McKinley was assassinated in September 1901 and was succeeded by Vice President Theodore Roosevelt . Roosevelt came into office without any particular domestic policy goals , broadly adhering to most Republican positions on economic issues . He had stronger views on the particulars of his foreign policy , as he wanted the United States to assert itself as a great power in international relations . Anxious to ensure a smooth transition , Roosevelt convinced the members of McKinley 's cabinet , most notably Secretary of State John Hay and Secretary of the Treasury Lyman J. Gage , to remain in office . Another holdover from McKinley 's cabinet , Secretary of War Elihu Root , had been a Roosevelt confidante for years , and he continued to serve as President Roosevelt 's close ally . Root returned to the private sector in 1904 and was replaced by William Howard Taft , who had previously served as the governor-general of the Philippines . After Hay 's death in 1905 , Roosevelt convinced Root to return to the Cabinet as secretary of state , and Root remained in office until the final days of Roosevelt 's tenure
assassinated
Assassination of William McKinley
History of U.S. foreign policy, 1897–1913