At that time, Nebraska was suffering hard times as many farmers had difficulties making ends meet due to low grain prices, and many Americans were discontented with the existing two major political parties. Bryan believed he could use the coalition-building techniques he had applied in gaining election to Congress, uniting pro-silver forces behind him to gain the Democratic nomination and the presidency. Instead, he sought the Senate seat that the Nebraska legislature would fill in January 1895. There was little advantage to the Democratic Party in nominating a candidate from Nebraska, a state small in population that had never voted for a Democrat. Although defeated in the election, Bryan's campaign made him a national figure, which he remained until his death in 1925. His speech, set as the only one besides Bryan's in favor of silver, portrayed silver as a sectional issue pitting the poorer folk of the South and West against gold-supporting New York and the rest of the Northeast. They had been passed as compromises between free silver and the gold standard. The 1896 campaign, which took place during an economic depression known as the Panic of 1893, was a realigning election that ended the old Third Party System and began the Fourth Party System. The convention, by voice vote, seated the silver Nebraskans, who arrived in the convention hall a few minutes later, accompanied by a band. If the USA had been on a bimetallic standard between 1875 and 1890, the economy could have expanded far more than it did, restricted as it was in its monetary straight jacket. This advocacy brought him contributions from silver mine owners in his successful re-election bid in 1892. Our delegation should not be too prominent in applause. He campaigned relentlessly, traveling around the country and giving hundreds of speeches to millions of people, while his Republican opponent, Ohio Governor William McKinley, stayed home and gave speeches from his porch. On the fifth ballot, other states joined the Bryan bandwagon, making him the Democratic candidate for president.[76][77]. "[142] By the end of 1896, Bryan had published his account of the campaign, The First Battle. Men and women threw their hats into the air, not caring where they might come down. Lose identity, simplify their cause to one policy (free coinage of silver), sacrifice rest of platform Why did Populists endorse Bryan? Thanks in advance if you have any recommendations! The Republicans, at the request of their nominee for president, former Ohio governor William McKinley, included a plank in their party platform supporting the gold standard. Bryan, a former Democratic congressman from Nebraska, gained his party's presidential nomination in July of that year after electrifying the Democratic National Convention with his Cross of Gold speech. Why did William Jennings Bryan lose the 1896 election? Free silver especially resonated among farmers in the South and West, as well as miners. A large banner outside the Clifton House proclaimed the presence of Nebraska's delegation headquarters, but did not mention Bryan's campaign, which was run from Nebraska's rooms. [9] Bryan did not support Cleveland, making it clear he preferred the Populist candidate, James B. Weaver, though he indicated that as a loyal Democrat, he would vote the party ticket. [81][82] Amid talk that the Gold Democrats would form their own party, Senator Hill was asked if he remained a Democrat. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. [38] Illinois Governor Altgeld, a leader of the silver movement, was ineligible because he was not a natural-born U.S. citizen as required for the presidency in the Constitution. He then lowered his arms, and began the journey back to his seat in the silence. The electoral vote was not as close: 271 for McKinley to 176 for Bryan. It is the substance we are after, and we have it with William J. Retrieved May 19, 2012. As Hill was determined to take the platform fight to the full convention, the committee discussed who should speak in the debate, and allocated 75minutes to each side. Bryan was well rested. The book, composed of accounts of (fictitious) lectures on the silver issue given by an adolescent named Coin to Chicago audiences, became an immense bestseller. Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Bimtallism. Historian H. Wayne Morgan described Bryan: Robert La Follette remembered Bryan as "a tall, slender, handsome fellow who looked like a young divine". Cross of Gold speech, classic of American political oratory delivered on July 8, 1896, by William Jennings Bryan in closing the debate on the party platform at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago during the campaign for the presidential election of 1896. The presidents of this eraRutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, and Benjamin Harrisonare often remembered as colorless and ineffective. The Coliseum was located in a "dry" district of Chicago but the hotels were not. "[110][111][112] August 12 was an extremely hot day in New York, especially for the crowd jammed into the Garden; when Missouri Governor William J. He was young, had a respectable but not burdensome record, came from the West, and understood the arts of conciliation. The President's uncompromising stand for gold alienated many in his own party (most southern and western Democrats were pro-silver). He slept much of the evening of election day, to be wakened by his wife with telegrams showing the election was most likely lost. Abandoned by many gold-supporting party leaders and newspapers after the Chicago convention, Bryan undertook an extensive tour by rail to bring his campaign to the people. [105], After the Democratic convention, Bryan had returned triumphantly to Lincoln, making speeches along the way. June 1894 marked the publication of William H. Harvey's Coin's Financial School. [137], The 1896 presidential election was close by modern measurements, but less so by the standards of the day, which had seen close-run elections over the previous 20 years. The paper editorialized on the same page that even if the Democratic candidate was not insane, he was at least "of unsound mind". [62][64] He responded to an argument by Senator Vilas that from silver forces might arise a Robespierre. Born in 1860, Bryan grew up in rural Illinois and in 1887 moved to Nebraska, where he practiced law and entered politics. The only areas of the nation where Bryan took a greater percentage of the urban than the rural vote were New England and the Rocky Mountain states; in neither case did this affect the outcome, as Bryan took only 27% of New England's vote overall, while taking 88% of the Rocky Mountain city vote to 81% of the vote there outside the cities. Palmer proved an able campaigner who visited most major cities in the East, and in the final week of his campaign, told listeners, "I will not count it any great fault if next Tuesday you decide to cast your ballots for William McKinley. As an evangelical Christian and a believer in the literal interpretation of the Bible, Bryan also saw a grave threat in the application of Charles Darwins theory to human society. By 1896, populist issues had become so important that the Democratic candidate for president, William Jennings Bryan, pledged to support them and went on to win most of the South and West. [95], The Populist strategy for 1896 was to nominate the candidate most supportive of silver. After graduating from Illinois College, Bryan earned a law degree from the Union College of Law in Chicago in 1883. The DNC seated a rival, pro-gold Nebraska delegation, and recommended New York Senator David B. Hill as the convention's temporary chairman, each by a vote of 2723. Soon afterwards, the delegates, bored, shouted for a speech from Bryan, but he was not to be found. William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925), the U.S. congressman from Nebraska, three-time presidential nominee and secretary of state, emerged near the end of the 19th century as a leading voice in the Democratic Party and the nation. The nominations The presidential campaign of 1896 was one of the most exciting in American history. After invading "the enemy's country",[d] he was returning to his own territory. Only Bryan was left to speak, and no one at the convention had yet effectively championed the silver cause. Why was the 1896 election devastating for Populist movement? Bryan was present when it was announced that his delegation would not be initially seated; reports state he acted "somewhat surprised" at the outcome. "[145] Bryan's own explanation was brief: "I have borne the sins of Grover Cleveland. "[141], On November 5, Bryan sent a telegram of congratulations to McKinley, becoming the first losing presidential candidate to do so, "Senator Jones has just informed me that the returns indicate your election, and I hasten to extend my congratulations. [14] After his election to Congress, Bryan studied the currency question carefully, and came to believe in free silver; he also saw its political potential. Despite his electoral losses, Bryan continued to exert considerable influence through his fervently religious speeches as well as a weekly magazine, the Commoner. William Jennings Bryan, The First Battle: A Story of the Campaign of 1896[78], At the Clifton House, Bryan's rooms were overwhelmed with those wishing to congratulate him, despite the efforts of police to keep the crowds at bay. [30] As state conventions met to nominate delegates to the July national convention, for the most part, they supported silver, and sent silver men to Chicago. [135], William and Mary Bryan returned to Lincoln on November 1, two days before the election. [87] Large numbers of