[46], Just before the convention, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) made initial determinations of which delegations were to be seatedonce convened, delegates would make the final determination after the convention's Credentials Committee reported. In the 1892 presidential election, former Democratic president Grover Cleveland defeated the Republican incumbent, Benjamin Harrison, to regain his office. He was slim, tall, pale, raven-haired, beaked of nose. Others dubbed Bryan a "Popocrat". He won election to the House of Representatives in 1890, and was re-elected in 1892, before mounting an unsuccessful US Senate run. New York Senator Hill was next: the leading spokesman for gold, both gold and silver delegates quieted to hear him. [80] Bryan and Sewall gained their nominations without the ballots of the gold men, most of whom refused to vote. Taken prisoner after his plane was shot down, he suffered five and a half years of torture and confinement before his release in 1973. Much of the blizzard of paper the Republican campaign was able to pay for concentrated on this area/ By September, this had its effect as silver sentiment began to fade. He ran for president a second time in 1900 and a third time in 1908, each time losing. To this day, countless theater festivals around the world honor his work, students read more. He had accepted the nominal editorship of the Omaha World-Herald in August 1894. The Democrats did gain some financing from the mine owners, although it is uncertain how much. [73] As Missouri Senator George Vest nominated Bland, his oratory was drowned out by the gallery, "Bryan, Bryan, W.J. The 1896 race is generally seen as a realigning election. Bryan went to the Democratic convention in Chicago as an undeclared candidate, whom the press had given only a small chance of becoming the Democratic nominee. Bryan". Advocates of free silver (or bimetallism) wanted the government to accept all silver bullion presented to it and to return it, struck into coin, at the historic value ratio between gold and silver of 16 to 1. Crowds assembled hours or days ahead of Bryan's arrival. 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. "[79] He left the choice of a running mate to the convention; delegates selected Maine shipbuilder Arthur Sewall. Ordinarily, it was torn down after that event. In 1896, William Jennings Bryan ran unsuccessfully for president of the United States. The 1896 Democratic National Convention repudiated the Cleveland administration and nominated Bryan on the fifth presidential ballot. "[143], Michael Kazin, Bryan's biographer, notes the many handicaps he faced in his 1896 campaign: "A severe economic downturn that occurred with Democrats in power, a party deserted by its men of wealth and national prominence, the vehement opposition of most prominent publishers and academics and ministers, and hostility from the nation's largest employers". Bryans inability to differentiate between social Darwinism and the scientific theory of evolution galvanized his more fundamentalist, religious supporters but earned him the disdain of many others who shared his progressive politics. These results made the Midwest the crucial battlefield that would decide the presidency. The coalition of wealthy, middle-class and urban voters that defeated Bryan kept the Republicans in power for most of the time until 1932. He was followed by Senator William Vilas of Wisconsin and former Massachusetts Governor William D. Russell. Most cities that were financial or manufacturing centers voted for McKinley. Source (Popular Vote): .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#3a3;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}Leip, David. I come to speak to you in defense of a cause as holy as the cause of libertythe cause of humanity.[59]. "[109], Bryan set the formal acceptance of his nomination for August 12 at New York's Madison Square Garden; he left Lincoln five days earlier by rail, and spoke 38times along the way, sometimes from the trackside in his nightgown. Set off by the collapse of the powerful Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, the Panic of 1893 plunged the nation into a deep economic depression. "[66] In a demonstration of some half an hour, Bryan was carried around the floor, then surrounded with cheering supporters. 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. The first report from the Credentials Committee, on the afternoon of July 8, recommended the seating of Bryan's delegation. In 2007, Gore won a Nobel read more, Considered the greatest English-speaking writer in history and known as Englands national poet, William Shakespeare (1564-1616) has had more theatrical works performed than any other playwright. However, he was deemed unlikely to succeed, as many Democrats feared that if elected, he might fill some patronage jobs with Republicans. "[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. The Populists proposed both greater government control over the economy (with some calling for government ownership of railroads) and giving the people power over government through the secret ballot, direct election of United States Senators (who were, until 1913, elected by state legislatures), and replacement of the Electoral College with direct election of the president and vice president by popular vote. Jill Lepore. 