William Jennings Bryan

"He's also an interesting illustration, I think of this idea that...it's hard to get a good man elected President. It's hard to get a good person, somebody with this much integrity, because they stick to what they believe , and they aren't cynical, and they aren't going to change positions or acquiesce. And so you look at his background and his incredible popularity, and you go, 'How? How could someone so popular and so gifted, not be elected?'"

 

It is week 2 of our Political Convention coverage at Tour Guide Tell All! For the second half of our series exploring the history of political party conventions and past presidential elections, we are covering William Jennings Bryan. Along with last week's subject, Bryan is the only other man to run unsuccessfully for President 3 times, and remains the youngest person ever to receive an electoral vote.

Join us as we discuss prohibition, evolution and the Progressive Era, and find out what both
bimetallism and Grape Juice Diplomacy were and how they changed American history.

Comments or Questions? Or have an idea for future episodes? Email
us tourguidetellall@gmail.com

If you’re interested in in more information, we find these sources helpful:

State department Bio of Bryan 
Clip from the Cross of Gold Speech
NPR Story about the Scopes Monkey Trial 
The statue of Byran from the US Capitol has been removed

Bryans Nebraska home Fairview 

Full book length treatment of Prohibition that mentions Bryan frequently (and is a great read
just generally) is Last Call by Daniel Okrent

 

 

You’re Listening To: Rebecca Fachner and Becca Grawl
The Person Responsible for it Sounding Good: Dan King
Technical & Admin Work Done During Toddler Naptime: Canden Arciniega 
Intro/Outro Music: Well-Seasoned from Audio Hero