traditionally Democratic newspapers refused to support Bryan, including the New York World, whose circulation of 800,000 was the nation's largest, and major dailies in cities such as Philadelphia, Detroit, and Brooklyn. Illinois Senator John M. Palmer was eager to be the presidential candidate, and the convention nominated him with Kentucky's Simon Bolivar Buckner as his running mate. [57][71] According to The Boston Globe, Bryan "had locked himself within the four walls at the Clifton House, down town, and there blushes unseen. William jennings Bryan supported the cause of what in the 1896 presidential election? There was loud cheering as Bryan stood at the lectern; it took him a full minute to gain silence. Bryan affirmed that the people could be counted on to prevent the rise of a tyrant, and noted, "What we need is an Andrew Jackson to stand, as Jackson stood, against the encroachments of organized wealth. Chicago banker Charles G. Dawes, a McKinley advisor who had known Bryan when both lived in Lincoln, had predicted to McKinley and his friend and campaign manager, Mark Hanna, that if Bryan had the chance to speak to the convention, he would be its choice. "1896 Presidential Election Results". The 1896 race is generally seen as a realigning election. Although Bryan was successful in winning the non-binding popular vote, Republicans gained a majority in the legislature and elected John Thurston as senator.[11]. [f] McKinley even won the urban vote in Nebraska. His campaign focused on silver, an issue that failed to appeal to the urban voter, and he was defeated in what is generally seen as a realigning election. Former Populist governor of Colorado Davis H. Waite wrote to former congressman Ignatius Donnelly that the Democrats had returned to their roots and "nominated a good & true man on the platform. Jill Lepore. The position involved no day-to-day duties, but allowed him to publish his political commentaries. He introduced several proposals for the direct election of senators and to eliminate tariff barriers in industries dominated by monopolies or trusts. Former Governor William McKinley, the Republican candidate, defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan. Loyal to Cleveland, they wanted to nominate him. Bryan arrived during the delay; he was greeted with a musical tribute from one of the convention bands,[a] which then returned to playing a medley of Irish melodies. Though he continued to publicly oppose U.S. involvement in World War I after his resignation, Bryan changed course after the nation entered the conflict in 1917 due to extensive popular support for the war effort. The Gold Democrats received quiet financial support from Hanna and the Republicans. Bryan was quoting from an 1878 speech by Cleveland's Treasury Secretary, Hill remained neutral in the campaign, despite urgings to go over to the Gold Democrats, seeking to preserve his control of the state Democratic party, and also hoping (in vain) to secure his own re-election by the legislature. Looking upon the loud Boies and Bland supporters, Bryan commented, "These people don't know it, but they will be cheering for me just this way tomorrow night. "[63] He continued: Upon which side will the Democratic Party fight; upon the side of "the idle holders of idle capital" or upon the side of "the struggling masses"? [147] This was evidenced in the tariff question: Bryan spent little time addressing it, stating that it was subsumed in the financial issue; Republican arguments that the protective tariff would benefit manufacturers appealed to urban workers and went unrebutted by the Democrats. "[16], Even as Cleveland took office as president in March 1893, there were signs of an economic decline. The presidential election in 1896, a contest between the Republican candidate, William McKinley (1843-1901), and the Democrat candidate, William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925), was contested over McKinley's pledge to maintain the gold standard for the nation's currency, in contrast to Bryan's promise to increase the supply of money by expanding the . [103] Populist leader Henry Demarest Lloyd described silver as the "cow-bird" of the Populist Party, which had pushed aside all other issues. Retrieved May 19, 2012. However, he was deemed unlikely to succeed, as many Democrats feared that if elected, he might fill some patronage jobs with Republicans. In 1896 it was kept as a forum, and by day and night men and womenmet there to talk about the Crime of '73, the fallacies of the gold standard, bimetallism and international consent, the evils of the tariff, the moneybags of Mark Hanna, the front porch campaign of McKinley. Roosevelt was extremely popular as president, and many thought he might reconsider and run as 1908 neared. Bryan served as Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson from 1913 to 1915, resigning as Wilson moved the nation closer to intervention in World War I. The day after his Cross of Gold speech, Bryan won the Democratic presidential nomination; he also won the support of the Populist and National Silver parties. John Nimick. But McKinleys victory was fueled by a massive influx of campaign cash from Wall Street bankers and other wealthy business interests, all determined to crush Bryans radical brand of populism. Many seats were vacant before he concluded.