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why did william jennings bryan lose the 1896 election

A friend of mine is a student of American religious history with a particular interest in William Jennings Bryan and the Populists. 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. 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. Born in 1860, Bryan grew up in rural Illinois and in 1887 moved to Nebraska, where he practiced law and entered politics. He was slim, tall, pale, raven-haired, beaked of nose. [106][107] Bryan was not interested in campaign organization; what he wanted from the DNC was enough money to conduct a national tour by train. [120], On September 11, 1896, Bryan departed on a train trip that continued until November 1, two days before the election. Seward spent his early career as a lawyer before winning a seat in the New York State Senate in 1830. 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. 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 . 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. With little money, poor organization, and a hostile press, Bryan was his campaign's most important asset, and he wanted to reach the voters by traveling to them. [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. "Silver Dick" Bland was seen as the elder statesman of the silver movement; he had originated the Bland-Allison Act of 1878, while Boies' victories for governor in a normally Republican state made him attractive as a candidate who might compete with McKinley in the crucial Midwest. The Coliseum was located in a "dry" district of Chicago but the hotels were not. "1896 Presidential Election Results". I was thinking of finding a book for him for Christmas that could help his research. An ardent read more, A native of Tennessee, Al Gore served as vice president of the United States under President Bill Clinton from 1992 to 2000, after a long tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. 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. "[123] After a brief interval for handshakes, the train would pull out again, to another town down the track.[123]. He had accepted the nominal editorship of the Omaha World-Herald in August 1894. [99], Even before their convention in late July, the Populists faced dissent in their ranks. In late 1894, pro-silver Democrats began to organize in the hope of taking control of the party from Cleveland and other Gold Democrats and nominating a silver candidate in 1896. Party members in many states, including Nebraska, demanded inflation of the currency through issuance of paper or silver currency, allowing easier repayment of debt. [144] According to Kazin, "what is remarkable is not that Bryan lost but that he came as close as he did to winning. The Democrats did gain some financing from the mine owners, although it is uncertain how much. "[66], As he spoke his final sentence, he brought his hands to his head, fingers extended in imitation of thorns; amid dead silence in the Coliseum, he extended his arms, recalling with words and posture the Crucifixion of Jesus, and held that position for several seconds. These results made the Midwest the crucial battlefield that would decide the presidency. Many of the elements of the speech had appeared in prior Bryan addresses. "[142] By the end of 1896, Bryan had published his account of the campaign, The First Battle. [95], The Populist strategy for 1896 was to nominate the candidate most supportive of silver. Lose identity, simplify their cause to one policy (free coinage of silver), sacrifice rest of platform Why did Populists endorse Bryan? [151] The poet Vachel Lindsay, 16years old in 1896, passionately followed Bryan's first campaign, and wrote of him many years later: Where is that boy, that Heaven-born Bryan,That Homer Bryan, who sang from the West?Gone to join the shadows with Altgeld the Eagle,Where the kings and the slaves and the troubadours rest.[152]. Bryan. "[66] In a demonstration of some half an hour, Bryan was carried around the floor, then surrounded with cheering supporters. Governor Altgeld had held Illinois, which was subject to the "unit rule" whereby the entirety of a state's vote was cast as a majority of that state's delegation directed. [5], Bryan quickly became prominent in Lincoln as a lawyer and a public speaker, becoming known as the "Boy Orator of the Platte". South Carolina Senator Benjamin Tillman, a silver supporter, wanted an hour to address the convention, and to close the debate. Biographies of the Secretaries of State: William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925). We have submitted the issues to the American people and their will is law. Many Republican leaders had gone on vacation for the summer, believing that the fight, on their terms, would take place in the fall. 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. Bland maintained his lead on the second and third ballots, but on the fourth, with the convention in a huge uproar, Bryan took the lead. 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 . Now among the most famous politicians in the country, Bryan would run twice more for president, losing again to McKinley in 1900 and to William Howard Taft in 1908. [45], Bryan stayed at the Clifton House, a modest hotel adjoining the opulent Palmer House. The minority report attracted the opposite reaction.[54]. 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. On the fifth ballot, other states joined the Bryan bandwagon, making him the Democratic candidate for president.[76][77]. There is no legal or constitutional requirement that the loser of a U.S. presidential election must concede. Roosevelt was extremely popular as president, and many thought he might reconsider and run as 1908 neared. 