Why North America’s tallest peak was named Mount McKinley? History explored as Denali’s name change sparks concern

President Donald Trump has officially issued an executive order to change Denali, the tallest peak in Alaska and North America, back to Mount McKinley. However, the move has since drawn intense scrutiny and concern.

The move came on the heels of Trump's presidential inauguration yesterday, where he said he planned to

“restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs. President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent,”

the Associated Press has reported.

Per the outlet, Trump's move is a celebration of William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States. The peak was named after him, despite him never having been to Alaska. As for the reason behind doing so, the President said McKinley “championed tariffs to protect U.S. manufacturing, boost domestic production, and drive U.S. industrialization and global reach to new heights.”

McKinley, who was a Republican, was assassinated in 1901.

“This order honors President McKinley for giving his life for our great Nation and dutifully recognizes his historic legacy of protecting America’s interests and generating enormous wealth for all Americans,” the document states, as reported by the outlet.

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The history of Mount McKinley explored as Trump seeks to undo Obama's actions

The U.S. bought Alaska from Russia back in 1867 for $7.2 million, thereby taking control of the territory. In the 19th century, a man named William Dickey ventured into the state to look for gold.

He reportedly became enthralled with the mountain's size, and inspired by former President William McKinley's recent Republican nomination for president, he bestowed the peak with the moniker “Mount McKinley” when he wrote an article for the New York Sun.

The name stuck, and by 1917, it became official. However, in 2015, the Obama administration issued an order that changed the name to Denali, which, when roughly translated, means "The Great One" or "The High One."

An official statement from the White House, dated August 28, 2015, read:

"Denali is a local Athabascan name for the mountain, which is the highest in North America and is located entirely within Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska. The mountain was originally named after President William McKinley of Ohio, but President McKinley never visited, nor did he have any significant historical connection to, the mountain or to Alaska."

The mountain, which stands at 20,310 feet (6,190-meter) high, was also a topic of conversation during a rally last year, as reported by The Associated Press.

“McKinley was a very good, maybe a great president,” Trump said in December. “They took his name off Mount McKinley, right? That’s what they do to people.”

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During the same executive order on Monday, Trump called for the name of the Gulf of Mexico to be changed to the Gulf of America.