order. Leech arranges the events by topic, which makes them hard to follow.
Actually, “In the Days of McKinley”’s title suits the work’s content very well. The book is less about the President himself than about the days of his administration. The Spanish-American war, for example, is profoundly discussed.
I think that, if not perceived as a biography, Margaret Leech’s work is worth reading.
January 23, 2015
http://bestpresidentialbios.com/2015/...
“In the Days of McKinley” is Margaret Leech’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1959 biography of William McKinley. It remains one of the standard texts on this president and is indispensable to serious students of his era. Leech was a historian, author and the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes. She died in 1974 at the age of eighty.
In many ways, this book is less a traditional presidential biography than a life-and-times centered around McKinley and his presidency. Although it never strays too far from McKinley, there are numerous stretches where he is only peripheral to the story – and sometimes fails to appear at all.
Leech covers McKinley’s life up to his presidential campaign in the first fifty or sixty pages. The remainder of the book’s 605 pages are dedicated to a period of about five years, ending with his assassination in 1901. The introduction to McKinley, while comparatively brief, is interesting, colorful, fact-filled and often breathtakingly insightful.
On the strength of meticulous research she expertly dissects his personality and provides a descriptive and well-rounded portrait of this future president. It seems doubtful that anyone who did not know McKinley personally could better understand his personality and character than this author.
These early pages proceed quickly through his Ohio childhood, his college education (cut short by health and finances), his Civil War service and his legal career. With equal speed Leech reviews his nearly fifteen-year Congressional career and term as Ohio’s governor. This introduction seems more designed to describe McKinley than recount the events of his life prior to seeking the presidency.
This portion of the book also provides an immediate and clear sense of Leech’s unique writing style. Though the modern reader will find her style dated and occasionally difficult, it is also wonderfully erudite, lively and often extremely clever. Much of the text possesses a lyrical quality and her writing has the power to take the reader on a wonderfully scenic literary journey.
But make no mistake – this book is not easy to read (quickly or otherwise). Not only is it lengthy, but it is also quite dense. Even the best passages can require extraordinary care and patience to fully appreciate, and important messages can be lost in language that is alluring but cryptic. Readers who are accustomed to a carefully delineated timeline will find themselves quickly bewildered.
In addition, Leech’s biography is both wonderfully and tediously detailed. Historians focused on the late 19th and early 20th centuries will love this book but casual readers will often find it dull and sluggish. The fact that much of the book focuses on events of the era, rather than on McKinley himself, may add insult to injury for some.
Finally, although Leech has an uncanny ability to dissect and analyze people as well as historical events, it seems ironic (and disappointing) that she seems committed to providing far more detail than analysis or interpretation. I suspect most readers would be happy to trade a large chunk of the book’s detail in return for a just a handful of additional pages offering Leech’s perspective on McKinley’s actions or his legacy.
As a historical document, Margaret Leech’s “In the Days of McKinley” is immensely valuable and provides an astonishingly detailed account of the most important events of McKinley’s presidency. It also provides rich, if not equally comprehensive, insight into the man himself. But as a presidential biography it is far from perfect, requiring significant fortitude while providing too little of the author’s perspective and underemphasizing McKinley at the expense of world events.
Overall Rating: 3¼ stars
“In the Days of McKinley” is Margaret Leech’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1959 biography of William McKinley. It remains one of the standard texts on this president and is indispensable to serious students of his era. Leech was a historian, author and the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes. She died in 1974 at the age of eighty.
In many ways, this book is less a traditional presidential biography than a life-and-times centered around McKinley and his presidency. Although it never strays too far from McKinley, there are numerous stretches where he is only peripheral to the story – and sometimes fails to appear at all.
Leech covers McKinley’s life up to his presidential campaign in the first fifty or sixty pages. The remainder of the book’s 605 pages are dedicated to a period of about five years, ending with his assassination in 1901. The introduction to McKinley, while comparatively brief, is interesting, colorful, fact-filled and often breathtakingly insightful.
On the strength of meticulous research she expertly dissects his personality and provides a descriptive and well-rounded portrait of this future president. It seems doubtful that anyone who did not know McKinley personally could better understand his personality and character than this author.
These early pages proceed quickly through his Ohio childhood, his college education (cut short by health and finances), his Civil War service and his legal career. With equal speed Leech reviews his nearly fifteen-year Congressional career and term as Ohio’s governor. This introduction seems more designed to describe McKinley than recount the events of his life prior to seeking the presidency.
