Crowd giving enthusiastic greeting to President McKinley and party at Roanoke, Virginia

William McKinley (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 was the last president to have served in the American Civil War. He promoted the tariffs to protect manufacturers from foreign competition, and in 1900, he secured the passage of the Gold Standard Act. He led the nation in the Spanish–American War of 1898: the U.S. victory was quick and decisive. "The mission of the United States is one of benevolent assimilation."