After serving just two terms in the House of Representatives, Bryan reached the pinnacle of his political career. In 1896, Bryan defeated incumbent president Grover Cleveland to win the Democratic party nomination for president. Just thirty-six, Bryan managed to attract the support of mainstream Democrats as well as disaffected third party Populists and Free Silverites. His moving "Cross of Gold" speech, delivered prior to his nomination, lambasted Eastern monied classes for supporting the gold standard at the expense of the average worker. Bryan's stance, directly opposing conservative Grover Cleveland, united splintered Democrats and won the handsome "Boy Orator of the Platte" the nomination.
Bryan logged more than 18,000 miles while visiting 27 states in the campaign of 1896. The unpopularity of the incumbent party combined with the Republican candidate's well-filled war chest, catapulted William McKinley into the White House, by a margin of 271 to 176 in the electoral college. Still, Bryan 's following was large enough to result in two additional runs for president. Bryan lost again to McKinley in 1900 and to William Howard Taft in 1908.
Norwegian immigrant Nils Nilsen Rønning considered himself "an enthusiastic Bryan man":
The first American politician who captured my imagination was William Jennings Bryan.
I had become intensely interested in the struggle between the gold Democrats and the silver Democrats. I snatched every "extra" about the convention in Chicago in 1896. That was before the radio brought a national convention into the homes.It was a long-drawn out battle of ballots. Then young, handsome, eloquent William Jennings Bryan from Nebraska stepped on the platform and swept the convention off its feet with his crown of gold speech. I doubt if any political speech ever thrilled the American people as did Bryan's.Nils Nilsen Rønning, Fifty Years in America 1938, page 228.
Pioneering the Upper Midwest, ca. 1820-1910
Definitely not a Bryan man, scholar, editor, businessman and diplomat, Rasmus B. Anderson, abandoned the Democratic Party when Bryan received the nomination. Characterizing Bryan as "America's greatest demagogue" and the "wide-mouthed orator of the Platte-itude" Anderson summed up Bryan's platform:
The national convention which he captured declared itself in favor of the abolishment of our courts, of free riots, and the unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1, without regard to what other nations might do. Bryan did not seem to comprehend that the ratio depended on the supply, that is to say, on the commercial value of the two metals. I agreed with the Irishman when he said: 'It is 16 to 1 now, but after election it will be nothing to ate.' I repudiated Bryan, with his crown of thorns and cross of gold and the democratic party.
Although he never won an election after 1892, Bryan wielded considerable influence. After helping Woodrow Wilson secure the Democratic nomination in 1912, he served as secretary of state. A committed pacifist, Bryan resigned his position as the nation approached World War . Although he moved to a large home in Florida, Bryan never retired. Always pious, during the final years of his life he was extremely active in religious organizations. By the 1920s, Bryan was among America's most outspoken critics of the theory of evolution. Echoing his earlier support of Prohibition, Bryan actively supported a constitutional amendment banning schools from teaching evolution. His participation in the famous 1925 Scopes Trial served as a capstone to his career. Bryan was exhausted by the trial especially his examination at the hands of Clarence Darrow who, in an unusual move, called Bryan to the stand. Although Bryan prevailed at the trial, he died just five days after its conclusion.
- Learn more about the man and his times. Bryan began his second unsuccessful campaign against McKinley with a critique of what he called "The Paralyzing Influence of Imperialism." The speech, delivered at the 1900 Democratic National Convention, was aimed at McKinley's handling of the Spanish-American War. Learn more about the debate surrounding the war in The World of 1898. The presentation includes an overview essay about the war and the times.
- Read the Today in History Feature on the Scopes Trial.
- Explore personal recollections of Bryan. Search the full text of Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Books from Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, ca. 1820-1910 on William Jennings Bryan for more reminiscences of the important political figure including James Manahan's autobiography Trials of a Lawyer.
- Have fun at Bryan's expense. A prominent political figure, references to Bryan surfaced in many vaudeville acts. Search the collection American Variety Stage: 1879-1920 on William Jennings Bryan to read vaudeville sketches, like The Shmoosers, poking fun at Bryan.
- View The Sculptor's Nightmare. In this early motion picture comedy, members of a political club debate whose bust will replace that of Theodore Roosevelt. William Jennings Bryan is one candidate. To find the film, search the collection Theodore Roosevelt: His Life and Times on Film on William Jennings Bryan.
- Learn more about voting, campaigns, and politics in the United States. Visit Elections in American Memory a feature presentation of the Learning Page.
