This exhibition provides unique insight into various aspects of American history and culture. Objects displayed are organized according to the three categories that Thomas Jefferson used for his library: memory, reason, and imagination. The exhibition includes a section pertaining to McKinley's inaugurations in 1897 and 1901.

This exhibition presents a sampling of the rich collection of campaign songs housed in the Music Division of the Library of Congress.

Items from eighteen presidents are featured in this online exhibition, including a photograph and an admission ticket from McKinley's first inauguration in 1897.

Search PPOC using the subject heading "McKinley, William, 1843-1901" to find digital images related to McKinley such as prints, photographs, and political cartoons. Search all text fields in PPOC using the phrase "William McKinley" to locate additional images.

The digital collections of the Library of Congress contain a wide variety of material associated with the Spanish-American War, including manuscripts, maps, broadsides, photographs, prints, sheet music, and films.

This guide contains approximately 400 items relating to presidential inaugurations, including McKinley's first inauguration in 1897 and his second inauguration in 1901.

William Jennings Bryan, a gifted orator and three-time presidential candidate was born on March 19, 1860, in Salem, Illinois. Bryan lost to William McKinley in the presidential elections of 1896 and 1900.

On February 15, 1898, an explosion of unknown origin sank the battleship U.S.S. Maine in the Havana, Cuba harbor, killing 266 of the 354 crew members. The sinking of the Maine incited United States’ passions against Spain, eventually leading to a naval blockade of Cuba and a declaration of war.

On April 25,1898, the United States formally declared war against Spain. The Monroe Doctrine, which since 1823 had viewed any European intervention in the Americas as a threat to U.S. security, coupled with the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine in Havana harbor, precipitated U.S. engagement. Coverage by Hearst newspapers and the nascent film industry solidified public support for involvement in Cuba’s struggle for independence.

On June 10, 1898, U.S. Marines landed at Guantánamo Bay. For the next month, American troops fought a land war in Cuba that resulted in the end of Spanish colonial rule in the Western Hemisphere. Cuban rebels had gained the sympathy of the American public while the explosion and sinking of the U.S.S. Maine, widely blamed on the Spanish despite the absence of conclusive evidence, further boosted American nationalistic fervor.

On October 18, 1898, American troops fighting in the Spanish-American War raised the United States flag in Puerto Rico formalizing U.S. control of the former Spanish colony. General Nelson A. Miles had landed approximately 3,500 U.S. troops on the island on July 25. On August 12, Spain and the United States agreed to an armistice; on September 13, the Protocol of Peace was ratified; and on December 10, the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the Spanish-American War.

On March 2, 1899, President William McKinley signed legislation creating Mount Rainier National Park in central Washington. The 365-square-mile area of pristine forests and spectacular alpine scenery was the fifth national park designated by Congress.

On September 6, 1901, President William McKinley was shot twice in the stomach while attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Leon Czolgosz, a Polish citizen associated with the Anarchist movement, fired at McKinley who was greeting the public in a receiving line.