This portion of the book also provides an immediate and clear sense of Leech’s unique writing style. Though the modern reader will find her style dated and occasionally difficult, it is also wonderfully erudite, lively and often extremely clever. Much of the text possesses a lyrical quality and her writing has the power to take the reader on a wonderfully scenic literary journey.
But make no mistake – this book is not easy to read (quickly or otherwise). Not only is it lengthy, but it is also quite dense. Even the best passages can require extraordinary care and patience to fully appreciate, and important messages can be lost in language that is alluring but cryptic. Readers who are accustomed to a carefully delineated timeline will find themselves quickly bewildered.
In addition, Leech’s biography is both wonderfully and tediously detailed. Historians focused on the late 19th and early 20th centuries will love this book but casual readers will often find it dull and sluggish. The fact that much of the book focuses on events of the era, rather than on McKinley himself, may add insult to injury for some.
Finally, although Leech has an uncanny ability to dissect and analyze people as well as historical events, it seems ironic (and disappointing) that she seems committed to providing far more detail than analysis or interpretation. I suspect most readers would be happy to trade a large chunk of the book’s detail in return for a just a handful of additional pages offering Leech’s perspective on McKinley’s actions or his legacy.
As a historical document, Margaret Leech’s “In the Days of McKinley” is immensely valuable and provides an astonishingly detailed account of the most important events of McKinley’s presidency. It also provides rich, if not equally comprehensive, insight into the man himself. But as a presidential biography it is far from perfect, requiring significant fortitude while providing too little of the author’s perspective and underemphasizing McKinley at the expense of world events.
Overall Rating: 3¼ stars
February 13, 2015
Leech received a Pulitzer Prize for this book, and I think I know why: she was married to Joseph Pulitzer's son, Ralph. Joseph was the one who founded the Prize. But I am not sure why this book won the Bancroft Prize. This is a tedious, frequently dense, read and I am only too happy to now be finished with it.
I thought that this was a biography of William McKinley. And it is - sometimes. It starts off as a biography, taking us through his early years as a Major on the Union side in the Civil War, onto his career as a Congressman from Canton, OH and then Governor. But once he becomes President, Leech veers off into a more general, meandering survey of American history during the late 1890s. She then goes back and forth between talking about McKinley, then delving (way too) deep into the tariff, the Spanish-American War, Cuba, the Philippines, the Open Door policy with China, and members of the Cabinet. McKinley is not even mentioned for long periods of time. Then quickly it is back to talking about his daily life in the White House and his concern over his invalid wife, Ida. Adding to this confusion is that Leech talks about things topically, not necessarily chronologically. So, the reader sometimes has to go back to an earlier time from the most recent chapter read.
Leech's writing style is flowery and dated. She uses way too many descriptive words. If she had just cut down on unnecessary prose, this book would probably be 100 pages less. She uses phrases such as "keen as mustard," that seem somewhat odd today. And her tendency to beat a dead horse on items such as the canned beef sent to soldiers in Cuba is mind-numbing.
She also seems to have an obsession with talking about Ida McKinley. She talks about her early on - going into detail about her epileptic fits and frail constitution. She then devotes a long chapter to the subject again about two-thirds of the way through the book (one of the chapters that just seems out of place in relation to what came before and comes after), and then focuses on Mrs. McKinley again towards the end. Overall, I came away with the impression that Leech did not like Mrs. McKinley, and considered her to be, for lack of a better term, a drama queen. The result is that I finished the book neither feeling sympathy for her, nor thinking that she was the albatross around her husband's neck as Leech wants us to believe. I do think that McKinley was completely devoted to her - that part Leech does do a good job of relating. As for McKinley himself, she seems to be generally positive, but does not offer hardly any analysis of him as a President. I do not feel like I got a good sense of who he was.
The book ends abruptly, with McKinley's assassination. There is no summation of what happened to the assassin, Leon Czolgosz, or to Ida McKinley, or any of the Cabinet members. With Leech writing to distraction about so many other things, I find it odd that she does not take a few pages to discuss the aftermath of McKinley's assassination. Then again, adding more pages to this book is about the last thing I would have wanted as I trudged toward the end.
Grade: D
I thought that this was a biography of William McKinley. And it is - sometimes. It starts off as a biography, taking us through his early years as a Major on the Union side in the Civil War, onto his career as a Congressman from Canton, OH and then Governor. But once he becomes President, Leech veers off into a more general, meandering survey of American history during the late 1890s. She then goes back and forth between talking about McKinley, then delving (way too) deep into the tariff, the Spanish-American War, Cuba, the Philippines, the Open Door policy with China, and members of the Cabinet. McKinley is not even mentioned for long periods of time. Then quickly it is back to talking about his daily life in the White House and his concern over his invalid wife, Ida. Adding to this confusion is that Leech talks about things topically, not necessarily chronologically. So, the reader sometimes has to go back to an earlier time from the most recent chapter read.