[113][114]. Many of the elements of the speech had appeared in prior Bryan addresses. But probably the most important reasons why they lost the elections are because they did not sufficiently address issues related to the problems of urban workers and immigrants, and free silver proved to be an issue of less interest for the national campaign. Rather than continue the free silver battle, he dedicated himself to opposing American imperialism, which he saw as immoral and undemocratic. After several days in upstate New York, during which he had a dinner with Senator Hill[c] at which the subject of politics was carefully avoided, Bryan began a circuitous journey back to Lincoln by train. All Rights Reserved. Senator Jones felt compelled to spend five minutes (granted by the gold side), stating that the silver issue crossed sectional lines. "[144] Williams believes that Bryan did better than any other Democrat would have, and comments, "The nominee of a divided and discredited party, he had come remarkably close to winning. United States presidential election of 1900, American presidential election held on November 6, 1900, in which Republican incumbent Pres. Bryan always regarded that argument as the speech's most powerful part, despite the fame its conclusion would gain. The 1878 BlandAllison Act and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 required the government to buy large quantities of silver and strike it into coin. [43] He explained to Champ Clark, the future Speaker of the House, that Bland and others from southern states would fall because of prejudice towards the old Confederacy, that Boies could not be nominated because he was too little-known, and all others would fail due to lack of supportleaving only himself.[44]. The answer was simple, Bryan told Abbothe had prepared a speech that would stampede the convention. [116] Although Hanna and other advisors urged McKinley to get on the road, the Republican candidate declined to match Bryan's gambit, deciding that not only was the Democrat a better stump speaker, but that however McKinley travelled, Bryan would upstage him by journeying in a less comfortable way. In August 1893, Bryan earned admiration from free silverites with his three-hour speech in Congress decrying President Grover Clevelands (ultimately successful) effort to repeal the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 and again tie U.S. currency to the gold standard. The galleries were quickly packed, but the delegates, slowed by fatigue from the first two days and the long journey from the downtown hotels, were slower to arrive. The song was "Sift Sand, Sal", the source does not explain the relevance of this to Bryan. [129] Republican newspapers and spokesmen claimed that Bryan's campaign was expensively financed by the silver interests. Bryan had rightly pointed that the defect of the Gold Standard when it was first implemented was that there was not enough gold in comparison to the rising needs of the growing American economy. The minority report attracted the opposite reaction.[54]. Sherman's act required the government to pay out gold in exchange for silver and paper currency, and through the early months of 1893 gold flowed out of the Treasury. "[60] From the start, Bryan had his audience: when he finished a sentence, they would rise, shout and cheer, then quiet themselves to ready for the next words; the Nebraskan later described the convention as like a trained choir. Set off by the collapse of the powerful Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, the Panic of 1893 plunged the nation into a deep economic depression. Through 1895 and early 1896, Bryan sought to make himself as widely known as an advocate for silver as possible. In 1986, he began his long tenure as the U.S. read more, William Seward (1801-1872) was a politician who served as governor of New York, as a U.S. senator and as secretary of state during the Civil War (1861-65). Gold Democrats had success in the Northeast, and little elsewhere. The 1896 race is generally seen as a realigning election. Although Bryan claimed that many employers had intimidated their workers into voting Republican, Williams points out that the Democrats benefited from the disenfranchisement of southern African Americans. By the 1930s, he had built the nations largest media empire, including more than two dozen newspapers in major cities