Who ran against William McKinley in 1896?
The 1896 United States presidential election was the 28th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 1896. Former Governor William McKinley, the Republican candidate, defeated former Representative William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic candidate.
How many electoral votes did William McKinley get in 1896?
McKinley received 7,218,491 votes (51.7 percent) to Bryan's 6,356,734 votes (45.5 percent)—a gain for the Republicans of 114,000 votes over their total in 1896. McKinley received nearly twice as many electoral votes as Bryan did.
What happened in the election of 1896?
Change History! The United States presidential election of November 3, 1896, saw Republican William McKinley defeat Democrat William Jennings Bryan in a campaign considered by historians to be one of the most dramatic and complex in American history.
What did William McKinley do in the election of 1836?
McKinley, a Republican and former Governor of Ohio, defeated the joint Democratic and Populist nominee, William Jennings Bryan, as well as minor-party candidates. McKinley's decisive victory in what is sometimes seen as a realigning election ended a period of close presidential contests, and ushered in an era of dominance for the Republican Party.
Why did McKinley win the election of 1896 quizlet?
Republican William McKinley defeated Democratic-Populist "Popocrat" William Jennings Bryan. 1st election in 24 years than Republicans won a majority of the popular vote. McKinley won promoting the gold standard, pluralism, and industrial growth.
Who won the election of 1896 and why?
William Jennings Bryan, gifted orator and three-time presidential candidate was born on March 19, 1860, in Salem, Illinois. In 1896, he defeated incumbent President Grover Cleveland to win the Democratic Party nomination for president.
How did William McKinley win the election?
McKinley won with 7.1 million votes to Bryan's 6.5 million, 51% to 47%. The electoral vote was not as close: 271 for McKinley to 176 for Bryan. McKinley increased the Republican vote by 2,000,000 from Harrison's defeat in 1892, though Bryan also increased the Democratic total.
Why was the election of 1896 a turning point quizlet?
The presidential election of 1896 demonstrated a sharp division in society between urban and rural interests. William Jennings Bryan (Democrat) was able to form a coalition that answered the call of progressive groups and rural interests including the indebted farmers and those arguing against the gold standard.
What was significant about the election of 1896?
The 1896 campaign, which took place during an economic depression known as the Panic of 1893, was a political realignment that ended the old Third Party System and began the Fourth Party System. Presidential election results map.
What was the main issue in the 1896 presidential election quizlet?
The MAIN ISSUES were the coinage of silver and protective tariffs. This Democratic candidate ran for president most famously in 1896 (and again in 1900).
What is William McKinley best known for?
He was president during the Spanish–American War of 1898, raised protective tariffs to boost American industry, and rejected the expansionary monetary policy of free silver, keeping the nation on the gold standard.
Which of the following happened as a result of the election of 1896 quizlet?
What happened as a result of the election of 1896? William McKinley was able to win the election by winning the big cities and the industrial areas of the north and Midwest.
What was the impact of the 1896 election on the Populist Party?
After the 1896 presidential election, the Populist Party suffered a nationwide collapse. The party nominated presidential candidates in the three presidential elections after 1896, but none came close to matching Weaver's performance in 1892. Former Populists became inactive or joined other parties.
What was one of the main reasons for McKinley's presidential victory quizlet?
What was one of the main reasons for McKinley's presidential victory? William Jennings Bryan(opponent) got little support from factory workers in the cities.
Which statement best reflects the significance of the election of 1896?
Which statement best reflects the significance of the election of 1896? The Populist Party ceased to exist as an independent political entity following the election.
Who wins the election of 1896 and how does it herald the advent of a new era in American politics?
Who wins the Election of 1896, and how does it "herald the advent of a new era in American politics?" McKinley wins the election. He receives more electoral votes and slightly more of a popular vote. What are the major ideas for the Democrats and the Republicans in the Election of 1896?
Why did Bryan lose the election of 1896?
