Election Of 1896 Dbq

The election of 1896 was one of the most exciting in history. It brought modern techniques that are still in use today. The election occurred when the United States was still experiencing effects from the Panic of 1893; the divide between the rich and poor was larger than ever. Gold versus silver became a focal point for candidates. Although there were many candidates in the election, only two had gained votes from the Electoral College: William Jennings Bryan and William McKinley.

Thirty-six-year-old William Jennings Bryan ran for the Democratic party but he also received support from the Populist party. Bryan was the first candidate to use a “whistle-stop” campaign, traveling thousands of miles all over the country to deliver twenty to thirty

The majority of his supporters came from the north and pacific west. He was the first candidate to use a campaign manager; his manager was Marc Hanna. He led a very expensive campaign, spending five times the amount of William Jennings Bryan. With the help of Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, and John Rockefeller’s tremendous amount of financial support people were taken by train, at no cost, to Canton, Ohio to listen to carefully scripted speeches delivered from William McKinley’s front porch. McKinley fully supported the Gold Standard and believed silver would only cause inflation and result in even worse economic conditions. McKinley was geared more towards big-business and aimed for raising protective

In 1897, he signed a bill, Dingley Tariff Act, that created the highest protective tariff recorded in American history. McKinley thought this bill would grow domestic industry and protect workers. As gold was discovered in Australia, Canada, and South Africa the issue of bimetallism became obsolete. The world’s gold supply was now larger, causing the prices to decline. Analysts began to notice recurring events involving economic instability and came to the conclusion that creating an international market would be the avenue to solve the crises; this spiked McKinley’s interest and he became a full supporter of international trade and