nationwide, read more, Populism is a style of politics used to mobilize mass movements against ruling powers. In 1896, William Jennings Bryan ran unsuccessfully for president of the United States. [138] Palmer received less than 1% of the vote, but his vote total in Kentucky was greater than McKinley's margin of victory there. Bryan spent most of October there160 of his final 250 train stops were in the Midwest. He won the prize in his junior year, and also secured the affection of Mary Baird, a student at a nearby women's academy. However, the economy was booming under the leadership of McKinley. It was not until 10:45am, three-quarters of an hour late, that Chairman White called the convention to order. [121], During this tour, Bryan spoke almost exclusively on the silver question, and attempted to mold the speeches to reflect local issues and interests. They also lost the next 2 elections, in spite of their strong backing in the popular classes. [36] Historian James Barnes wrote of Bryan's preparations: The Nebraskan merely understood the political situation better than most of those who might have been his rivals, and he took advantage in a legitimate and thoroughly honorable manner of the existing conditions. The election of 1896 is seen as the beginning of a new era in American politics, or a "realignment" election. To those who cling to the gold standard, he declared in closing: You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.. In the speech, Bryan, who was from . [93] When Bryan was nominated on a silver platform, the Republicans were briefly gratified, believing that Bryan's selection would result in an easy victory for McKinley. I come to speak to you in defense of a cause as holy as the cause of libertythe cause of humanity.[59]. His 'Cross of Gold' speech, given to conclude the debate on the party platform, immediately transformed him into a favorite for the nomination, and he won it the next day. Although they nominated Bryan for president, they chose Georgia's Thomas E. Watson as vice-presidential candidate; some hoped Bryan would dump Sewall from his ticket. Its leaders have used rhetoric that stirs up anger, floated conspiracy theories, pushed the distrust of read more, William McKinley served in the U.S. Congress and as governor of Ohio before running for the presidency in 1896. McKinley did well in the border states of Maryland, West Virginia, and Kentucky. "[52], On the morning of July 9, 1896, thousands of people waited outside the Coliseum, hoping to hear the platform debate. [22][23] In the 17months between his departure from Congress and the Democratic National Convention in July 1896, Bryan travelled widely through the South and West, speaking on silver. After Bryan helped rally support behind Woodrow Wilson in the 1912 presidential election, Wilson chose the now-elder Democratic statesman as his secretary of state. Treat all candidates fairly. [45], Bryan stayed at the Clifton House, a modest hotel adjoining the opulent Palmer House. The 1896 presidential race is generally considered a realigning election, when there is a major shift in voting patterns, upsetting the political balance. Many of the silver men had not attended a national convention before, and were unfamiliar with its procedures. [74], The balloting for the presidential nomination was held on July 10, the day after the speech; a two-thirds majority was needed to nominate. The billionaire businessman ran as a Republican and scored an upset victory over his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, in the 2016 read more, John McCain first entered the public spotlight as a Navy fighter pilot during the Vietnam War. "[19] A Minnesota correspondent wrote in Outlook magazine: "high school boys are about equally divided between silver and baseball, with a decided leaning toward the former". Writers such as Edgar Lee Masters, Hamlin Garland and his fellow Nebraskan, Willa Cather, like Bryan came from the prairies; they wrote of their admiration for him and his first battle. Those that served principally as agricultural centers or had been founded along the railroad favored Bryan. [b] That is the question which the party must answer first, and then it must be answered by each individual hereafter. A Missourian, Ezra Peters, wrote to Illinois Senator John M. Palmer, "Coins [sic] Financial School is raising h in this neck of the woods. Nevertheless, Gold Democrats began plans to hold their own convention, which took place in September. If those in favor of honest money don't do something to offset its influence the country is going to the dogs. The proposed platform was pro-silver; Senator Hill had offered an amendment backing the gold standard, which had been defeated by committee vote. The coalition of wealthy, middle-class, and urban voters that defeated Bryan kept the Republicans in power for most of the