WILLIAM McKINLEY (R) - 1897-1901
The 25th President might have enjoyed a greater legacy had he lived. He came into office as a protectionist but was converted by world events into a growing sense of nationalism, and his presidency was the bridge to the 20th century.
The clincher for him was the Spanish-American War, which most Americans tend to forget ever happened. It lasted only a few months, and when Spain lost, they gave up Guam and Puerto Rico, granted Cuba independence, and sold the Phillippines to the US.
Domestically, McKinley was able to settle monetary issues by putting the dollar on the gold standard. When he began his second term, he planned on increasing international trade. Just a few months in, however, he was assassinated by anarchist Leon Czolgosz.
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