The drama of the 1896 election started long before the conventions and continued straight through to election day. The 1876 united states presidential election was the 23rd quadrennial presidential election, held on tuesday, november 7, 1876. Selection from william jennings bryans cross of gold speech, 1896. The populist party emerged in the early 1890s as an important force in the southern united states and the western united states, but the party collapsed after it nominated democrat william jennings bryan in the 1896 united. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the triumph of william mckinley. Theres something i want people to understand about william mckinley. Why the election of 1896 still matters, rove perceptively explains how softspoken ohioan william mckinley used a commitment to principle and an ability to get along with nearly. The presidential election of 1896 stanley llewellyn jones snippet. The democratic party of south carolina organized primary elections for the u. New voting patterns replaced old, a new majority party came to power, and national policies shifted to reflect new realities. The 1896 campaign, which took place during an economic depression known as the panic of 1893, was a realigning election that ended the old third party system and.
A vivid, intriguing and compellingly modern rendering of one of the most underappreciated episodes in american political history. Why the election of 1896 still matters karl rove on. Why the election of 1896 still matters kindle edition by rove, karl. The presidential election of 1896 is widely acknowledged as one of only a few. The presidential election of 1896 stanley llewellyn. Well, now i want to go back to the book, because, and we can talk politics another time.
The election was much more than a race between democrat william jennings bryan and republican william mckinley. For the populists and their allies, the 1896 election results were a disaster. Former governor william mckinley, the republican candidate, defeated democrat william jennings bryan. It was one of the most contentious and controversial presidential elections in american history, and is known for being the catalyst for the end of reconstruction. Within months of the election, the peoples party began to dissolve. The correct answer is b adopted much of the peoples partys platform. Cartoons from around the country and from three parties in the electionrepublican, democratic, and populistwith party platforms, contemporary comment, and explorations of campaign themes. Peoples party platform 1896 the peoples party, assembled in national convention, reaffirms its allegiance to the principles declared by the founders of the republic, and also to the fundamental principles of just government as enunciated in the platform of the party in 1892. Peoples party platform 1896 the progressive populist. Its a dynamic that i think is going to carry through the next 40 years. Ironically, the person who defended the populist platform that year came from the. The republican party also was divided over the issue of gold.
Meanwhile the peoples party, one of the most prominent third parties in the. Some 750,000 persons, organized in handpicked clusters of. Sold out karl rove will be in conversation at rainy day. United states presidential election of 1896 united. When the party met for their convention in chicago, the party was ready for a change. Never again would american farmers unite so militantly to demand economic reform. The peoples party, assembled in national convention, reaffirms its allegiance to the principles declared by the founders of the republic, and also to the fundamental principles of just government as enunciated in the platform of the party in 1892.
An economic depression had begun in 1893, and public opinionand even the democratic partywas split between those who favoured the gold standard and those who favoured free silver, a type of currency inflation, to help alleviate the. The party was formed on the consolidation of multiple organizations, most. They had gambled everything on their fusion with the democratic party and lost. The election is considered to mark the change from the third party system to the fourth party system.
It was an election that shook party structure and lines to the core and brought great importance to third parties. The presidential election of 1896 by jones, stanley l. The presidential election of 1896 is widely acknowledged as one of only a few that. Bushs election as president, has a message for the republican party in 2016. Cleveland papers coinage of silver congress conservative convention currency dawes papers declared delegates demo democratic party donnelly papers eastern election february foraker free coinage free silver. Bryan receives the nomination of the democratic and populist parties aug 12, 1896. Populists, as they were called, agreed with silverite democrats that the united states should have a. Top 10 most successful thirdparty presidential candidates.
They did not want him to be the partys candidate in that years election. The american presidency project web site presents election results from the 1896 presidential election. They gained control of party organizations in several western and southern states. The 1896 campaign is often considered by political scientists to be a realigning election that ended the old third party system and began the fourth party system. The peoples party, also known as the populist party or simply the populists, was a leftwing agrarian populist late19thcentury political party in the united states. The 1896 election is a compelling drama in its own right, but mckinleys strategies offer important lessons for both political parties today.
