Why a theory of Pres. McKinley assassination points to Britain?
In literature (most notably associated with political activist Lyndon LaRouche and similar groups), theories have been floated claiming the British Empire used anarchists as assets to destabilize a rising United States. The theory usually centers on three main geopolitical frictions of the era:
1. Stopping the "American System" of Economics McKinley was a staunch protectionist and the architect of the McKinley Tariff of 1890. He believed in high tariffs to protect American industries from foreign competition—particularly from Great Britain, which relied heavily on free trade to export its industrial goods. Fringe theories argue that British financial interests wanted a leader who would open US markets.
2. Halting U.S. Imperial Expansion Under McKinley, the US won the Spanish-American War (1898), annexing Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, and annexing Hawaii. The US was rapidly emerging as a global naval and imperial competitor. The theory suggests Britain wanted to curb this sudden explosion of American global influence.
3. The Ascension of Theodore Roosevelt Ironically, McKinley’s assassination put Vice President Theodore Roosevelt into office. While Roosevelt was fiercely pro-American, he was also famously fond of British culture, had deep personal ties to British aristocrats, and shifted US foreign policy toward a closer, historic Anglo-American alliance (the "Special Relationship"). Conspiracy theorists argue that Britain preferred Roosevelt’s aggressive, globalist "Big Stick" diplomacy over McKinley's more traditional, cautious approach.