what year did william mckinley became president?
1897
contradiction
 Four days later , President William McKinley was shot by an assassin ; his death a further eight days later elevated Roosevelt to the presidency . 

entailment
 McKinley was sworn in as president on March 4 , 1897 , as his wife and mother looked on . The new President gave a lengthy inaugural address ; he urged tariff reform , and stated that the currency issue would have to await tariff legislation . He warned against foreign interventions , " We want no wars of conquest . We must avoid the temptation of territorial aggression . " 

entailment
 In 1896 , William McKinley was elected President of the United States . McKinley , a Republican and former Governor of Ohio , defeated the joint Democratic and Populist nominee , William Jennings Bryan , as well as minor @-@ party candidates . McKinley 's decisive victory in what is sometimes seen as a realigning election ended a period of close presidential contests , and ushered in an era of dominance for the Republican Party . 

entailment
 In September 1901 , William McKinley was at the height of his power as president . Elected in 1896 , during the serious economic depression resulting from the Panic of 1893 , he had defeated his Democratic rival , William Jennings Bryan . McKinley led the nation both to a return to prosperity and to victory in the Spanish – American War in 1898 , taking possession of such Spanish colonies as Puerto Rico and the Philippines . Re @-@ elected handily in a rematch against Bryan in 1900 , according to historical writer Eric Rauchway , " it looked as if the McKinley Administration would continue peaceably unbroken for another four years , a government devoted to prosperity " . 

entailment
 The election of Republican president William McKinley in 1896 deepened the Democrats ' resolve to oppose the Republican governor and his allies . Moreover , when the legislature convened in 1898 , the Democratic majority in both houses was overwhelming . Bradley 's message to the General Assembly in 1898 called for numerous reforms including spending cuts to reduce government waste , putting the state 's charitable institutions under control of a non @-@ partisan board , and reforms to public education and legal system . 
