William Jennings Bryan & Populism

Question 1

The 1896 Election Campaign

Answer 1

• Populist Party had sufficient support, had a decisive voice in nominating Democrat candidate, William Jennings Bryan
• Supported Populists aims
• First election where modern campaigning methods and financing were used, including ‘dirty tricks’
• E.g. Mark Hanna, wealthy businessman, spent $3 million supporting McKinley
• McKinley used some of the money to mess with Bryan’s reputation
• Most national newspapers, including the ‘New York Times’, supported McKinley
• Bryan used traditional campaigning methods, didn’t have financial support
• Travelled 28,000 km, gave 600 speeches
• Bryan unable to win any states in the North-east
• Had the election occurred in the depression of ‘93 instead, results may have differed

Question 2

The 1900 Election Campaign

Answer 2

• Took place after the Spanish-American War
• McKinley defeated Bryan for a second time, (Bryan runs for president in 1896,1900,1904 and 1908, never wins)
• Main issues of the campaign were the economy, foreign policy and imperialism

Question 3

Populism Historiography & Significance

Answer 3

• Some historians view Populists as forward-looking liberal reformers, others view them as reactionaries trying to recapture an idyllic and utopian past based on farming
• Populists never recovered from the events of 1896
• 1900: Progressivists took over
• Progressivists adopted many aims of the Populists
• Party had electoral successes, approximately 45 members of the party served in Congress between 1891-1902
• Populists merged and absorbed the Democratic Party after 1896
• Abandoning Gold Standard to create inflation angered urban industrial workers, frightened of paying more for their food
• US economy had fully recovered by the late 1890s