McKinley and Roosevelt Campaign Poster, 1900. William McKinley (January 29, 1843 - September 14, 1901) was the 25th President of the USa (1897-1901). He secured the Republican nomination for president in 1896 and defeated William Jennings Bryan. Rapid economic growth marked McKinley's presidency. He promoted the 1897 Dingley Tariff to protect manufacturers and factory workers 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. He defeated Bryan again in the 1900 presidential election, in a campaign focused on imperialism, prosperity, and free silver. He was assassinated by an anarchist in September 1901, and died at the age of 58. Theodore Roosevelt (October 27, 1858 - January 6, 1919) was the 26th President of the USA from 1901-09. He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity. He was 42 years old when sworn in as President, making him the youngest president ever. He was also the first of only three sitting presidents to have won the Nobel Peace Prize. He died in 1919, at the age of 60, unexpectedly in his sleep from a blood clot.