Leech's writing style is flowery and dated. She uses way too many descriptive words. If she had just cut down on unnecessary prose, this book would probably be 100 pages less. She uses phrases such as "keen as mustard," that seem somewhat odd today. And her tendency to beat a dead horse on items such as the canned beef sent to soldiers in Cuba is mind-numbing.
She also seems to have an obsession with talking about Ida McKinley. She talks about her early on - going into detail about her epileptic fits and frail constitution. She then devotes a long chapter to the subject again about two-thirds of the way through the book (one of the chapters that just seems out of place in relation to what came before and comes after), and then focuses on Mrs. McKinley again towards the end. Overall, I came away with the impression that Leech did not like Mrs. McKinley, and considered her to be, for lack of a better term, a drama queen. The result is that I finished the book neither feeling sympathy for her, nor thinking that she was the albatross around her husband's neck as Leech wants us to believe. I do think that McKinley was completely devoted to her - that part Leech does do a good job of relating. As for McKinley himself, she seems to be generally positive, but does not offer hardly any analysis of him as a President. I do not feel like I got a good sense of who he was.
The book ends abruptly, with McKinley's assassination. There is no summation of what happened to the assassin, Leon Czolgosz, or to Ida McKinley, or any of the Cabinet members. With Leech writing to distraction about so many other things, I find it odd that she does not take a few pages to discuss the aftermath of McKinley's assassination. Then again, adding more pages to this book is about the last thing I would have wanted as I trudged toward the end.
Grade: D
October 30, 2012
It took me about three months to get through this slow, old-fashioned biography, but I made it. I came to appreciate it and the writing style, but it has the slowest start of any book I've read in years. It covers the McKinley administration in great detail, with full information about every cabinet member, every issue faced, and all aspects of McKinley's personal and public life. Only his death is given short shrift, barely two pages. We never find out what happened to the crazed anarchist who killed him. So, I don't recommend the book, but as I am reading the best book about each president (book, not series), this was what I found on McKinley.
January 22, 2024
The Days of William McKinley by Margaret Leech
I chose this McKinley bio because it was a 1959 Pulitzer Prize winner. I should have known better. The author’s married name was Margaret Leech PULITZER…Yep, she was the daughter in law of Joseph Pulitzer, namesake of the award….AND THIS WAS HER 2ND PULITZER.
The first 150 or so pages are excellent, one of the best written narratives about the ‘person’ behind the man that I have read. There are a number of beautifully written sentences , some of which border on the lyrical:
Just one example: “ Across the hall sat the Major (McKinley) in silence, refusing comment on all political questions; BUT CANTON HEARD THE BEATING WINGS OF GREAT EVENTS AS THE SUNSHINE WARMED AND THE ROSES BLOOMED”
Unfortunately, once the bio gets to McKinley’s presidency, McKinley fades into the background of his own biography. He’s nearly a ghost. This is especially notable during the 237 pages (1/3 of entire bio) of excruciating detail about the 4 month Spanish American ‘war’. Certainly, events surrounding a biography’s subject add important context, but the purpose of a biography is to tell the subject’s story within that context. Otherwise the narrative is history. If you are interested in McKinley, I suggest another biography.
McKinley was a decent man, deeply religious, & life long devotee to his epileptic invalid wife. His political career included D.A. Of Stark County, Ohio, 14 years in Congress, including Chairman of Ways and Means Committee, Ohio governor for 2 terms, and then made surprise jump to the White House in 1896 and won reelection in 1900. He was known for his ability to persuade without creating resentment as well as excellent oratory chops.
He believed in high tariffs because “they created prosperity “ and signed into law the highest tariffs in U.S. history up to that time. He also believed in expanding American markets around the world but apparently did not see the conflict when foreign countries simply retaliated with high tariffs on American goods. (Yet, in 2024 we still have a Presidential candidate advocating the same conflicting policy….”history not only rhymes but it REPEATS”..lol)
McKinley became the 5th President to die in office, the 3rd to be assassinated for no apparent reason other than the assassin was an anarchist. In an ironic twist of fate, his Secretary of State, John Hay, was also Asst. Sec. of. State for James Garfield, and a private secretary of Lincoln, the other 2 Presidents killed by a bullet.
