This paper explains that William McKinley (1843-1901), the twenty-fifth president of the United States was the most effective
U.S. President since Abraham Lincoln. During his tenure at the White House, McKinley presided over the end of a disastrous economic depression, kick started unparalleled industrial growth and consumer prosperity which set the stage for America's emergence as a 20th century industrial giant, formed a national electoral coalition that kept the Republicans as the majority party for three decades, and most of all-as a result of the Spanish-American War in 1898, led his country into an era of American Imperialism making it a world power to be reckoned. This paper examines the McKinley
presidency in detail with particular focus on his domestic and foreign policies, besides giving a brief overview of his early and
political life. Contents: Introduction Overview of Life before Presidency Entry in Political Life The Presidency Domestic Policies Hanna's Puppet or His Own Man Other Notable Domestic Policies The Gold Standard Act Foreign Policy The Cuban Crisis The Spanish-American War Giving America an Empire Conclusion