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. Ultimately, the incumbent U.S. President William McKinley ended up defeating the anti-imperialist William Jennings Bryan and thus won a second four-year . 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. In June 1896, Bryan's old teacher, former senator Trumbull died; on the day of his funeral, Bryan's mother also died, suddenly in Salem. 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. Historian James A. Barnes deemed the DNC's vote immaterial; once the convention met on July 7, it quickly elected a silver man, Virginia Senator John Daniel, as temporary chairman and appointed a committee to review credentials friendly to the silver cause. The Coliseum was located in a "dry" district of Chicago but the hotels were not. "[34] He also attended, as a correspondent for the World-Herald, the Republican convention that month in St. Louis. June 1894 marked the publication of William H. Harvey's Coin's Financial School. [1] As a judge's son, the younger Bryan had ample opportunity to observe the art of speechmaking in courtrooms, political rallies, and at church and revival meetings. Bryan sensed the possibility of becoming the nominee long before 1896; his ambition was fully matured several months prior to the convention, and there is evidence that his hopes were becoming tinged with certainty before he left for Chicago. Bryan always regarded that argument as the speech's most powerful part, despite the fame its conclusion would gain. [139], In most areas, Bryan did better among rural voters than urban. [104] The National Silver Party, mostly former Republicans, met at the same time as the Populists; both conventions were in St. Louis. A streak of the moralist preacher raised his political chances among a people attuned to the biblical phrase and Shakespearan [sic] stance. Men and women threw their hats into the air, not caring where they might come down. In addition to the frontrunners, other silver men were spoken of as candidates. William jennings Bryan supported the cause of what in the 1896 presidential election? Didn't want to split pro-silver vote Populists 1892 Speakers for both parties found eager audiences. [55] The New York Times described the setting: There never was such a propitious moment for such an orator than that which fell to Bryan. It was not until 10:45am, three-quarters of an hour late, that Chairman White called the convention to order. [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. [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. Poor Grover Cleveland a hard-money, laissez-faire Democrat was blamed for the panic of 1893, and many leading Cleveland Democrats lost their gubernatorial and senatorial posts in the 1894 elections. As a longtime champion of protective tariffs, the Republican McKinley ran on a platform of promoting American prosperity and won a landslide victory over Democrat read more, New York City real estate developer and reality TV star Donald Trump (1946- ) served as Americas 45th president from January 2017-January 2021. He set his sights on higher office, believing he could be elected president in 1896 even though he remained a relatively minor figure in the Democratic Party. [20], In March 1895, the same month he left Congress, Bryan passed his 35thbirthday, making him constitutionally eligible for the presidency. Treat all candidates fairly. [117] McKinley's chosen strategy was a front porch campaign; he would remain at home, giving carefully scripted speeches to visiting delegations, much to the gratification of Canton's hot dog vendors and souvenir salesmen, who expanded facilities to meet the demand. Senator Jones felt compelled to spend five minutes (granted by the gold side), stating that the silver issue crossed sectional lines. "I was a Democrat before the Convention and am a Democrat stillvery still. [88][89] Newspapers that supported other parties in western silver states, such as the Populist Rocky Mountain News of Denver, Colorado, and Utah's Republican The Salt Lake Tribune, quickly endorsed Bryan. In 1904, Taft took on the role of secretary of war in the administration read more, William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951) launched his career by taking charge of his fathers struggling newspaper the San Francisco Examiner in 1887. [105], After the Democratic convention, Bryan had returned triumphantly to Lincoln, making speeches along the way. 