McKinley’s legacy?
Setting Cuba and the Philippines on a course to independence after militarily forcing Spain to give up these colonies. Despite political charges of imperialism, the post war administration of the Philippines was a hallmark of American foreign policy and McKinley deserves great credit for making it happen.
I chose this McKinley bio because it was a 1959 Pulitzer Prize winner. I should have known better. The author’s married name was Margaret Leech PULITZER…Yep, she was the daughter in law of Joseph Pulitzer, namesake of the award….AND THIS WAS HER 2ND PULITZER.
The first 150 or so pages are excellent, one of the best written narratives about the ‘person’ behind the man that I have read. There are a number of beautifully written sentences , some of which border on the lyrical:
Just one example: “ Across the hall sat the Major (McKinley) in silence, refusing comment on all political questions; BUT CANTON HEARD THE BEATING WINGS OF GREAT EVENTS AS THE SUNSHINE WARMED AND THE ROSES BLOOMED”
Unfortunately, once the bio gets to McKinley’s presidency, McKinley fades into the background of his own biography. He’s nearly a ghost. This is especially notable during the 237 pages (1/3 of entire bio) of excruciating detail about the 4 month Spanish American ‘war’. Certainly, events surrounding a biography’s subject add important context, but the purpose of a biography is to tell the subject’s story within that context. Otherwise the narrative is history. If you are interested in McKinley, I suggest another biography.
McKinley was a decent man, deeply religious, & life long devotee to his epileptic invalid wife. His political career included D.A. Of Stark County, Ohio, 14 years in Congress, including Chairman of Ways and Means Committee, Ohio governor for 2 terms, and then made surprise jump to the White House in 1896 and won reelection in 1900. He was known for his ability to persuade without creating resentment as well as excellent oratory chops.
He believed in high tariffs because “they created prosperity “ and signed into law the highest tariffs in U.S. history up to that time. He also believed in expanding American markets around the world but apparently did not see the conflict when foreign countries simply retaliated with high tariffs on American goods. (Yet, in 2024 we still have a Presidential candidate advocating the same conflicting policy….”history not only rhymes but it REPEATS”..lol)
McKinley became the 5th President to die in office, the 3rd to be assassinated for no apparent reason other than the assassin was an anarchist. In an ironic twist of fate, his Secretary of State, John Hay, was also Asst. Sec. of. State for James Garfield, and a private secretary of Lincoln, the other 2 Presidents killed by a bullet.
McKinley’s legacy?
Setting Cuba and the Philippines on a course to independence after militarily forcing Spain to give up these colonies. Despite political charges of imperialism, the post war administration of the Philippines was a hallmark of American foreign policy and McKinley deserves great credit for making it happen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2020
This book was dry, aged poorly, and fairly boring with great details on issues that were not interesting or directly dealing with the president. The positive portion of the book is it had a lot of history on the Philippines. I learned more about our relationship with the Philippines, many details that I didn’t even learn from reading books on the country.
The other two interesting points of the book is Hanna’s relationship with McKinley and more about McKinley’s ill wife.
It’s always interesting when one reads about a former president being young, this guy not even swearing or drinking when he was in the Civil War!
McKinley’s relationship with labor was also interesting – and sometimes contrasting. He voted to protect railroad and streetcar employees on safety issues, voted for compulsory arbitration laws, and stood up for miners who were brought up on criminal charges – and refused payment. He did have a disagreement with the Miners Union when he called out the national guard to keep railroads running but told the Guard to avoid conflict with the miners. It only had a slow set back with labor, evidently. He later would personally contribute to strikers and relief funds for the unemployed.
The author also spoke about how McKinley thought about not running for a second term and he personally added the reception in Buffalo – where he was shot – on the schedule! It was really unusual that he was shot, lived days and started to do a little better then passed away after saying he was not going to make it but thanks.
The other two interesting points of the book is Hanna’s relationship with McKinley and more about McKinley’s ill wife.
It’s always interesting when one reads about a former president being young, this guy not even swearing or drinking when he was in the Civil War!
McKinley’s relationship with labor was also interesting – and sometimes contrasting. He voted to protect railroad and streetcar employees on safety issues, voted for compulsory arbitration laws, and stood up for miners who were brought up on criminal charges – and refused payment. He did have a disagreement with the Miners Union when he called out the national guard to keep railroads running but told the Guard to avoid conflict with the miners. It only had a slow set back with labor, evidently. He later would personally contribute to strikers and relief funds for the unemployed.
