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Top 10 Facts about William Jennings Bryan

William Jennings Bryan was a politician and a very gifted speaker. He was widely known as a very powerful force in the democratic party in the 19th Century.He was a three-time contender for the Office of the President of the United States of America as the democratic party鈥檚 nominee in 1896, 1900 and the 1908 elections.

Prior to that, he was elected to the US congress in 1890 for the state of Nebraska. He served in the House of Representatives until 1895, where he majorly championed causes such as the free coinage of silver, national income tax, and direct election of Senators.

He was appointed Secretary of State by President Woodrow Wilson on March 5, 1913, and served until June 9, 1915, when he resigned.

His major achievement in his role was his negotiation of peace treaties that pledged the 30 signatories to refrain from hostilities during the arbitration of disputes.

He was also a very devout protestant and great mobilizer which earned him a couple of nicknames ranging from, 鈥樷�橳he Great Commoner, The Silver Knight of the West, The Fundamentalist Pope and Boy Orator of the Platte.

Here are 10 additional interesting facts about William Jennings Bryan.

1. William Jennings’ Father was also a politician

William Jennings Bryan was born on March 19, 1860, in Salem, Illinois. He was the fourth born to his parents Silas and Mariah Bryan. Both his parents were devout Baptists and raised their children in a Christ-centered home. 

He had three older siblings who died during infancy but fortunately, his other four younger siblings lived to adulthood. He was homeschooled by his mother until the age of ten.

His father was a dedicated Democrat and a successful lawyer who served in various local elected positions and passed on his politics to his son.

2. William鈥檚 practiced Law shortly before joining politics

A Younger William Bryan –

He followed in his father鈥檚 footsteps and earned a law degree from the Union College of Law in Chicago in 1883. He started practicing law in Jacksonville after he was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1884.

Later in 1887, he moved to Nebraska where he established a thriving law practice. It was 3 years after this when he delved into politics and was elected to the House of representatives.

3. William married a political activist

William Bryan and his wife Mary Elizabeth – by Bain News Service –

He married Mary Elizabeth Baird in 1884 who was an American writer and women activist who fought for the right to vote in public elections. The couple had three children,  William Jennings Bryan Junior, Grace Bryan Hargreaves and Ruth Bryan Owen. His family tree grew and they even became grandparents.

4. William was elected to the House of Representatives when he was just 30 years old

Official Map of Nebraska’s state Highway System –

In 1890, when elected in the state of Nebraska, he advocated for populist agendas including the free silver movement that sought to increase the federal money supply by basing U.S. currency on silver as well as gold.

He also vouched for the direct election of senators and the graduation of the federal income tax to have higher income earners get taxed more than lower-income earners.

5. Bryan was famously known for his 鈥淐ross of Gold鈥� speech

William Bryan during his Cross of Gold Speech –

In 1896, at Chicago,  he captivated the attention of the Democratic National convention audience with a passionate appeal to his countrymen to stand up for the common man against big business interests and support free silver.

At the close of his speech, he emphatically declared, 鈥淵ou shall not press down upon the brow of labour this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.鈥�

6. William Bryan got the Presidential Nomination from the democratic party three times in a row

This followed after his passionate appeal in the 鈥渃ross of gold鈥� speech, he won the support of the party and that of the populist and National silver parties as their flag bearer for the presidency in 1896.

He however lost to William McKinley who was in the republican party. He was again nominated for the 1900 and 1908 elections and equally lost both.

7. Bryan was well known for his leading role in the Scopes Trial

After his run at politics, in his later years, he came back to his advocacy life and especially championed against the teaching of evolution in public schools.

In 1925, he was greatly involved in the Scopes Monkey Trial, as a chief prosecutor where a science teacher, John Scopes, was prosecuted for teaching evolution in his class in Tennessee, right after a bill had been passed making it illegal.

The trial publicly advocated for the legitimacy of Charles Darwin鈥檚 theory of evolution. The theory simply states that organisms with the strongest and most desirable characteristics are best able to survive and reproduce.

8. William’s  work was imitated in a film called Inherit the wind

The film was released in 1960 and was inspired by the Scopes Trial of 1925 which he was greatly involved in. The film was completely and wholly based on the true events at the trial, however, the names of the actors were changed.

The film director received an Academy Award nomination for the powerful performances by his actors. The drama was, later on, remade into a couple of television shows.

9. William Bryan publicly opposed US involvement in World War I

William Jennings Bryan by Bain News Service-

After he resigned as secretary of state in 1915, he continually advocated for America鈥檚 neutrality in World War I. He however changed tune in 1917 when the US entered the conflict due to extensive popular support for the war effort. 

He also campaigned to reform the country鈥檚 moral and religious character which ties back to his childhood and upbringing in a Christian home.

10. Bryan died five days after the verdict on Scopes Trial was released

On July 26, 1925, aged 65, William suffered a stroke and died in his sleep. This coincidentally happened, five days after the Scopes trial where the jury鈥檚 verdict found Scopes guilty.

His final bow marked the end of the career for a man who was passionate about fighting for inclusion and human rights and extensively the larger good for the common man.

In Conclusion, William Jennings Bryan rose from being a lawyer to being a tireless defender for the small players in the ecosystem ranging from farmers to labourers. He was also a morally upright man who didn鈥檛 believe that violence was the answer and that is what saw his emphatic opposition to World War I.