Guide Note:
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician who was nominated for the presidency by the Democratic party three times, but never won.
Fast Facts:
- Born: March 19, 1860
- Ran for President in 1896, 1900 and 1908
- Lost to William McKinley twice; William Howard Taft once
- Served as Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson
- AKA: The Great Commoner
- Was a Prohibitionist
- Devout Presbyterian
- Opposed Darwinism
- Died: July 26, 1925, only five days after Scopes Trial ended
Biography
Born in Ilinois in 1860, Bryan began his political career after moving to Nebraska and becoming a lawyer. As a western Democrat, Bryan supported Prohibition and increasing the supply of silver in the U.S. treasury as a way of helping farmers. His populist message became very popular, and after becoming a Congressman in the early 1890s, Bryan won the Democratic nomination for President in 1896. Despite losing to Republican William McKinley, Bryan's fiery rhetoric gained him a loyal following, and he won the nomination again in 1900, only to again be defeated by McKinley. After a failed run in 1908, Bryan was appointed Secretary of State by Woodrow Wilson in 1913. In the last years of his life, Bryan spoke out again Darwinism, and famously testified at the Scopes Monkey Trial in Tennessee in 1925. Bryan died soon after the trial, at which he was held up to public ridicule by newspaper essayist H.L. Mencken.
William Jennings Bryan Satire and Humor
The College of New Jersey: Cartoon of William Jennings Bryan Running for President.
YouTube: "The Scopes Trial" (Time: 16:58)
UMKC: Scopes Trial Cartoon
- This page was created by Melinda, a Part Time Guide in the Mahalo Greenhouse (see the original), and curated by Susan.
If you'd like to help us create the best spam free search results on the Internet, apply to be a Part Time Guide!</em>