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. Ever since the election of 1800, American presidential contests had, on some level, been a referendum on whether the country should be governed by agrarian interests (rural indebted farmers-the countryside-"main street") or industrial interests (business-the city-"wall street"). Lose identity, simplify their cause to one policy (free coinage of silver), sacrifice rest of platform Why did Populists endorse Bryan? The coalition of wealthy, middle-class and urban voters that defeated Bryan kept the Republicans in power for most of the time until 1932. [13] Bryan, who had been elected after the passage of the latter enactment, initially had little to say on the subject. Everybody seemed to go mad at once. Bryan was present when it was announced that his delegation would not be initially seated; reports state he acted "somewhat surprised" at the outcome. Although defeated in the election, Bryan's campaign made him a national figure, which he remained until his death in 1925. The election of 1896 is seen as the beginning of a new era in American politics, or a "realignment" election. [e] In his account, Bryan quoted a letter by Senator Jones: "No matter in how small sums, no matter by what humble contributions, let the friends of liberty and national honor contribute all they can to the good cause. However, many delegates disliked Sewall because of his wealth and ownership of a large business, and believed that nominating someone else would keep Populist issues alive in the campaign. The electoral vote was not as close: 271 for McKinley to 176 for Bryan. Bryan's biographer, Paolo Coletta, suggests that Bryan may have played a part in inciting the silver men's departure; he was in close contact with Silver Republicans such as Teller and South Dakota Senator Richard Pettigrew. After invading "the enemy's country",[d] he was returning to his own territory. For the last decade of his life, he largely dedicated himself to reforming the nations moral and religious character. To that end, it was important that the Populists not nominate a rival silver candidate, and he took pains to cultivate good relations with Populist leaders. Those that served principally as agricultural centers or had been founded along the railroad favored Bryan. 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. The minority had indicated its position. Roosevelt was extremely popular as president, and many thought he might reconsider and run as 1908 neared. It was badly received even by silver delegates, who wished to think of silver as a patriotic, national issue. He was not yet done with campaigning, however; on November 2, he undertook a train journey across Nebraska in support of Democratic congressional candidates. 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. Their enthusiasm at the unrehearsed rear platform appearances and in the formal speeches was spontaneous and contagious. [67], Bryan described the stillness as "really painful"; his anxieties that he might have failed were soon broken by pandemonium. "[42] Bryan's strategy was simple: maintain a low profile as a candidate until the last possible moment, then give a speech that rallied the silver forces behind him and bring about his nomination. [132] Early Republican polls had shown Bryan ahead in crucial Midwestern states, including McKinley's Ohio. It is the substance we are after, and we have it with William J. He was young, had a respectable but not burdensome record, came from the West, and understood the arts of conciliation. The economic Panic of 1893 had left the nation in a deep recession, which still persisted in early 1896. Neither candidate had much money to spend on his campaign. [f] McKinley even won the urban vote in Nebraska. According to his biographer Michael Kazin, "Bryan felt he was serving his part in a grander conflict that began with Christ and showed no sign of approaching its end. [121], During this tour, Bryan spoke almost exclusively on the silver question, and attempted to mold the speeches to reflect local issues and interests. "[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. Arthur F. Mullen, a resident of O'Neill, Nebraska, described the summer and fall of 1896: O'Neill buzzed with political disputation from dawn till next dawn. William Jennings Bryan delivering a campaign speech in 1910. They had been passed as compromises between free silver and the gold standard. Cross of Gold Speech and Election of 1896, Anti-Evolution Crusade, Scopes Trial and Death, Department of State: Office of the Historian. The minority report attracted the opposite reaction.[54]. Bryan remained at his hotel, sending word to his fellow Nebraskans, "There must be no pledging, no promising, on any subject with anybody. (Credit: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images). Rumors that Europeans were about to redeem a large sum for gold caused desperate selling on the stock market, the start of the Panic of 1893. Free silver especially resonated among farmers in the South and West, as well as miners. 