Shortly after his second inauguration, McKinley embarked on a tour of the western states which led him to the Pan-American exhibition in Buffalo, New York to deliver a speech for 50,000 people. The following day, on September 6th, 1901, he was shot twice in the chest by unemployed mill worker and anarchist Leon Czolgosz.
The president was hospitalized, and his prognosis was initially good, but there were complications and he passed away 8 days after the attack.
Madison’s Financial Problems
Although it is common knowledge that James Madison was a good president, his financial state after leaving office was often precarious.
He was frequently in debt and had a hard time making a profit from his plantation due to bad weather and low market prices. His stepson exacerbated the problem by wasting the family’s money on gambling and alcohol.
William McKinley Jr.
William McKinley Jr., the 25th president of the United States, held office in the years 1897 to 1901. He is remembered for leading the country to victory in the Spanish-American War. A conflict that ended with the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico all becoming US territories.
In addition to being a bold statesman, McKinley believed in promoting American prosperity and was in charge of numerous measures to strengthen the US economy. Unfortunately, he did not champion equal justice for all citizens.
Bill Clinton
The 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton, served two terms from 1993 to 2001. While he was in office, America enjoyed an unprecedented time of economic expansion, record job creation, and a decline in poverty. White House reporter Helen Thomas says of Clinton, “he has brought on the greatest prosperity we have ever known and he doesn’t get the credit for it and that’s too bad.”
Clinton also had one of the highest approval ratings of any president since World War II, which stood at 60%.
Clinton’s Impeachment Proceedings
President Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky was big news all over the world and is still the first thing that comes to mind when his name comes up. At first, he denied having a relationship with the young intern but in the end, he came clean simply saying, “even presidents have private lives.”
Impeachment proceedings began in December 1998 and after a five-week trial, Clinton was acquitted by the Senate.