Marcus
Alonzo Hanna was born in New Lisbon, Ohio, on 24th September, 1837.
The family moved to Cleveland where
Hanna worked with his father in his grocery business (1853-62) before
serving in the Union Army during the Civil
War.
After the war Hanna and his father became involved
in the coal and iron industry in Cleveland. Hanna later expanded into
banking, transportation and publishing. This included establishing
the Union
National Bank and developing the Cleveland street railway system.
Hanna was a supporter of the Republican
Party and was closely associated with the political career of
William McKinley, who he helped served
two terms as governor of Ohio (1892-96). Both men favoured a policy
of high protective tariffs on foreign goods to protect home producers.
When William McKinley was selected by
the Republican Party as their candidate
in the 1896 presidential election, Hanna helped him raise $3,500,000
for his campaign. This enabled McKinley, to outspend his Democratic
candidate, William Jennings Bryan, by 20
to 1.
William Randolph Hearst the owner of the
New York Journal
and his political cartoonist, Homer Davenport,
supported William Jennings Bryan against
the Republican candidate, William
McKinley. As McKinley had an unblemished record in politics, it
was decided to concentrate the attack on Hanna. After the election
he produced a drawing, explaining how he had turned Hanna into an
image of greed and manipulation.
Hanna's money was used in an advertising campaign that helped to undermine
Bryan's political credibility. Hanna, who employed 1,400 people to
distribute pamphlets in favour of his candidate, was considered to
be instrumental in William McKinley
defeating William Jennings Bryan by the
electoral vote of 271 to 176.
Hanna's influence over McKinley's victory illustrated the growing
influence of wealthy industrialists in American politics. This upset
many liberals who favoured William Jennings
Bryan and helped inspire what became known as muckraking
journalism.
