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The Cross of Gold speech was delivered by William Jennings Bryan, a former United States Representative from Nebraska, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on July 9, 1896. In his address, Bryan supported "free silver" (i.e. bimetallism ), which he believed would bring the nation prosperity.
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 Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Read and listen to the famous speech that made William Jennings Bryan the Democratic nominee for president in 1896. He defended the free coinage of silver as a cause of humanity and liberty against the gold standard.
William Jennings Bryan delivered a powerful speech in defense of silver and against the gold standard at the 1896 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. He invoked the causes of liberty, humanity, and democracy, and compared the silver Democrats to the crusaders and the pioneers.
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Apr 17, 2024 · A famous speech delivered by Bryan at the 1896 Democratic National Convention in support of free silver and against the gold standard. He argued that the gold standard favored the rich and the East Coast elites, while the silver standard benefited the farmers and the West.
What did Bryan mean when he said that “you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold?” Historical Reasoning Questions What did Bryan’s speech illustrate about the economic, political, and social tensions in the Gilded Age?
When television coverage begins at a presidential nominating convention, it is only a matter of time before some commentator alludes to William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech at the 1896 Democratic convention as the leading example of an orator's ability to sway listeners.
