Mckinley joined the Army a year into college at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, He was quickly promoted to Brevet major for gallant conduct but shortly after was promoted, William had to leave the army because his mother and sister were ill.
William Mckinley had an interest in politics after he got out of the military because he said it gave him a sense of power and control. He quickly went higher in the ranks quickly because he was winning elections and had a good vision of how to help America, he was also fast and determined learner for politics , Mckinley became the Republican Party's expert on the protective tariff, which he promised would bring prosperity. His 1890 McKinley Tariff was highly controversial, which together with a Democratic redistricting aimed at Gerrymandering him out of office, led to his defeat in the Democratic landslide of 1890. He was elected Ohio's governor in 1891 and 1893.
He defeated his Democratic rival, William jennings Bryan, after a front porch campaign in which he advocated "sound money" (the gold standard unless altered by international agreement) and promised that high tariffs would