Silver Republican Party facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Silver Republican Party
|
|
|---|---|
| Leader | Fred Dubois Henry M. Teller |
| Founded | 1896 |
| Dissolved | 1901 |
| Split from | Republican Party |
| Merged into | Republican Party Democratic Party (minority) |
| Ideology | Agrarianism Bimetallism Liberalism |
| Political position | Center-left |
| International affiliation | None |
| Colors | Vanilla ice |
The Silver Republican Party was a political group in the United States. It existed from 1896 to 1901. This party was also known as the Lincoln Republican Party later on. They got their name because they split from the main Republican Party.
The Silver Republicans supported an idea called "free silver" or bimetallism. This meant they wanted the country's money to be backed by both silver and gold. They believed this would help the economy grow. The main Republican Party, however, supported the gold standard. This meant they wanted money to be backed only by gold.
Most Silver Republicans lived in the Western states. This was because silver mining was a very important business there. Many Silver Republicans were elected to the U.S. Congress. In both the 1896 and 1900 presidential elections, they supported William Jennings Bryan. He was the candidate for the Democratic Party. They did not support the Republican candidate, William McKinley.
In 1901, the Silver Republican Party officially ended. Most of its members rejoined the Republican Party. This happened especially after Theodore Roosevelt became president in September 1901. He took office after President McKinley was assassinated. However, some Silver Republicans joined the Democratic Party instead. For example, Senator Fred Dubois from Idaho and Henry M. Teller from Colorado joined the Democrats. They wanted to support the part of the Democratic Party that agreed with Bryan.
Key Silver Republican Leaders
Many important people were part of the Silver Republican Party. Here are some of the well-known members:
- Jonathan Bourne Jr. – A Senator from Oregon.
- Frank J. Cannon – A Senator from Utah.
- Fred Dubois – A Senator from Idaho.
- Lee Mantle – A Senator from Montana.
- Richard F. Pettigrew – A Senator from South Dakota.
- John F. Shafroth – A Representative from Colorado. He later became a Governor and Senator.
- Willis Sweet – A Representative from Idaho.
- William Morris Stewart – A Senator from Nevada.
- Henry M. Teller – A Senator and Secretary of the Interior from Colorado.
- Edgar Wilson – A Representative from Idaho.
- Charles A. Towne – A Senator from Minnesota.
