Explore our nations past. As a Public Service and brought to you today by your television provider. Good evening and welcome to the third installment of cspans contend series. We look at Williams Jennings bryant. What better way to introduce to you the man than hearing directly from him. Heres a portion of the speech that he delivered at the Democratic National convention back in 1896. Its commonly referred to as the cross of gold speech which led directly to his first run at the white house at the age of 36. We do not come as aggressors. Our war is not a war of conflict. We are fighting into our homes, our families and prosperity. We have petitions, and our petitions have been scorned. We treaties and our treaties have been disregarded. We have begged and they have mocked when our calamity came. We beg no longer. We entreat no more. We petition no more. We defy them. We go forth confident that we shall win. The words of William Jennings bryan coming to you from his home in nebraska. I
Times of William Jennings brian, the threetime president ial nominee from nebraska. What better way to introduce you to the man than hearing from him. Its commonly referred to as the cross of gold speech which led to his first run for the white house at the age of 36. We do not come as aggressors. Our war is not a war of conquest. Were fighting in defense of our homes, our families and prosperity. We have petitions and our petitions have been scorned. We have been treated and disregarded. We have begged and they have mocked when our calamity came. We beg no longer. We entreat no more. We defy them. We go forth confident that we shall win. Were coming to you from his home and office in the state capital of lincoln, nebraska. Its referred to as fairview. William Jennings Bryan and his wife moved here. Were coming to you from the first floor of his parlor. His study is below us. He did much of his writing and entertaining here in this house. We want to welcome our two guests. Michael kazi
We do not come as aggressors. Our goal is not a goal of conquest. We are fighting in defense of our families and prosperity. We have traditions and our traditions have been scorned. Our in treaties have been disregarded. We have begged and they have bought an hour, amit we have balked. We brought forth confidence that we shall win. The words of William Jennings bryan. We are coming to you from his home and office in the state capital of nebraska. And hisJennings Bryan wife moved here in 1902. We are coming to you from the first floor. He did much of his riding an entertaining here in this house. We welcome our guest, a professor of history at Georgetown University. Chairalso joined by the of the department of history at the university of nebraska here in lincoln. To set up this speech, the man that delivered it and the impact that it had bought democratic delegates. The country was very divided. There was a Great Depression. The democrats were split down the middle. The incumbent presi
The cross of gold speech. It was from his first run at the white house. We do not come as aggressors. Our war is not a war of conquest. We are fighting in defense of our families and prosperity. We have traditions and our traditions have been scorned. We have entreaties, and our entreaties have been disregarded. We have begged and they have balked when our calamity came. We beg no longer. We entreat no more. We petition no more. We defy them. We go forth confident that we shall win. The words of William Jennings bryan. We are coming to you from his home and office in the state capital of nebraska. It is commonly called fairview, because it gave you a fair view of the land. William Jennings Bryan and his wife moved here in 1902. It is now part of the brian g h Medical Center. We are coming to you from the first floor. His study is just below us. He did much of his writing and entertaining here in this house. We welcome our guest, a professor of history at Georgetown University. He also
To crucify gold would be, of course, connected to Pontius Pilate crucifying christ. In the same way, bryan and populists and populist minded democrats and republicans, too, thought that the American Economy was being run for the interest of those who already had property or those who already had money, those who already had banks and big industries, so theres a class divide in american politics at that time. Now we have a lot of anger about the economy. The anger wasnt focused on money the same way it was then. After all, remember then, every dollar people had in their pockets could be redeemed for a dollar in the federal treasury, first with gold. Bryan wanted that to be redeemed in silver as well, the means a lot more dollars could have been minted and coined because there was more silver in circulation than there was gold. Really a call for cheaper money, lower Interest Rates, and greater Economic Opportunity for a Small Business person, a farmer, a worker who wanted to be a Small B