Period 6 Additional Notes Election of 1896 A turning point in American politics; marked the beginning of a new era in American politics Was one of the most emotional in US history William Jennings Bryan (D) v. William McKinley (R)

William Jennings Bryan Democrats were divided in 1896 between “gold” Democrats and pro- silver Democrats At the Democratic National Convention, William Jennings Bryan captured the hearts of the delegates with a speech that ended with these words: “We will answer their demands 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.” So powerful was his “Cross of Gold” speech, that it made him instantly the Democratic nominee for president. He was only 36 years old.

Democratic Platform Unlimited coinage of silver at the ration of 16 oz. to one oz. of gold – the leading issue of the Populist platform. The Populist convention in 1896 also nominated Bryan.

McKinley, Hanna, and Republicans McKinley – supported high protective tariffs; a friend of labor Mark Hanna, who had made a fortune in business, was the financial power behind McKinley’s nomination as well as the campaign for president. After blaming the Democrats for the Panic of 1893 (Cleveland, a democrat was president), the Republicans promised a strong and prosperous industrial nation. Platform: high protective tariff, gold standard

Why did Bryan lose? The price of wheat rose (farmers are happy) Employers told their workers that factories would shut down if Bryan was elected On election day, McKinley carried all of the Northeast and the upper Midwest in a decisive victory over Bryan in both the popular vote and the electoral vote.

Significance of the Election of 1896 Marked the end of the stalemate and stagnation that had characterized politics in the Gilded Age The defeat of Bryan and the Populist free-silver movement initiated an era of Republican dominance of the presidency (7 of the next 9 elections) and of both houses of Congress.

Significance continued… Once the party of “free soil, free labor, and free men,” the Republicans had become the party of business and industry, though it continued to advocate for a strong national government. The Democrats carried on in defeat as the sectional party of the South and host of whatever Populist sentiment remained.

Significance continued Populist Demise – the Populist Party declined after 1896 and soon ceased to exist. Much of the Populist reform agenda, such as the graduated income tax and popular election of senators, was adopted by both the Democrats and Republicans during the Progressive Era. Urban Dominance – The election of 1896 was a clear victory for big business, urban centers, conservative economics, and moderate, middle-class values. It proved to be the last hope of rural America to reclaim its former dominance in American politics. Some historians see the election marking the triumph of the values of modern industrial and urban America over the rural ideals of the America of Jefferson and Jackson.

Significance continued Beginning of Modern Politics – McKinley emerged as the first modern president, an active leader who took the US from being relatively isolated to becoming a major player in international affairs. Mark Hanna, the master of high-finance politics, created a model for organizing and financing a successful campaign. McKinley’s model focused on winning favorable publicity in the dominant mass media of his day: newspapers.

A trust is illegal. It eliminates completion. The first trust was Standard Oil which was later broken up using the Sherman Anti-trust Act. The Ocala Platform was incorporated into the Omaha Platform which represented the Populists. Charles Darwin – theory of natural selection Herbert Spencer believed Darwin’s theory should be applied to the marketplace. Patronage led to the assassination of President James Garfield which led to the end of patronage with the passage of the Pendleton Act that established the Civil Service System in which you get a government job based on merit (skills, knowledge) and not on who you know.