why did william jennings bryan lose the 1896 election

The battle between McKinley and Bryan took place during an economic downturn that had begun in 1893, when two of the nations biggest employers, the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad and the National Cordage Company, collapsed, setting off a stock market panic. Bryan had rightly pointed that the defect of the Gold The election took place during the Panic of 1893, a period of economic depression. What are the names of the third leaders called? Bryan ran for president and lost twice more, in 1900 and 1908, before serving as secretary of state under Woodrow Wilson, the eras only Democratic president. WebThe speech so electrified the convention that the delegates nominated Bryan as their candidate for president, though he was only 36 years old and his experience as an officeholder was limited to two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. During the convention, he delivered what would become one of the most famous political orations in U.S. history, known as the Cross of Gold speech. divided, nearly equally, on the question of water supply, one faction contending that the He wanted the free coinage of silver at 16:1 in 1896, a very inflationnist proposal. Both men were nominated for the presidency three times, both lost all three times, both impacted American politics in ways that defined their eras. I played Bryans speech over and over, proving that, in my case, history geekiness began at an early age.). Beginning in the late nineteenth century, the nations farmers began to organize to defend their interests against what they perceived to be the interests of the Eastern establishment and banking elite. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Direct link to David Alexander's post The farmers were upset ab, Posted 5 years ago. Despite his diplomatic inexperience, he made a distinctive contribution to world law by espousing arbitration to prevent war. wanted with silver Native American Society on the Eve of British Colonization a. How do you download your XBOX 360 upgrade onto a CD? You shall not crucify mankind on a cross of gold. The speech so electrified the convention that the delegates nominated Bryan as their candidate for president, though he was only 36 years old and his experience as an officeholder was limited to two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Foreshadowing a new style of campaign financing, Hanna solicited major contributions from fellow industrialists, raising some $4 million in total. Sources: Electoral and popular vote totals based on data from the United States Office of the Federal Register and Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Bryans appeal to Americas farmers and the working class, his passionate support of the free silver movement and his powerful speaking style galvanized both disaffected Democrats and members of the Peoples (or Populist) Party, turning the election into one of the most hard-fought and consequential in the nations history. google_color_text = "000000"; The Populists allied with the labor movement and were folded into the Democratic Party in 1896, though a small remnant of the Peoples Party continued to exist until it was formally disbanded in 1908. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. McKinley remained at home in Canton, Ohio, greeting visiting delegations of Republicans at his front porch and giving carefully prepared speeches promoting the benefits of a gold-backed currency. Direct link to 8579158's post What were the nations fa, Posted 3 years ago. monetary purposes. Which contains more carcinogens luncheon meats or grilled meats? WebUnited States presidential election of 1896, American presidential election held on November 3, 1896, in which Republican William McKinley defeated Democrat-Populist William Jennings Bryan. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). google_ad_format = "468x60_as"; Updates? Yet high school students typically learn less about him than about Clay. Like an inventor whose original insights are overwhelmed by better engineering and better marketing, Bryan populist vision inspired yet was soon eclipsed by the efforts of progressive presidents in the early 20th century. To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser. Like the elections of 1800, 1860 and 1932, the presidential election of 1896 marked a fundamental shift in American politics, and the emergence of a new political reality to reflect the nations changed circumstances. Return to Franois Micheloud's Homepage. Republicans managed to attract some urban progressive voters by attacking Bryan as a religious fanatic, in addition to painting a dire picture of what abandoning the gold standard would mean for the economy. Bryan convinced 31 nations to agree in principle to his proposal of new treaties that would provide a cooling-off period of one year during which a question in dispute could be studied by an international commission. Anyway, inflation came, election, a spring which may be described as Gold Spring, broke forth in the very center His campaign mastermind, Cleveland businessman Mark Hanna, attracted 750,000 people to Canton during the campaign and enlisted thousands of speakers to stump elsewhere on McKinleys behalf. Go to next slide to learn why. McKinley won some 600,000 more popular votes than Bryan, the widest margin since 1872, while his win in the electoral college (271 to 176) was even more decisive. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. A History of U.S. Presidential Elections in Maps, https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1896, Maps of World - U.S. Presidential Election 1896, History Central - Presidential Elections 1896, William Jennings Bryan: presidential campaign poster, United States presidential election of 1892, United States presidential election of 1900. According to Friedman, Bryan was right, but 20 years too Direct link to Nicholas Ryan's post Who did the Populists run, Posted 6 years ago. google_color_border = "CCCCCC"; William Jennings Bryan gained renown as a gifted debater and magnetic orator in politics. This would inflate the currency, increasing the prices farmers would receive for their crops and helping them pay back their debts more easily. Webj bowers construction owner // why did william jennings bryan lose the 1896 election. ", The Farmers Alliance was not the only organization that sprang up to defend the nations agrarian workers. Bryans legacy lives on in some of the policies he embraced in his political career, including the 8-hour workday, the direct election of United States senators, and the graduated income tax. Please use your BACK button to come to the original page. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.. Please select which sections you would like to print: Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. In recognition of his role in securing the Democratic nomination for Woodrow Wilson in 1912, Bryan was appointed secretary of state the following year. The Deep South was racist, so they were probably afraid that the Populists' rise would somehow benefit the African Americans at their own cost. Huge crowds greeted him, drawn by his oratorical skills and the passion he inspired in his supporters. Lesser known is Bryans support for Woodrow Wilson in the election of 1912. At the Democratic convention in Chicago, his Cross of Gold speech (July 8) won him the nomination at the age of 36. Hear William Jennings Bryan deliver his Cross of Gold speech at the Democratic National Convention. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Bryan, a former Democratic congressman from Nebraska, gained his partys presidential nomination in July of that year after electrifying the Democratic National Convention with his Cross of Gold speech. It also spelled the beginning of the end for the Populist Party, which didnt dissolve entirely but would never regain its former level of success. In the electoral college, McKinley defeated Bryan 271 to 176. google_ad_height = 60; He resigned, on principle, when Wilson delivered a strong U.S. protest to the German attack on the passenger liner, Lusitania. A firm believer in a literal interpretation of the Bible, Bryan went to Dayton, Tennessee, to assist in the prosecution of a schoolteacher accused of teaching Darwinism, or the theory of the evolutionary origin of man, rather than the doctrine of divine creation. As the presidential election year of 1896 began, things were looking rosy for the Republicans. If you really wanted to pinpoint it, you can find evidence that populism is growing in the beliefs of wanting less corruption in big business and politics, rather than the focus of economic hardships. However, many of the ideas he championed became law, when embraced by the progressives of the early 1900s. Bryan campaigned vigorously, traveling thousands of miles and delivering hundreds of speeches in support of an inflated currency that would help poor farmers and other debtors. So, if Bryan was right, why did he lose the elections ? For the results of the previous election, see United States presidential election of 1892. With Americans migrating to cities at a rapidly increasing rate in the last decade of the 19th century, Bryan would be the last candidate to run by appealing exclusively to the countrys rural population.