The author also spoke about how McKinley thought about not running for a second term and he personally added the reception in Buffalo – where he was shot – on the schedule! It was really unusual that he was shot, lived days and started to do a little better then passed away after saying he was not going to make it but thanks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2014
Great biography, even if it is a little dated. Leech portrays McKinley as a good man and a good president. She delves deep into his policies, the members of his cabinet and the Spanish-American war. Not much discussion is devoted to his assassination. It's obvious that Leech doesn't think highly of Ida McKinley, an invalid who insisted on carrying out her duties as First Lady. I can't tell if Mrs. McKinley was an exasperating attention-seeker or someone who did the best she could to live a full life, despite her physical challenges.
December 8, 2019
Margaret Leech as historian is impeccable and she has a nice easy style. William McKinley is a subject she likes and you will too after reading about him. When he died in 1901 the ideas he held
were in general acceptance and he was widely mourned.
McKinley was born in Niles, Ohio in 1843 and was 18 when the Civil War broke out. He enlisted as a
private and came out a major in 1865. He participated in many battles the most known being Antietam. He went to war for idealistic reasons to end slavery. McKinley was a devout Methodist his
whole life as was Ida Saxton McKinley of Canton. Ohio where McKinley settled after marrying Ida.
Their personal life was tragic, two small children dying and Ida suffering from epilepsy. William
was completely devoted to her.
In 1876 when his former commanding officer Rutherford B. Hayes was running for president McKinley ran for the House of Representatives and both won. In Congress he was the Republican
party tariff expert. He was very popular with colleagues due to tact and diplomacy, qualities he
seemed born with. In 1890 he was defeated for re-election in a bad Republican year, but rebounded the following year when he ran and won two terms as Governor of Ohio.
McKinley became the GOP nominee for president and the campaign was run on two issues, the
tariff and free coinage of silver as advocated by his Democratic opponent William Jennings Bryan.
With a hefty campaign war chest, courtesy of Cleveland industrialist Marcus A. Hanna, McKinley's
devoted friend and supporter, McKinley beat Bryan in 1896.
The high tariff and the gold standard that McKinley advocated brought prosperity and I always
found it odd that those domestic issues that were the heart of the 1896 election disappeared. The
McKinley presidency was known for foreign policy ventures.
McKinley was president during the Spanish-American War of 1898. A war that started when the
battleship Maine blew up in Havana Harbor where it had been sent. There was already a war for
Cuban independence there and sentiment was fanned in some of the yellow tabloid press for
American entry. Congress declared war and as a result of army and navy victories we acquired a
flock of Spanish colonies, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Phillipines. American imperialism would be
an issue in the 1900 presidential campaign.
There was a terrible scandal involving the War Department in terms of logistics and supply of the
army. Russell Alger the War Secretary was one of the worst in that office. He was replaced when it
was politically right by one of the best Elihu Root.
Similarly the State Department when a failing John Sherman was put in the office to get him out of
the Senate so Marc Hanna could have a Senate seat. Sherman was dispensed with just as the war
began and eventually again one of the best John Hay became Secretary of State.
We also formally annexed Hawaii. Early in the decade our American minister in Hawaii sponsored
a revolution under the presidency of Benjamin Harrison. Grover Cleveland repudiated it in his
presidency in an admirable decision which was a day late and a dollar short. McKinley repudiated
the repudiation and Hawaii became our's.
China also became an issue as John Hay issued a statement regarding trade in China called The
Open Door policy. America also participated in an international expeditionary force to relieve the
foreign quarter of Peking under siege by Chinese rebels called Boxers.
A lot of very prominent folk in the USA didn't like the new imperialism. But McKinley won a handy
re-election in 1900 again over William Jennings Bryan.
The second term ended abruptly in Buffalo at a World's Fair on September 14 when McKinley died
as a result of an assassin's bullet. If American policies were questioned, his decent character was
not.
This is the McKinley story as Margaret Leech tells it. It has not been told better.
were in general acceptance and he was widely mourned.
McKinley was born in Niles, Ohio in 1843 and was 18 when the Civil War broke out. He enlisted as a
private and came out a major in 1865. He participated in many battles the most known being Antietam. He went to war for idealistic reasons to end slavery. McKinley was a devout Methodist his
whole life as was Ida Saxton McKinley of Canton. Ohio where McKinley settled after marrying Ida.
Their personal life was tragic, two small children dying and Ida suffering from epilepsy. William
was completely devoted to her.