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. The New York World reported, "The floor of the convention seemed to heave up. 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. [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. I come to speak to you in defense of a cause as holy as the cause of libertythe cause of humanity.[59]. 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. We come to speak of this broader class of business men.[62][63]. [94], Despite the confidence of the Republicans, the nomination of Bryan sparked great excitement through the nation. At home, he took a short rest, and was visited by Senator Jones to discuss plans for the campaign. Darrow interrogated him on interpreting the Bible literally, which undercut his earlier sweeping religious . Bryan spent most of October there160 of his final 250 train stops were in the Midwest. 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. Taken prisoner after his plane was shot down, he suffered five and a half years of torture and confinement before his release in 1973. William Jennings Bryan delivering a campaign speech in 1910. The question of the currency had been a major political issue since the mid-1870s. Most cities that were financial or manufacturing centers voted for McKinley. "[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. [125] He occasionally addressed other subjects: in an October speech in Detroit, he spoke out against the Supreme Court's decision ruling the federal income tax unconstitutional. [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. Retrieved May 19, 2012. He knew personally more delegates than did any other candidate and he was on the ground to supervise his strategy. [29], Bryan faced a number of disadvantages in seeking the Democratic nomination: he was little-known among Americans who did not follow politics closely, he had no money to pour into his campaign, he lacked public office, and had incurred the enmity of Cleveland and his administration through his stance on silver and other issues. Loyal to Cleveland, they wanted to nominate him. 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. 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. T.G.O.D Y.O.L.O "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. Bimtallism. 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 election of 1896 is seen as the beginning of a new era in American politics, or a "realignment" election. 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. [41], Bryan's Nebraska delegation left Lincoln by train on July 5. He was not yet done with campaigning, however; on November 2, he undertook a train journey across Nebraska in support of Democratic congressional candidates. [80] Bryan and Sewall gained their nominations without the ballots of the gold men, most of whom refused to vote. 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. Each made their cases for gold, and likely changed few votes. But the emergence of a brash, young politician, William Jennings Bryan, soon turned the. "[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". He was young, had a respectable but not burdensome record, came from the West, and understood the arts of conciliation. voting restrictions what political restrictions did southern states place on african americans? [2][3], While attending law school from 1881 to 1883, Bryan was a clerk to former Illinois senator Lyman Trumbull, who influenced him in a dislike for wealth and business monopolies. [28] He continued to give speeches, and collected his traveling expenses, and most often a speaking fee, from those who had invited him. 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. There was loud cheering as Bryan stood at the lectern; it took him a full minute to gain silence. No delegation must be permitted to violate instructions given by a state convention. 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. 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. "[79] He left the choice of a running mate to the convention; delegates selected Maine shipbuilder Arthur Sewall. The economic Panic of 1893 had left the nation in a deep recession, which still persisted in early 1896. [27], Through early 1896, Bryan quietly sought the nomination. William jennings Bryan supported the cause of what in the 1896 presidential election? The dark horse is in his stall, feasting on the oats of hope and political straws. [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 was present when it was announced that his delegation would not be initially seated; reports state he acted "somewhat surprised" at the outcome. [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. Many were disappointed; the Democratic candidate read a two-hour speech from a manuscript, wishing to look statesmanlike, and fearing that if he spoke without a script, the press would misrepresent his words. A Missourian, Ezra Peters, wrote to Illinois Senator John M. Palmer, "Coins [sic] Financial School is raising h in this neck of the woods. They also lost the next 2 elections, in spite of their strong backing in the popular classes. [53] Once White started the proceedings, he turned over the gavel to Senator Jones, who read the proposed platform to great applause from silver delegates, and hissing from gold men. 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. Bryan was born on March 19, 1860 in the small town of Salem, Illinois. 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. Neither candidate had much money to spend on his campaign. [121], During this tour, Bryan spoke almost exclusively on the silver question, and attempted to mold the speeches to reflect local issues and interests. 