The 1896 united states presidential election was the 28th quadrennial presidential election, held on tuesday, november 3, 1896. Democrats lost control of both the senate and the house of representatives in the 1994 congressional election. Direct election of president and senators by the people. Following the 1896 presidential election, the two important legislative parties adopted much of the peoples partys platform. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. Populist party and election of 1896 flashcards quizlet. The election of 1896 is seen as the beginning of a new era in american politics, or a realignment election. William jennings bryan gave an electrifying speech and became the partys nominee. Following the 1896 presidential election, the two major political parties adopted much of the peoples partys platform. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. What does mckinleys election in 1896 teach us about today. The republican party candidate william mckinley argued the strengths of the gold standard. Even before the depression of 1893 gave added impetus to their cause, the populists had railed against the status quo.
The triumph of william mckinley, by karl rove the new york times. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is remotely interested in presidential elections, william mckinley, william j. Presidential election of 1896 topics in chronicling america. The triumph of william mckinley is a deeply informed and highly engaging account of one of the seminal elections in american history, the 1896 victory that ushered in more than a generation of republican dominance. In telling the story of the 1896 election, rove has written a campaign experts book.
Stanley l jones detailed historical study of issues of social and economic reform and activities of the chief contenders, w. After some years of popularity in many states of america, the populist party dissolved after the. Karl rove, new york times bestselling author, political columnist and commentator, will be in conversation with steve kraske about karls new book the triumph of william mckinley. B the peoples party and the election of 1896 1 even before. William jennings bryan gives his famous cross of gold speech. The presidential campaign of 1896 was one of the most exciting in american history. Bryan receives the nomination of the free silver party nov 4, 1896. They called cleveland a traitor to his party and to the american people. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
In 1896, former nebraska congressman william jennings bryan received nominations to run for president from not one, but three, parties. After the 1896 presidential election, the populist party suffered a nationwide collapse. Bryan, the populist party or how voter participation has changed through the. William mckinley defeated william jennings bryan in the election of 1896 in a. This site also contains the democratic party platform and the republican party platform of 1896. The election of 1896 changed how campaigns are run and many of the new tactics and logistical campaigning done in 1896 are still being used today.
The silver wedge in the republican party mckinley early in the field mckinley ascendant in the middle west mckinleys mastery challenged in the south and far west mckinley battles the bosses the republican convention the democratic search for. Karl rove, the man hailed as the architect of george w. Roves account of william mckinleys 1896 campaign presents him as an exemplary candidate. Having traveled around speaking publicly on progressive issues for the previous two years, bryan wowed the audience at the 1896 democratic national convention with his famous speech. The peoples party, also known as the populist party or simply the populists, was a leftwing. In the presidential election of 1896, republican william mckinley destroyed democrat william jennings bryan in an operation estimated by archaeologists to be one of the common moving and confusion in american history. Heres how thirdparty candidates have changed elections. The book opens with him running a suicide mission in the shenandoah campaign. Populists fiery rhetoric frightened many who saw in the peoples party a call not to reform but to revolution. The bulk of roves book is devoted to a gripping, blowbyblow account of mckinleys complex intraparty struggle for the republican nomination in 1895.
Following the 1896 presidential election, the two major. Americas third party at that time the peoples party had a difficult decision to make. I personally believe mckinley was the correct choice for america during the election. The 1896 campaign happened during an economic depression called the panic of 1893. Pages from a campaign book in which a southern populist considers the race problem, 1894. The presidential election of 1896 is widely acknowledged as one of only a few that brought about. William jennings bryan is shown pulled in two directions as he campaigns on both the democratic and the populist party platforms. The panic of 1893, one of americas most devastating economic collapses, placed the democrats on the defensive and restored governor mckinleys stature in national politics. Senate beginning in 1896 and the general assembly would confirm the choice of the. The election in south carolina was a unanimous election of the democratic nominee on january 26, 1897. The republican party also was divided over the issue of gold and silver. Ever since the election of 1800, american presidential contests had, on some level, been a referendum on whether the country should be governed by agrarian interests rural indebted farmersthe countrysidemain street or industrial interests businessthe citywall street. The peoples party also known as the populist party was a shortlived political party that was a result of agrarian unrest. Mckinley dominated the political arena at the opening of the 1896 republican presidential nominating convention held in st.