In 1876 when his former commanding officer Rutherford B. Hayes was running for president McKinley ran for the House of Representatives and both won. In Congress he was the Republican
party tariff expert. He was very popular with colleagues due to tact and diplomacy, qualities he
seemed born with. In 1890 he was defeated for re-election in a bad Republican year, but rebounded the following year when he ran and won two terms as Governor of Ohio.
McKinley became the GOP nominee for president and the campaign was run on two issues, the
tariff and free coinage of silver as advocated by his Democratic opponent William Jennings Bryan.
With a hefty campaign war chest, courtesy of Cleveland industrialist Marcus A. Hanna, McKinley's
devoted friend and supporter, McKinley beat Bryan in 1896.
The high tariff and the gold standard that McKinley advocated brought prosperity and I always
found it odd that those domestic issues that were the heart of the 1896 election disappeared. The
McKinley presidency was known for foreign policy ventures.
McKinley was president during the Spanish-American War of 1898. A war that started when the
battleship Maine blew up in Havana Harbor where it had been sent. There was already a war for
Cuban independence there and sentiment was fanned in some of the yellow tabloid press for
American entry. Congress declared war and as a result of army and navy victories we acquired a
flock of Spanish colonies, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Phillipines. American imperialism would be
an issue in the 1900 presidential campaign.
There was a terrible scandal involving the War Department in terms of logistics and supply of the
army. Russell Alger the War Secretary was one of the worst in that office. He was replaced when it
was politically right by one of the best Elihu Root.
Similarly the State Department when a failing John Sherman was put in the office to get him out of
the Senate so Marc Hanna could have a Senate seat. Sherman was dispensed with just as the war
began and eventually again one of the best John Hay became Secretary of State.
We also formally annexed Hawaii. Early in the decade our American minister in Hawaii sponsored
a revolution under the presidency of Benjamin Harrison. Grover Cleveland repudiated it in his
presidency in an admirable decision which was a day late and a dollar short. McKinley repudiated
the repudiation and Hawaii became our's.
China also became an issue as John Hay issued a statement regarding trade in China called The
Open Door policy. America also participated in an international expeditionary force to relieve the
foreign quarter of Peking under siege by Chinese rebels called Boxers.
A lot of very prominent folk in the USA didn't like the new imperialism. But McKinley won a handy
re-election in 1900 again over William Jennings Bryan.
The second term ended abruptly in Buffalo at a World's Fair on September 14 when McKinley died
as a result of an assassin's bullet. If American policies were questioned, his decent character was
not.
This is the McKinley story as Margaret Leech tells it. It has not been told better.
November 5, 2021
A life cut short for a nation in transition
I have been on a very long, multi-decade quest to read biographies for each American President in sequential order. This brings me to the end of the 19th Century, giving me a clue as to how much longer I will be invested in this project. But books like this make it worth it for the comprehensive snapshot and the unique perspective it provides as it can only be viewed by partisan leadership and the agendas each #chiefexecutive brings to the #whitehouse or, as it would be addressed for the last time, the #executivemansion of the United States.
#williammckinley was one of the most consequential presidents the #unitedstates ever elected. As the last president to have served in the #civilwar , he brought to a close an era still trying to heal from the war that came close to tearing the nation apart.
During those 35 years following the war, the nation was undergoing a dramatic shift as it added nearly a dozen states, expanded its reach into the Pacific to annex Hawaii, a portion of the Samoa and Guam, and, because of war with Spain, the Philippines as well as Cuba and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. Though the war had been a generation in the past, North and South still operated in its own spheres as the Army pushed west to defend the railroad while it pursued, warred with and decimated the last remnants of indigenous America resisting pacification. In the end, through his victorious and expedient handling of the war which gave rise to a larger than life New York dandy and resurrected the career of a Civil War Cavalry officer to lead the war, he was able to bring the nation together for the first time in a generation. His landslide reelection was celebrated on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line and his death at the hands of an assassin mourned by all.
While there was much good because of his presidency, so too, in an effort to unify a nation, was a blind eye turned in the South that led to over 60 years of unchallenged Jim Crow and segregation that virtually stripped the gains of those who were previously in chains. As a labor movement raged in the mines, factories and transportation hubs of the nation, so too did avenues of unprecedented wealth enrich and empower a new class of businessman who grew filthy rich through trade and commercial monopolies and the exploitation of workers and public resources that would be challenges we still are facing today.
This exhaustive historical work by #pulitzerprizewinnerforhistory #margaretleech is without doubt one of the best wtitten works of history told in a lively novel-like that engaged the reader through all of its meticulously researched 600+ pages which are copiously footnoted. If you can ignore the temptation to read those notes, it could be a much quicker read then I was able to accomplish as each resource takes me further and further down rabbit holes of historical detail.
