William Jennings Bryan's Legacy

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William Jennings Bryan was a man that strongly believed in his faith and made sure to use it throughout his life and legacy. “Only Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson had a greater impact on politics and political culture during the era of reform that began in the mid-1890s and lasted until the early 1920s”. This thesis begins the book and begins William Jennings Bryan’s legacy in the United States. Even though he ran for presidency three times he still gained popularity among the country. He was famous for his radical ideas and his eloquent speeches. Michael Kazin, the author of “A Godly Hero”, wrote this book attempting to portray the impact that William Jennings Bryan had on the country. The author felt that he had such a big impact that …show more content…

He makes it very easy to understand who William Jennings Bryan was and shows us how he was accepted by society at the time. Kazin shows us how William Jennings Bryan was raised as a child and how his environment was. He also makes the connection between how his environment was and how it affected his adult life. The book helps us understand who William Jennings Bryan was before he was such a strong and influential political figure. This can also give us an idea of how others in his same position were raised. Despite him writing an easy read, it is very clear that he is biased towards him. Throughout the book you have to learn how to read against the grain to make sure that you understand clearly what is happening. Because of Kazin being biased a weakness that the book has is that you can’t see much of the people that are on the other side. The people that were not fans of William Jennings Bryan, the races that were not white and Christians, for example Catholics and Jews. We don't get to see what Bryan thought about immigrants and factories jobs and because they were irrelevant to him, the book doesn't portray how immigrants felt about William Jennings Bryan. The author also heavily rely on secondary sources and books written by