His campaign focused on silver, an issue that failed to appeal to the urban voter, and he was defeated in what is generally seen as a realigning election. The coalition of wealthy, middle-class and urban voters that defeated Bryan kept the Republicans in power for most of the time until 1932.
What was the significance of William Jennings Bryan's candidacy for President in 1896 quizlet?
What was the significance of William Jennings Bryan's candidacy for president in 1896? He backed Populist causes.
Why did the Populist Party fail?
The Populist Party emerged in the early 1890s as an important force in the Southern and Western United States, but collapsed after it nominated Democrat William Jennings Bryan in the 1896 United States presidential election.
Which of the following happened as a result of the election of 1896 quizlet?
What happened as a result of the election of 1896? William McKinley was able to win the election by winning the big cities and the industrial areas of the north and Midwest.
What did McKinley's election do to the economy?
HARRY MONROE: McKinley's election seemed to give new life to the American economy. Within a month, a business publication reported that buying and selling had increased greatly. It said demand for goods had led to the re-opening of factories closed during the depression.
How many electoral votes did McKinley get?
KAY GALLANT: On election day, it was soon clear who had won. McKinley received two hundred seventy electoral votes. Bryan received one hundred seventy-six.
How much money did William Jennings Bryan spend on his campaign?
Bryan explained that he had to travel, because the Democratic Party did not have enough money to campaign in other ways. Bryan spent six hundred fifty-thousand dollars on his campaign. McKinley spent three-and-a-half-million dollars.
How old was William Jennings Bryan when he won the nomination?
He would be the Democrats' presidential candidate. He was just thirty-six years old.
What did Bryan say during the convention debate?
KAY GALLANT: Bryan spoke emotionally during the convention debate. He said he represented America's farmers, laborers, and small businessmen who wanted a silver standard. A cartoon from the magazine "Judge" criticizing William Jennings Bryan for his "Cross of Gold" speech.
How many groups did McKinley meet?
Then he made a short speech and shook hands. The group left and another one came. On one day of the campaign, McKinley met thirty groups this way.
What did the supporters of President Cleveland want to test?
Supporters of President Cleveland wanted to test the silverites' strength. They demanded a debate on the gold-silver issue. Several men spoke in support of President Cleveland and the gold standard. Several spoke in support of silver. The last to speak was Congressman William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska.
Who won the Republican National Convention in 1896?
McKinley prevailed by a wide margin on the first ballot of the 1896 Republican National Convention . Since the onset of the Panic of 1893, the nation had been mired in a deep economic depression, marked by low prices, low profits, high unemployment, and violent strikes.
Who was the Republican candidate for governor in 1896?
Former Governor William McKinley, the Republican candidate, defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan. The 1896 campaign, which took place during an economic depression known as the Panic of 1893, was a political realignment that ended the old Third Party System and began the Fourth Party System.
How many states did McKinley carry?
In these four sections, comprising 21 states, McKinley carried only 322 counties and four states – Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Kentucky. A striking feature of this examination of the state returns is found in the overwhelming lead for one or the other party in 22 of the 45 states.
What was the most popular party in 1896?
