William McKinley was an American.
The Fourth Party System is the term used in political science and history for the period in American political history from about 1896 to 1932 that was dominated by the Republican Party , excepting the 1912 split in which Democrats held the White House for eight years . The Tariff Act of 1890 , commonly called the McKinley Tariff , was an act of the United States Congress framed by Representative William McKinley that became law on October 1 , 1890 . The United States presidential election of 1900 was the 29th quadrennial presidential election , held on Tuesday , November 6 , 1900 . William McKinley Jr. ( January 29 , 1843 -- September 14 , 1901 ) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 25th President of the United States from March 4 , 1897 until his assassination in September 1901 , six months into his second term . McKinley hoped to persuade Spain to grant independence to rebellious Cuba without conflict , but when negotiation failed , he led the nation into the Spanish -- American War of 1898 ; the U.S. victory was quick and decisive .