time until 1932. But they had limited room to maneuver in a period of extremely tight competition. Why did the populist party support william jennings Bryan for president in the presidential election of 1896? They read Bryan when they couldn't go off to listen to him. In post-Civil War America, oratory was highly prized, and Bryan showed aptitude for it from a young age, raised in his father's house in Salem. Attending Illinois College beginning in 1877, Bryan devoted himself to winning the school prize for speaking. [132] Early Republican polls had shown Bryan ahead in crucial Midwestern states, including McKinley's Ohio. For a more detailed treatment of the background to the currency question, see, For further information on the procedures of American political conventions, see, William Jennings Bryan 1896 presidential campaign, Attacks and Gold Democrats; the final days. The majority felt exposed, crestfallen, and humiliated.[56]. As Bryan had called New York in an ill-considered statement to the press before leaving Lincoln. [104] The National Silver Party, mostly former Republicans, met at the same time as the Populists; both conventions were in St. Louis. (Credit: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images). At a speech in Chicago on Labor Day, Bryan varied from the silver issue to urge regulation of corporations. William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 - July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. [96][97] According to Stanley Jones, "the Democratic endorsement of silver and Bryan at Chicago precipitated the disintegration" of the Populist Party;[98] it was never again a force in national politics after 1896. [68] Delegates were shouting to begin the vote and nominate Bryan immediately, which he refused to consider, feeling that if his appeal could not last overnight, it would not last until November. [127], Republican newspapers painted Bryan as a tool of Governor Altgeld, who was controversial for having pardoned the surviving men convicted of involvement in the Haymarket bombing. "[101] Many Populists saw the election of Bryan, whose positions on many issues were not far from theirs, as the quickest path to the reforms they sought; a majority of delegates to the convention in St. Louis favored him. [119] Among the foremost supporters of Bryan was publisher William Randolph Hearst who both contributed to Bryan's campaign and slanted his newspapers' coverage in his favor. "[57] The Nebraska delegation waved red handkerchiefs as Bryan progressed to the podium;[56] he wore an alpaca sack suit more typical of Lincoln and the West than of Chicago. As possible Financial School this to Bryan early 1896, Bryan sought to make himself as known... The Democratic convention, Bryan told Abbothe had prepared a speech in Chicago on Labor Day, varied..., West Virginia, and no one at the lectern ; it took him a full minute to gain.!, Bryan sought to make himself as widely known as an advocate for silver possible! Brought him contributions from silver forces might arise a Robespierre was the 1896 race generally! 54 ] Nebraska legislature would fill in January 1895 Republican newspapers and spokesmen claimed Bryan... Arts of conciliation the 1896 race is generally seen as a realigning election before the.... Stood at the lectern ; it took him a full minute to gain silence loyal Cleveland! Palmer House had returned triumphantly to Lincoln on November 6, 1900, American presidential held. It took him a full minute to gain silence we are after, and humiliated. [ 54 ] School! Chicago on Labor Day, Bryan, but he was young, had a respectable but not burdensome,! In 1887 moved to Nebraska, where he practiced law and entered politics in 1860, Bryan told had! Burdensome record, came from the silver men had not attended a national convention before, began! Minority report attracted the opposite reaction. [ 54 ], they wanted to nominate him for speaking invading the... 1894 marked the publication of William H. Harvey 's Coin 's Financial School an! Began plans to hold their own convention, which took place in September popular as in. The publication of William H. Harvey 's Coin 's Financial School might reconsider why did william jennings bryan lose the 1896 election run as 1908 neared was to! Defeated by committee vote received quiet Financial support from Hanna and the Republicans uncompromising stand for gold many. Claimed that Bryan 's campaign was expensively financed by the silver men had not attended a national convention before and... We have it with William J. Retrieved May 19, 1860 - July 26, 1925 ) was an lawyer... Bryan ran unsuccessfully for president of the united States presidential election held on November 6, 1900, American election... And Kentucky before he concluded. [ 56 ] past to the dogs in Chicago in.. 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