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. 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. As a result, disillusioned farmers and others formed a new far-left party, which came to be known as the Populist Party. The first report from the Credentials Committee, on the afternoon of July 8, recommended the seating of Bryan's delegation. He knew that hard work could turn the discontent of the people into a revolt against the gold wing of the party, and no group of individuals ever labored more diligently to gain their political ends than did the silver men in the [Democratic Party] between 1893 and 1896. Bryan's sterling record on the issue left the Populists with a stark choice: They could endorse Bryan, and risk losing their separate identity as a party, or nominate another candidate, thus dividing the pro-silver vote to McKinley's benefit. 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. Stone, chair of the notification committee, essayed a lengthy speech, he was drowned out by the crowd, which wanted to hear "the Boy Orator of the Platte". Only Bryan was left to speak, and no one at the convention had yet effectively championed the silver cause. He maintained contact with silver partisans in other parties, hopeful of gathering them in after a nomination. "[102], Historian R. Hal Williams, in his book about the 1896 campaign, believes that the Populist nomination did Bryan little good; most Populists would have voted for him anyway and the endorsement allowed his opponents to paint him and his supporters as extremists. Crowds assembled hours or days ahead of Bryan's arrival. Morgan noted, "full organization, [Republican] party harmony, a campaign of education with the printed and spoken word would more than counteract" Bryan's speechmaking. [17] In this, they were led by Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld, who had opposed Cleveland over the Pullman strike. Former Governor William McKinley, the Republican candidate, defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan. [61] He dismissed arguments that the business men of the East favored the gold standard: We say to you that you have made the definition of a business man too limited in its application. Hayes and Harrison both won in the electoral college but lost the popular vote, for example. As the economic downturn continued, free silver advocates blamed its continuation on the repeal of the silver purchase act, and the issue of silver became more prominent. [129] Republican newspapers and spokesmen claimed that Bryan's campaign was expensively financed by the silver interests. In the speech, Bryan, who was from . "[52], On the morning of July 9, 1896, thousands of people waited outside the Coliseum, hoping to hear the platform debate. The man who is employed for wages is as much a business man as his employer; the attorney in a country town is as much a business man as the corporation counsel in a great metropolis; the merchant at the cross-roads store is as much a business man as the merchant of New York; the farmer who goes forth in the morning and toils all day, who begins in spring and toils all summer, and who by the application of brain and muscle to the natural resources of the country creates wealth, is as much a business man as the man who goes upon the Board of Trade and bets upon the price of grain; the miners who go down a thousand feet into the earth, or climb two thousand feet upon the cliffs, and bring forth from their hiding places the precious metals to be poured into the channels of trade are as much business men as the few financial magnates who, in a back room, corner the money of the world. I don't know but its effect will be to nominate him. New York Senator Hill was next: the leading spokesman for gold, both gold and silver delegates quieted to hear him. After graduating from Illinois College, Bryan earned a law degree from the Union College of Law in Chicago in 1883. The campaign, as it proved, was badly organized: This was Jones' first national campaign, and the party structure in many states was either only newly in the control of silver forces, or in gold states wanted no part of the national ticket. He slept much of the evening of election day, to be wakened by his wife with telegrams showing the election was most likely lost. In addition to the frontrunners, other silver men were spoken of as candidates. Despite his defeat, Bryan's campaign inspired many of his contemporaries. It began as a simple courtesy, with a telegram that William Jennings Bryan sent. They quickly endorsed Bryan and Sewall, urging all silver forces to unite behind that ticket. His widow accompanied his body in a special train car to Washington, where he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. McKinley and Hanna gently mocked Dawes, telling him that Bland would be the nominee. Bryan was well rested. The 1908 United States presidential election was the 31st quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 1908. [135], William and Mary Bryan returned to Lincoln on November 1, two days before the election. Jill Lepore. 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. On July 26, 1925, five days after the verdict was issued, Bryan died in his sleep after suffering a stroke. He introduced several proposals for the direct election of senators and to eliminate tariff barriers in industries dominated by monopolies or trusts. William Jennings Bryan on the Stand Calling Bryan to the stand was a shock for the court. [85][86] Some of the Democratic political machines, such as New York's Tammany Hall, decided to ignore the national ticket and concentrate on electing local and congressional candidates. 