Why was the election of 1896 significant?

The 1896 campaign, which took place during an economic depression known as the Panic of 1893, was a political realignment that ended the old Third Party System and began the Fourth Party System. McKinley prevailed by a wide margin on the first ballot of the 1896 Republican National Convention.

What did William Jennings Bryan campaign for?

His campaign focused on silver, an issue that failed to appeal to the urban voter, and he was defeated. The 1896 race is generally seen as a realigning election. The coalition of wealthy, middle-class and urban voters that defeated Bryan kept the Republicans in power for most of the time until 1932.

What happened in the election of 1896?

William Jennings Bryan, gifted orator and three-time presidential candidate was born on March 19, 1860, in Salem, Illinois. In 1896, he defeated incumbent President Grover Cleveland to win the Democratic Party nomination for president.

What was the central issue during the 1896 presidential campaign?

The presidential election of 1896 was one of the most dramatic in election history, with the central issue being the country’s money supply.

Why did McKinley not campaign for the presidency?

Tradition held that presidential candidates should not actively seek votes by widespread campaigning, a spectacle thought to be beneath the dignity of the office; McKinley’s opponent, more than any other presidential aspirant, broke that tradition.

What was the difference between McKinley and Bryan?

McKinley was clearly an inferior public speaker compared to the polished and dramatic Bryan; Mark Hanna and other advisors thought it unwise to do anything that might accentuate the difference between the two candidates. Bryan made no apologies for traveling widely and asking his audiences for their votes.

When did the battle between McKinley and Bryan take place?

The battle between McKinley and Bryan took place during an economic downturn that had begun in 1893, when two of the nation’s biggest employers, the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad and the National Cordage Company, collapsed, setting off a stock market panic.

Why was Daniel Bryan important to rural America?

Bryan’s eloquent call for an end to government favoritism toward business interests and the wealthy at the expense of farmers and the working class, and his defense of agrarian democracy against a backdrop of the nation’s growing urbanization, would resonate for generations to come.