This is a campaign button from AD 1896, supporting William McKinley and Garret A. Hobart, who jointly represented the Republican Party in the 28th U.S. presidential election. The button was provided for supporters to wear.
The obverse side of the button features the backdrop of the American flag, with William McKinley depicted on the left as the presidential candidate and Garret A. Hobart on the right as the vice-presidential candidate. Above and below their portraits, within scrolls, is the Republican campaign slogan “SOUND MONEY PROTECTION.” The reverse side of the button lacks any decoration or inscription on the pin plate.
Since AD 1873, the United States has been embroiled in controversies surrounding the Coinage Act regarding fixed ratios between gold and silver, and the ability to mint silver coins. Concurrently, led by United Kingdom, European nations gradually established the gold standard. Additionally, in AD 1893, the U.S. faced an economic crisis due to plummeting wheat prices. The debate over whether the nation should adhere to the gold standard or the silver standard to overcome the crisis became a pivotal issue in the AD 1896 presidential election.
Supported by Wall Street financial magnates, McKinley and Hobart campaigned with the slogan “The dollar should be as sacred as gold,” advocating for the adoption of the gold standard. Their opponent, Democratic candidate William Jennings Bryan, took a stand for the farmers, urging support for the circulation of silver with the rallying cry, “You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.” Ultimately, McKinley won the election with 270 electoral votes to Bryan’s 163, becoming the 25th President of the United States.
Besides establishing the gold standard, McKinley’s administration also oversaw the Spanish-American War, which led to the expansion of American overseas territories. In AD 1900, McKinley was successfully re-elected. However, earlier in AD 1898, Vice President Garret A. Hobart passed away due to heart disease. Consequently, McKinley chose Theodore Roosevelt as his running mate for his second term.
On September 6, AD 1901, while visiting the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, McKinley was shot at close range by an anarchist with a revolver. He succumbed to his injuries a week later at his home, passing away at the age of 58. McKinley became the second U.S. president to be assassinated, after Lincoln. This incident led to the U.S. Secret Service, originally tasked with combating counterfeiting, being assigned the responsibility of protecting the President and Vice President.