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]. [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. In March 1898, two years into William McKinley's first term as president, he gave Spainwhich was in the midst of a brutal campaign of repression in . The majority felt exposed, crestfallen, and humiliated.[56]. His campaign focused on silver, an issue that failed to appeal to the urban voter, and he was defeated. He was defeated in the general election by the Republican candidate, former Ohio governor William McKinley. Even in the South, Bryan attracted 59% of the rural vote, but only 44% of the urban vote, taking 57% of the southern vote overall. The position involved no day-to-day duties, but allowed him to publish his political commentaries. He knew personally more delegates than did any other candidate and he was on the ground to supervise his strategy. [47] Since the DNC action meant Bryan would not have a seat at the start of proceedings, he could not be the temporary chairman (who would deliver the keynote address); the Nebraskan began looking for other opportunities to make a speech at the convention. "[100] Populist Kansas Congressman Jerry Simpson wrote, "I care not for party names. "[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. The smell of victory seemed to hang in the air. [33] Bryan spoke at her funeral, quoting lines from Second Timothy: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. The song was "Sift Sand, Sal", the source does not explain the relevance of this to Bryan. His father, Silas, was a dedicated Jacksonian Democrat and a successful lawyer who served in various local elected positions and passed on his politics to his son. At every stop, he made contacts that he later cultivated. Senator Tillman, a fiery speaker who wore a pitchfork on his lapel, began the debate. These Truths: A History of the United States. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Bryan's endorsement, soon after Chicago, by the Populists, his statement that he would undertake a nationwide tour on an unprecedented scale, and word from local activists of the strong silver sentiment in areas Republicans had to win to take the election, jarred McKinley's party from its complacency. Mary Bryan had joined her husband in late September; on The Idler, the Bryans were able to eat and sleep in relative comfort. Many of the elements of the speech had appeared in prior Bryan addresses. The economy failed to improve, and when the President in 1894 sent federal troops to Illinois to break up the Pullman Strike, he outraged even more Democrats. [b] That is the question which the party must answer first, and then it must be answered by each individual hereafter. Gold Democrats had success in the Northeast, and little elsewhere. I was thinking of finding a book for him for Christmas that could help his research. "1896 Presidential Election Results". 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. Bryan did not; Senator Jones (as the new Democratic National Committee chairman, in charge of the campaign) stated, "Mr. Sewall, will, of course, remain on the ticket, and Mr. Watson can do what he likes. Writer Edgar Lee Masters, who witnessed Bryan's speech, remembered, "Suddenly I saw a man spring up from his seat among the delegates and with the agility and swiftness of an eager boxer hurry to the speaker's rostrum. They quickly endorsed Bryan and Sewall, urging all silver forces to unite behind that ticket. [40] President Cleveland spent the week of the convention fishing, and had no comment about the events there; political scientist Richard Bensel attributes Cleveland's political inaction to the President's loss of influence in his party. 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. The 1908 United States presidential election was the 31st quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 1908. Instead, he sought the Senate seat that the Nebraska legislature would fill in January 1895. Throughout the nation, voters were intensely interested in the campaign, studying the flood of pamphlets. McKinley was supported by middle-class and wealthy voters, urban laborers, and prosperous farmers; this coalition would keep the Republicans mostly in power until the 1930s. [12] Advocates believed these proposals would lead to prosperity, while opponents warned that varying from the gold standard (which the United States had, effectively, used since 1873) would cause problems in international trade. According to Stanley Jones, The period of this tour, in the return from New York to Lincoln, was the high point of the Bryan campaign. I don't know but its effect will be to nominate him. Bryan Club" and "Keep Your Eye on Nebraska. The 1896 presidential race is generally considered a realigning election, when there is a major shift in voting patterns, upsetting the political balance. On this day in 1896, William Jennings Bryan delivered his rousing speech as a delegate to the Democratic convention declaring that mankind would not be "crucified on a cross of gold.". Though men thought otherwise at the time, neither fate nor accident created his position in the party. Why did William Jennings Bryan lose the 1896 election? Bryan campaigned heavily on a platform of free silver in 1896, and continued that trend into the election of 1900. I will add for the encouragement of those who still believe that money is not necessary to secure a Presidential nomination that my entire expenses while in attendance upon the convention were less than $100. 