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William Jennings Bryan
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William Jennings Bryan
Hear William Jennings Bryan deliver his “Cross of Gold” speech at the Democratic National Convention
William Jennings Bryan: presidential campaign poster William Jennings Bryan: 1908 presidential campaign William Jennings Bryan, c. 1908 Attorney Clarence Darrow and politician William Jennings Bryan sit at a table in a crowded courtroom during the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial in Dayton, Tennessee.
A human hand and a gorilla's hand both reach for a gavel, against a blue-tinted background image of a courtroom.
William Jennings Bryan seated in profile at a desk, holding papers and resting his chin on his hand, with a lamp and additional papers on the desk. Scopes Trial Map of the United States showing the results of the 1896 presidential election, with states colored red for William McKinley (Republican) and blue for William Jennings Bryan (Democratic). Most western and southern states are blue for Bryan, while much of the Midwest and Northeast are red for McKinley. Electoral vote counts are labeled on each state, and two states, California and Kentucky, are noted for splitting their electoral votes. A faded American flag serves as the background.
At a Glance
William Jennings Bryan, c. 1908
William Jennings Bryan summary
Quizzes
A 1912 poster shows Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and William Howard Taft, all working at desks, superimposed on a map of the United States. The three were candidates in the 1912 election.
U.S. Presidential Elections Quiz
Encyclopaedia Britannica thistle graphic to be used with a Mendel/Consumer quiz in place of a photograph.
43 Questions About Politics (Mostly in the United States) Compiled from Britannica’s Quizzes
Related Questions

William Jennings Bryan: References & Edit History

Additional Reading

Bryan’s life and work are examined in Paolo E. Coletta, William Jennings Bryan, 3 vol. (1964–69); Robert W. Cherny, A Righteous Cause: The Life of William Jennings Bryan (1985, reissued 1994); LeRoy Ashby, William Jennings Bryan (1987); Donald K. Springen, William Jennings Bryan (1991); Lawrence W. Levine, Defender of the Faith: William Jennings Bryan (1965).

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Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Add new Web site: History Today - William Jennings Bryan: The Great Commoner. Nov 07, 2026
Add new Web site: Middle Tennessee State University - The Free Speech Center - William Jennings Bryan. Sep 10, 2026
Anniversary information added. Jul 22, 2026
Anniversary information added. Mar 15, 2026
Add new Web site: Digital Commons at University of Nebraska - Lincoln - William Jennings Bryan, the Railroads, and the Politics of "Workingmen" (PDF). Jan 30, 2026
Add new Web site: Digital Commons at American University Washington College of Law - Foreword: A Symposium Exploring the Modern Legacy of William Jennings Bryan (PDF). Aug 30, 2025
Media added. Jul 18, 2025
Adjusted media display. Jul 17, 2025
Article revised and updated. Jul 17, 2025
Add new Web site: NPR - William Jennings Bryan: An Electrifying Orator. Jun 25, 2025
Add new Web site: Voices of Democracy - William Jennings Bryan, "Imperialism," Speech Text. May 17, 2025
Questions and answers added. Mar 20, 2025
Add new Web site: DigitalCommons at University of Nebraska - Lincoln - William Jennings Bryan: Boy Orator, Broken Man, and the "Evolution" of America's Public Philosophy (PDF). Jan 07, 2025
Add new Web site: Famous Trials - William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925). May 21, 2024
First paragraph modernization. Feb 19, 2024
Add new Web site: HistoryNet - We've Been Here Before: What Occupy Wall Street Can Learn From William Jennings Bryan. Jan 16, 2024
Add new Web site: Nebraska Authors - Biography of William Jennings Bryan. Aug 30, 2023
Add new Web site: Teach Democracy - William Jennings Bryan the Great Commoner. Mar 17, 2023
Add new Web site: Nebraskastudies.org - William Jennings Bryan. Feb 03, 2023
Add new Web site: Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History - William Jennings Bryan and the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, 1895. Sep 30, 2022
Add new Web site: 1914-1918 online - International Encyclopedia of the First World War - William Jennings Bryan. May 16, 2022
Media revised. Jan 07, 2021
Changed "soon after the trial, Bryan fell ill and died" to "six days after the trial, Bryan died in his sleep." Sep 06, 2019
Corrected display issue. Feb 06, 2018
Added excerpt from Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech. Sep 02, 2015
Add new Web site: America's Story from America's Library - Biography of William Jennings Bryan. Dec 02, 2013
Add new Web site: Miller Center - University of Virginia - Biography of William Jennings Bryan. Dec 02, 2013
Add new Web site: NebraskaStudies.org - Biography of William Jennings Bryan. May 06, 2013
Add new Web site: Bryan College - Biography of William Jennings Bryan. May 06, 2013
Add new Web site: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress - Biography of William Jennings Bryan. Nov 27, 2011
Add new Web site: Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals - Biography of William Jennings Bryan. Nov 27, 2011
Add new Web site: U.S. Department of State - Office of the Historian - Biography of William Jennings Bryan. Nov 27, 2011
Add new Web site: Architect of the Capitol - Biography of William Jennings Bryan. Nov 27, 2011
Add new Web site: United States History - William Jennings Bryan. Nov 27, 2011
Add new Web site: Nebraska State Historical Society - Biography of William Jennings Bryan. Nov 27, 2011
Add new Web site: Public Broadcasting Service - Biography of William Jennings Bryan. Nov 27, 2011
Add new Web site: University of Missouri - Biography of William Jennings Bryan. Nov 27, 2011
Added photograph. Mar 16, 2011
Redesigned election results tables added. Nov 03, 2009
Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - History - Biography of William Jennings Bryan. Nov 10, 2008
Article revised and updated. Jun 09, 2008
Article revised and updated. Oct 03, 2007
Bibliography revised and updated. Oct 03, 2007
Article revised. Dec 11, 2002
Article revised. Jan 12, 2000
Article added to new online database. Jan 29, 1999
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