The life of william mckinley
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Early Life and Career
William McKinley was born on January 29, 1843, in Niles, Ohio.
The life of william mckinley
As a young man, he briefly attended Allegheny College before taking a post as a country schoolteacher.
When the Civil War broke out in 1861, McKinley enlisted in the Union Army, where he eventually earned the rank of brevet major of volunteers.
Returning to Ohio after the war, McKinley studied law, opened his own practice in Canton, Ohio, and married Ida Saxton, the daughter of a local banker.
After the deaths, in quick succession, of her mother and her two young daughters early in their marriage, Ida’s health rapidly deteriorated, and she spent the rest of her life as a chronic invalid.
McKinley patiently catered to his wife throughout his burgeoning political career, winning praise from the public for his loving devotion to her.
Did you know? During the Civil War, McKinley served on the staff of Colonel Rutherford B.
Hayes, a fellow Ohioan who would become his lifelong mentor and fri