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The Election of 1896

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Wanted cheap money; called free silverites ... where supporters were brought to him complements of free tickets or cheap rates ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: The Election of 1896


1
The Election of 1896
  • McKinley vs. Bryan

2
U.S. in 1896
  • Depression of 1893 still causing unemployment(3
    million) and farm foreclosures
  • Banks and businesses had failed
  • Some people believed that the nation would be
    brought to the verge of ruin

3
Money-The Central Issue of the Election
  • Democrats wanted bimetallism- government would
    give the people either gold or silver in exchange
    for paper currency
  • Wanted cheap money called free silverites
  • Republicans favored the gold standard- government
    would exchange only gold for paper currency
  • Wanted a stable currency called goldbugs

4
Republicans
  • Nominated Governor William McKinley from Ohio
  • Supported by financial and business interests of
    the industrial Northeast
  • Won the nomination for two reasons
  • Appearance was stable,solid and reassuring
  • Backed by Marcus Hanna, a wealthy businessman and
    Republican boss of Cleveland and a great
    political organizer

5
The Front Porch Campaign
  • McKinley stayed in Canton, Ohio where supporters
    were brought to him complements of free tickets
    or cheap rates
  • Made speeches and shook hands from his front
    porch
  • 750,000 people from 30 states came to see McKinley

6
Marcus Hanna
  • Raised 3.5 million in campaign contributions from
    big businesses
  • Organized a Campaign of Education to convince
    factory workers that a threat to the gold
    standard was a threat to their job
  • Sent thousands of speakers to all parts of the
    U.S. with literature printed in 13 languages
  • Convinced newspapers to support McKinley

7
Democrats
  • Nominated William Jennings Bryan, a former
    Congressman from Omaha, Nebraska and the editor
    of the Omaha World-Herald
  • Great orator- the Boy Orator of the Platte
  • Made the Cross of Gold speech during the
    convention- You shall not press down upon the
    brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not
    crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.

8
Campaign
  • Bryan traveled around the U.S. making political
    speeches
  • Traveled over 18,000 miles by train
  • Visited 27 states
  • Delivered over 600 speeches to about 5 million
    people

9
Results
  • McKinley- 7 million votes carried the North,
    East and California and Oregon271 electoral
    votes
  • Bryan- 6.5 million votes carried the South, the
    West was split176 electoral votes
  • Industrial Middle West states of Ohio, Illinois,
    Wisconsin and Michigan put McKinley in office
  • Rising middle class also voted Republican because
    they feared currency inflation

10
Results of the Results
  • Resounding victory for big business, the big
    cities, middle class values, and financial
    conservatism
  • Last attempt to win the White House with mostly
    agrarian votes
  • Republican grip on the Executive Branch for the
    next 16 years
  • Business given a free rein and the trusts were
    allowed to grow without serious restraints
  • Depression of 1893 was over as prosperity returned
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