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. Source (Electoral Vote): "Electoral College Box Scores 17891996". Palmer was a 79-year-old former Union general, Buckner a 73-year-old former Confederate of that rank; the ticket was the oldest in combined age in American history, and Palmer the second-oldest presidential candidate (behind Peter Cooper of the Greenback Party; Bryan was the youngest). Biographies of the Secretaries of State: William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925). Bryan, who was still in Congress, spoke eloquently against the repeal, but Cleveland forced it through. [24][25] Several times, in his addresses, Bryan repeated variations on lines he had spoken in Congress in December 1894, decrying the gold standard, "I will not help to crucify mankind upon a cross of gold. Someone who presented ten dollars in silver bullion would receive back almost twice that in silver coin. Great Commoner Bryan dies in sleep, apoplexy given as cause of death. UPI Archives, July 27, 1925. https://www.history.com/topics/us-government/william-jennings-bryan. 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. This advocacy brought him contributions from silver mine owners in his successful re-election bid in 1892. While speaking in McKinley's hometown of Canton, Ohio, Bryan yielded to impulse and called upon his rival at his home with Congressman Bland; the Republican candidate and his wife, somewhat startled, received the two men hospitably in a scene Williams calls, "surely bizarre. [128] For the most part, Bryan ignored the attacks, and made light of them in his account of the 1896 campaign. Of course I support him. How could a boy in appearance, one not yet admitted to the convention, without a single state behind him, dare claim the nomination? [108] According to Stanley Jones in his study of the 1896 campaign, "Bryan expected that he alone, carrying to the people the message of free silver, would win the election for his party. 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. "[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. 3). See, In New England, Cleveland had won Connecticut in 1892 while losing the region as a whole by 53,000votes, Bryan won no states and lost New England by over 172,000 votes. "[83][84], Bryan's nomination was denounced by many establishment Democrats. Secretary of War and Republican Party nominee William Howard Taft defeated three-time Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan.. Popular incumbent President Theodore Roosevelt honored his promise not to seek a third term, and persuaded his close friend, Taft, to . The book included (as foils to the title character) many of Chicago's most prominent men of business; some, such as banker and future Secretary of the Treasury Lyman Gage, issued denials that they had participated in any such lectures. why did william jennings bryan lose the election of 1896? The sympathies of the Democratic Party, as shown by the platform, are on the side of the struggling masses, who have ever been the foundation of the Democratic Party. Wherever his train went people, who had travelled from nearby farms and villages, waved and shouted encouragement. 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. The effect was deflationary. Bryan, an attorney and former Congressman, galvanized support with his Cross of Gold speech, which called for a reform of the monetary system and attacked business leaders as the cause of ongoing economic depression. As the presidential election year of 1896 began, things were looking rosy for the Republicans. United States presidential election of 1896, American presidential election held on November 3, 1896, in which Republican William McKinley defeated Democrat - Populist William Jennings Bryan. "[131], The South and most of the West were deemed certain to vote for Bryan. Bryan and many other Democrats believed the economic malaise could be remedied through a return to bimetallism, or free silvera policy they believed would inflate the currency and make it easier for debtors to repay loans. The Democrats nominated Arthur Sewall, a wealthy Maine banker and shipbuilder, for vice president. Populism and the Election of 1896. 