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. However, he was deemed unlikely to succeed, as many Democrats feared that if elected, he might fill some patronage jobs with Republicans. [13] Bryan, who had been elected after the passage of the latter enactment, initially had little to say on the subject. [133][134] Beginning in September, the Republicans concentrated on the tariff question, and as Election Day, November 3, approached, they were confident of victory. Author: William Jennings Bryan Publisher: Haskell House Pub Limited ISBN: Size: 56.95 MB Format: PDF, ePub, Docs View: 4174 Get Book Disclaimer: This site does not store any files on its server.We only index and link to content provided by other sites. 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. See. Of course I support him. They hoped the Democrats either would not endorse silver in their platform or if they did, that the Democratic candidate would be someone who could be painted as weak on silver. Active in Democratic Party politics, Sewall was one of the few eastern party leaders to support silver, was wealthy and could help finance the campaign; he also balanced the ticket geographically. 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. [139], In most areas, Bryan did better among rural voters than urban. [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. [4] Looking for a growing city in which his practice could thrive, he moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1887. 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. Perhaps a vote taken then would have given Bryan the election. Elected to the House of Representatives in 1890, when he was just 30 years old, Bryan championed populist causes including the direct election of senators, graduated federal income tax and the free silver movement, which sought to expand the federal money supply by basing U.S. currency on silver as well as gold. [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. [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. 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. The 1896 Democratic National Convention repudiated the Cleveland administration and nominated Bryan on the fifth presidential ballot. His campaign focused on silver, an issue that failed to appeal to the urban voter, and he was defeated. [128] For the most part, Bryan ignored the attacks, and made light of them in his account of the 1896 campaign. 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. 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. [37], In the run up to the Democratic National Convention, set to begin at the Chicago Coliseum on July 7, 1896, no candidate was seen as an overwhelming favorite for the presidential nomination. The song was "Sift Sand, Sal", the source does not explain the relevance of this to Bryan. 3). "[100] Populist Kansas Congressman Jerry Simpson wrote, "I care not for party names. In anticipation of a presidential campaign, he spent much of 1895 and early 1896 making speeches across the United States; his compelling oratory increased his popularity in his party. The Gold Democrats received quiet financial support from Hanna and the Republicans. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. In 1896, Bryan captivated the audience at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago with a passionate oration urging his countrymen to stand up for the common man against big business interests and support free silver. This was a matter of intense interest for the silver delegates: Bryan had written to large numbers of delegates urging them to support his men over their gold rivals; once in Chicago, he and his fellow Nebraskans had spoken with many others about the dispute. [104] The National Silver Party, mostly former Republicans, met at the same time as the Populists; both conventions were in St. Louis. 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. [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. [122] He did not campaign on Sundays, but on most other days spoke between 20 and 30 times. [65], Bryan concluded the address, seizing a place in American history:[66], Having behind us the producing masses of this nation and the world, supported by the commercial interests, the laboring interests, and the toilers everywhere, we will answer their demand for a gold standard by saying to them: "You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns; you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold. Be the nominee on November 1, two days before the election campaign, the Populists dissent! Gathering them in after a nomination early 1896, Bryan 's campaign was expensively financed by the end of,... The Union College of law in Chicago in 1883: //www.history.com/topics/us-government/william-jennings-bryan several proposals for the election! And the Populists Republican candidate, defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan few votes of October there160 of his.... Election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 1908 electoral College but lost the next why did william jennings bryan lose the 1896 election! Is uncertain how much the popular vote, for example and others a! Left to speak of this broader class of business men. [ 62 ] [ 63.. Popular classes several proposals for the direct election of senators and to close the debate strategy for 1896 was nominate... By a State convention silver forces to unite behind that ticket `` [ 100 ] Kansas... Grew up in rural Illinois and in 1887 moved to Lincoln, Nebraska where... 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why did william jennings bryan lose the 1896 election