William Jennings Bryan facts for kids

William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
41st United States Secretary of State
	In office; March 5, 1913 – June 9, 1915
President	Woodrow Wilson
Preceded by	Philander C. Knox
Succeeded by	Robert Lansing
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives; from Nebraska's 1st district
	In office; March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1895
Preceded by	William James Connell
Succeeded by	Jesse Burr Strode
Personal details
Born	March 19, 1860; Salem, Illinois
Died	July 26, 1925 (aged 65); Dayton, Tennessee
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Mary Baird Bryan
Children	Ruth Bryan Owen,; William Jennings Bryan Jr., Grace Bryan
Alma mater	Illinois College, Union College of Law
Profession	Politician, Lawyer
Signature

William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860-July 26, 1925) was an American politician in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was from the Midwest. He is known for supporting causes that were not very popular or were old-fashioned, such as the silver standard or creationism. In the 1890s, he was a Congressman from Nebraska. He gained fame in 1896 for the "Cross of Gold Speech", a speech about the American economy he gave to the Populist Party. He ran for President as a Democrat three times, in 1896, 1900, and 1908, but lost each time. During this time, he was the main leader of the Democratic Party. He was one of the first people who gave lots of speeches around the country while running for President, and continued to give speeches even when not running on what was called the "Chatauqua Circuit". He was United States Secretary of State from 1913 to 1915. In his last years, he was one of the lawyers in the Scopes Monkey Trial. He is portrayed in the book Inherit the Wind by the character Matthew Harrison Brady.

William's house

Images for kids

Bryan's birthplace in Salem
A young Bryan
A Republican satire on Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech
Bryan/Sewall campaign poster
Bryan campaigning for President, October 1896
Conservatives in 1900 ridiculed Bryan's eclectic platform.
Bryan speaking at the 1908 Democratic National Convention
Bryan giving a speech during his 1908 run for the presidency
Bryan in 1908
Bryan attending the 1912 Democratic National Convention
Cartoon of Secretary of State Bryan reading war news in 1914
Villa Serena, Bryan's home built in 1913 at Miami, Florida
William Jennings Bryan and wife Mary in New York City, June 19, 1915
Charles W. and William J. Bryan
EverHopeful-WmChasBryan-1924.jpg

Ever HopefulA November 1924 cartoon depicts Bryan with his brother, Charles, sitting on a log marked "Almost the Solid South" looking at the sun marked "1928," where more hope might come for them. Charles was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 1924, when the ticket lost.
Congresswoman Ruth Bryan Owen, Bryan's daughter
Statue of Bryan on the lawn of the Rhea County, Tennessee courthouse in Dayton, Tennessee