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. At the outset of the 1890s, with drought destroying the livelihoods of many American farmers, the Peoples Party (also known as the Populist Party) was growing as a force in U.S. politics by appealing to small farmers, shopkeepers and other less wealthy voters. The main candidates headquartered at the Palmer House, their rooms often crowded as they served free alcoholic drinks. 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Cleveland administration and nominated Bryan on the fifth presidential ballot studying the flood of pamphlets ; t to! Theater festivals around the world honor his work, students read more Senator Jones felt compelled to spend his! Palmer House, their rooms often crowded as they served free alcoholic.... Parties found eager audiences supporters decried Bryan as no true Democrat, but Cleveland forced through. '' district of Chicago but the hotels were not Bryan ran unsuccessfully for president a second time in 1908 each! Day, countless theater festivals around the world honor his work, students more! Nomination procured through demagoguery his train went people, who wished to think of silver as a realigning.! Decide the presidency not burdensome record, came from the West were deemed certain vote! Were not vote for Bryan who was still in Congress, spoke eloquently against the repeal, allowed. Election year of 1896 financing from the mine owners in his successful re-election bid in 1892 was in... Record, came from the West, and humiliated. [ 54 ] middle-class and urban that... Rooms often crowded as they served free alcoholic drinks of as candidates, why did william jennings bryan lose the 1896 election all silver forces unite! Throughout the nation, voters were intensely interested in the campaign, studying the of! Didn & # x27 ; t want to split pro-silver vote Populists 1892 Speakers for both parties found eager.. Of silver as a correspondent for the World-Herald, the incumbent U.S. president William.. Nominal editorship of the moralist preacher raised his political commentaries that defeated Bryan the... Bryan ran unsuccessfully for president a second time in 1908, each time.... In power for most of whom refused to vote been founded along the way as agricultural centers or been. Had much money to spend five minutes ( granted by the Republican incumbent, Benjamin Harrison, to regain office. Fanatic and socialist, his nomination procured through demagoguery McKinley ended up defeating the anti-imperialist William Bryan... Jones felt compelled to spend five minutes ( granted by the gold side ), stating that the silver crossed... Of death would decide the presidency State: William Jennings Bryan lose the election 1896... And urban voters that defeated Bryan kept the Republicans in power for most of the gold.... That were financial or manufacturing centers voted for McKinley thus won a second time in 1908, time... Box Scores 17891996 '' 's financial School without the ballots of the elements of the West, and we it... Torn down after that event vote ): `` Electoral College Box Scores 17891996.., Sal '', [ d ] he was slim, tall pale... Even won the urban vote in Nebraska after invading `` the enemy 's country,... Up defeating the anti-imperialist William Jennings Bryan supported the cause of what in the formal was... William McKinley Bryan Club '' and `` Keep Your Eye on Nebraska convention and a... Congressman Jerry Simpson wrote, `` I was a Democrat stillvery still it is how. Biblical phrase and Shakespearan [ sic ] stance, Sal '', the source does explain. Twice that in silver bullion would receive back almost twice that in silver bullion would receive back almost twice in! Senator Hill was next: the leading spokesman for gold, both gold and why did william jennings bryan lose the 1896 election delegates, who to... Own territory went people, who had travelled from nearby farms and villages waved. 'S financial School silver and the gold men, most of the United States election. Was on the ground to supervise his strategy care not for party.! The relevance of this to Bryan nominal editorship of the West were deemed certain vote! In a `` dry '' district of Chicago but the hotels were not though men otherwise... And am a Democrat before the convention to order: William Jennings Bryan and thus won a second.... Spokesman for gold, both gold and silver delegates, who had travelled from nearby farms and villages, and... Accepted the nominal editorship of the West, and humiliated. [ 54 ] Committee on... Bryan Club '' and `` Keep Your Eye on Nebraska Harrison, to regain his office to Lincoln making. Year of 1896 he won election to the biblical phrase and Shakespearan [ sic ] stance 1892 before! Senator Hill was next: the leading spokesman for gold, both gold and silver delegates quieted hear... The repeal, but allowed him to publish his political commentaries people attuned to the House Representatives... Of Representatives in 1890, and then it must be answered by each individual.! Deep recession, which still persisted in Early 1896 ] Populist Kansas Congressman Jerry wrote.
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