Biography

John McKinley was a Supreme Court justice from 1838 until his death in 1852, although poor health prevented him from actively participating in the Court for the last few years of his service. As a justice he was a supporter of states' rights and agreed with President Andrew Jackson's attempts to get rid of the Bank of the United States. Martin Van Buren appointed McKinley in one of the two new seats that were created in 1837. Before his time as a justice, McKinley was actively involved in Alabama politics representing the Tennessee River Valley from 1820 to 1837 and founding Florence, Alabama.
McKinley married Juliana Bryan and they had three children together before her death in 1822 at the age of 30. McKinley then married Elizabeth Armistead in 1824, although they had no children together.