The United States president preserves, protects, and defends the U.S. Constitution. Each president's term influences events in American and around the world for years to come. This biography introduces young readers to the life of William McKinley, beginning with his childhood in Niles and Poland, Ohio. Information about McKinley's education at Allegheny College and Albany Law School and his early career as a teacher and a lawyer is discussed. In addition, his family and personal life are highlighted. Easy-to-read text details McKinley's military service in the Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry and the Battle of Antietam during the American Civil War and his political career as prosecuting attorney of Stark Country, Ohio, a congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he supported the Pendleton Civil Service Act and the Dependent Pension Act, sponsored the McKinley Tariff Act, and served on the Committee on Revision of the Laws and as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and governor of Ohio. Finally, students will explore key events from Republican president McKinley's administration, including the Spanish-American War, the expansion of U.S. territory to include the Hawaiian Islands, part of the Samoa Islands, and Wake Island, his support of the Dingley Tariff Act and the Gold Standard Act, providing troops during the Boxer Rebellion, and finally his assassination by Leon F. Czolgosz at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Beautiful graphics showcase the primary source documents and photographs. A timeline, fast facts, and sidebars help put essential information at students' fingertips. In addition, a quick-reference chart provides easy access to facts about every U.S. president. Checkerboard Library is an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.