A must read!
#presidentialbiography #unitedstateshistory #readtheworld #readtheworldchallenge #globalreadingchallenge
I have been on a very long, multi-decade quest to read biographies for each American President in sequential order. This brings me to the end of the 19th Century, giving me a clue as to how much longer I will be invested in this project. But books like this make it worth it for the comprehensive snapshot and the unique perspective it provides as it can only be viewed by partisan leadership and the agendas each #chiefexecutive brings to the #whitehouse or, as it would be addressed for the last time, the #executivemansion of the United States.
#williammckinley was one of the most consequential presidents the #unitedstates ever elected. As the last president to have served in the #civilwar , he brought to a close an era still trying to heal from the war that came close to tearing the nation apart.
During those 35 years following the war, the nation was undergoing a dramatic shift as it added nearly a dozen states, expanded its reach into the Pacific to annex Hawaii, a portion of the Samoa and Guam, and, because of war with Spain, the Philippines as well as Cuba and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. Though the war had been a generation in the past, North and South still operated in its own spheres as the Army pushed west to defend the railroad while it pursued, warred with and decimated the last remnants of indigenous America resisting pacification. In the end, through his victorious and expedient handling of the war which gave rise to a larger than life New York dandy and resurrected the career of a Civil War Cavalry officer to lead the war, he was able to bring the nation together for the first time in a generation. His landslide reelection was celebrated on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line and his death at the hands of an assassin mourned by all.
While there was much good because of his presidency, so too, in an effort to unify a nation, was a blind eye turned in the South that led to over 60 years of unchallenged Jim Crow and segregation that virtually stripped the gains of those who were previously in chains. As a labor movement raged in the mines, factories and transportation hubs of the nation, so too did avenues of unprecedented wealth enrich and empower a new class of businessman who grew filthy rich through trade and commercial monopolies and the exploitation of workers and public resources that would be challenges we still are facing today.
This exhaustive historical work by #pulitzerprizewinnerforhistory #margaretleech is without doubt one of the best wtitten works of history told in a lively novel-like that engaged the reader through all of its meticulously researched 600+ pages which are copiously footnoted. If you can ignore the temptation to read those notes, it could be a much quicker read then I was able to accomplish as each resource takes me further and further down rabbit holes of historical detail.
A must read!
#presidentialbiography #unitedstateshistory #readtheworld #readtheworldchallenge #globalreadingchallenge
September 6, 2023
A very dense examination of the Gilded Age. The tittle is accurate; the book is not necessarily about the President, but the issues of his time, namely, the Spanish American War, Isthmian canal negotiations, and the rise of Teddy Roosevelt. The book bounces around and spends inordinate space on specific issues like a controversy over the canned beef sent to soldiers in the Spanish American War. If you are interested in late 19th century history then this is a great book where McKinley plays a prominent but not main role. If you are lookin for a more full fledged biography of his life from birth, this is not the book for you.
February 21, 2022
I learned a good deal about McKinley -- a good, honest man who tried hard, and a stellar husband to his invalided wife -- from this book, but it could have been better: the author gets bogged down in the details of congressional maneuverings and even White House diplomatic protocol. More information on what ordinary people of the time thought of McKinley would have helped, and given us a better feel for the age. McKinley convinces us that McKinley was an underrated president, but her Reveille in Washington remains the superior book.
September 13, 2021
An enjoyable book written in a fond, old fashioned way, probably even old fashioned for 1959. It is clear that the author is somewhat biased in her writings, but nevertheless, the sweet manner in which it is written and the story told shines through. A period piece and a welcome contrast to modern biographies.
September 26, 2017
It took me a long time to finish this book. There were so many unnecessary pages and descriptions of unwanted and non-important facts. That being said I did learn quite a bit about our 25th president and about the battles of the Philippines and with Spain.
December 17, 2017
This felt like it took as long to read as the poor man lived. On to TR.
March 5, 2021
Good summary of the McKinley era, teaches you how crazy the Spanish American war was!
October 26, 2016
Good coverage of the Spanish-American war and McKinley's role
January 7, 2015
Not a strict biography, but a book about McKinley and his presidency with a focus on the Spanish American War. McKinley is a pretty interesting character and probably the most well-liked and popular forgotten president. I'm not sure why, but his popularity and actions remind me a bit of a 19th Century Ronald Reagan in that the perception of him was as a kind of out of touch grandfatherly figure who was universally loved by his party and was viewed as pro-business and imperialistic yet not malevolent by most. Had he not been assassinated and then followed by the exuberant Teddy Roosevelt, he likely would be remembered as one of the better presidents instead of just one of the presidents who got shot.
As for his life, he was an intriguing guy. He bootstrapped his way up from a modest start to being a successful soldier for the Union in the Civil War to being a lawyer to being Governor of Ohio to being President. He was also a doting husband to his wife who suffered from epileptic seizures which seemed to have begun after the death of their young daughter.
The author paints McKinley as a man of few words but as a skilled politician and shrewd leader. He show McKinley as someone who listened to all points of a problem and then guided others to the right answer so they would think they came up with the solution that he wanted from the start.
The book gets weighed down a bit when it moves from McKinley to focus on the Spanish-American War but it's a decent read about the period.
As for his life, he was an intriguing guy. He bootstrapped his way up from a modest start to being a successful soldier for the Union in the Civil War to being a lawyer to being Governor of Ohio to being President. He was also a doting husband to his wife who suffered from epileptic seizures which seemed to have begun after the death of their young daughter.
The author paints McKinley as a man of few words but as a skilled politician and shrewd leader. He show McKinley as someone who listened to all points of a problem and then guided others to the right answer so they would think they came up with the solution that he wanted from the start.
The book gets weighed down a bit when it moves from McKinley to focus on the Spanish-American War but it's a decent read about the period.
January 7, 2012
- Overall this is a book that I'm glad is on my shelf and will no doubt be referenced in the future.
- Not actually a biography of McKinley, but rather a book about the United States during McKinley's Presidency.
- If it were to be solely judged as a biography it is lacking due to it's conciseness and lack of focus on McKinley. There are entire chapters which do not spend more than one paragraph on the character of McKinley. There are times where Theodore Roosevelt is the focus rather than McKinley.
- But it is more like two books in one: A history of the Spanish/American War placed in the middle of a short McKinley bio.
- The Spanish/American War section is very complete.
- It reads as a cross between a biography and a novel. I personally would have like one style or another rather than the hybrid.
- Not actually a biography of McKinley, but rather a book about the United States during McKinley's Presidency.
- If it were to be solely judged as a biography it is lacking due to it's conciseness and lack of focus on McKinley. There are entire chapters which do not spend more than one paragraph on the character of McKinley. There are times where Theodore Roosevelt is the focus rather than McKinley.
- But it is more like two books in one: A history of the Spanish/American War placed in the middle of a short McKinley bio.
- The Spanish/American War section is very complete.
- It reads as a cross between a biography and a novel. I personally would have like one style or another rather than the hybrid.
December 12, 2015
Compared to other whole-life presidential biographies I've read, this one concentrates more on the presidential years than on the rest of his life. Of the 600 pages of text, only the first hundred are prelude, with only a few paragraphs of denouement. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
I've found that reading these presidential biographies has been a great way to learn U.S. history. In this book, Leech does a good job of placing McKinley in his context - what were the economic and political challenges he faced? Without this context, the policies a president pursues are impossible to judge. This book is one of the better of the biographies I've read at doing this. We get a good issues he faced, particularly the Spanish War and its aftermath: dealing with the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Cuba.
I've found that reading these presidential biographies has been a great way to learn U.S. history. In this book, Leech does a good job of placing McKinley in his context - what were the economic and political challenges he faced? Without this context, the policies a president pursues are impossible to judge. This book is one of the better of the biographies I've read at doing this. We get a good issues he faced, particularly the Spanish War and its aftermath: dealing with the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Cuba.
July 3, 2015
This is an interesting, well-written book giving a great deal of detail about the life of a president who deserves to be better-known than he is. Mostly, he is remembered as "the guy whose assassination made Teddy Roosevelt president", but he was much more than that. This is an excellent source for someone who wants to increase their knowledge on the subject, and it's quite readable, as such things go. Not, perhaps, as easy to read as a David McCulloch biography, but not too far off.
April 29, 2012
McKinley was a true Christian President who let his faith guide his policies. This concept is debatable in today's culture, but we can't fault McKinley for having a vision for America and sticking to it without compromising his integrity or values.
March 9, 2011
Really interesting book on the McKinley presidency. Definitely worth a re-read.
Read
July 27, 2011You'll learn the reasons why the Progressive Movement caught hold in America. And, why FDR, JFK and all Liberals still believe in it!
May 3, 2017
Book gets fairly dull in sections. At times way too much detail is included but it does give a sharp insight to McKinley
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