Of the several third parties active in 1896, by far the most prominent was the People's Party . Formed in 1892, the Populists represented the philosophy of agrarianism (derived from Jeffersonian democracy ), which held that farming was a superior way of life that was being exploited by bankers and middlemen. The Populists attracted cotton farmers in the South and wheat farmers in the West, but very few farmers in the Northeast, South, West, and rural Midwest. In the presidential election of 1892, Populist candidate James B. Weaver carried four states, and in 1894, the Populists scored victories in congressional and state legislature races in a number of Southern and Western states. In the Southern states, including Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas, the wins were obtained by electoral fusion with the Republicans against the dominant Bourbon Democrats, whereas in the rest of the country, fusion, if practiced, was typically undertaken with the Democrats, as in the state of Washington. By 1896, some Populists believed that they could replace the Democrats as the main opposition party to the Republicans. However, the Democrats' nomination of Bryan, who supported many Populist goals and ideas, placed the party in a dilemma. Torn between choosing their own presidential candidate or supporting Bryan, the party leadership decided that nominating their own candidate would simply divide the forces of reform and hand the election to the more conservative Republicans. At their national convention in 1896, the Populists chose Bryan as their presidential nominee. However, to demonstrate that they were still independent from the Democrats, the Populists also chose former Georgia Representative Thomas E. Watson as their vice-presidential candidate instead of Arthur Sewall. Bryan eagerly accepted the Populist nomination, but was vague as to whether, if elected, he would choose Watson as his vice-president instead of Sewall. With this election, the Populists began to be absorbed into the Democratic Party; within a few elections the party would disappear completely. The 1896 election was particularly detrimental to the Populist Party in the South; the party divided itself between members who favored cooperation with the Democrats to achieve reform at the national level and members who favored cooperation with the Republicans to achieve reform at a state level.
What was the Silver Party of Nevada?
Nevada silverites called a state convention to be held on June 5, 1892, just days following the close of the Democratic National Convention. The convention noted that neither the Republicans or Democrats addressed the silver concerns of western states and officially organized the "Silver Party of Nevada." Proceeding by itself, the Silver Party swept the state in 1892; James Weaver, the People's Party nominee for president running on the Silver ticket, won 66.8% of the vote. Francis Newlands was elected to the U.S. House with 72.5% of the vote. The Silverites took control of the legislature, assuring the election of William Stewart to the U.S. Senate.
What color is for McKinley?
Shades of red are for McKinley (Republican), shades of blue are for Bryan (Democratic), and shades of green are for "Other (s)" (Non-Democratic/Non-Republican). One-half of the total vote of the nation was polled in eight states carried by McKinley (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin).
Why were the labor unions reluctant to endorse Bryan?
The main labor unions were reluctant to endorse Bryan because their members feared inflation. Railroad workers especially worried that Bryan's silver programs would bankrupt the railroads, which were in a shaky financial condition in the depression and whose bonds were payable in gold. Factory workers saw no advantage in inflation to help miners and farmers, because their urban cost of living would shoot up and they would be hurt. The McKinley campaign gave special attention to skilled workers, especially in the Midwest and adjacent states. Secret polls show that large majorities of railroad and factory workers voted for McKinley.
How many electoral votes did McKinley win?
McKinley won with 276 electoral votes to Bryan’s 176, and by a popular vote margin of 51% to Bryan’s 47%. Bryan did well in the South and the West, but lacked appeal with unmortgaged farmers and especially the eastern urban laborer, who saw no personal interest in higher inflation.
What was the election of 1896?
Loading... The election of 1896 is seen as the beginning of a new era in American politics, or a “realignment” election. 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 farmers–the countryside–“main street”) ...
What was the Democratic Party's main cause of the 1895 revolt?
They argued that Cleveland’s economic policies did not represent the party’s mainstream support of free silver. Bryan promoted a statement signed by 31 House Democrats urging Democrats to become the party of free silver. That summer, Bryan conducted a successful speaking tour in the Midwest and South. He attacked the “money power” in Washington and called for new party leadership. Silver Democrats attempted to take control of the party’s national organization, but Bryan worked alone to build a national free silver coalition of Democrats, Republicans, and Populists.
What was the role of McKinley in the Republican Party?
McKinley, however, was able to focus the Republican Party’s nationalist creed on the need for protective tariffs. Though McKinley had suffered politically in the early ’90s for this stance, by 1896 the Republican Party was ready to present itself as standing behind the farmer, the rising middle class, and the Protestant industrial worker through high taxes on foreign imports. McKinley had also skillfully avoided the money question. This would turn out to be an important asset in an election where the opposition focused almost entirely on the issue.
What was McKinley's economic policy?
Once in office, McKinley followed through on his proposed economic policy, carefully moving the country toward the gold standard while establishing a protective trade policy. By 1898, renewed economic prosperity would be threatened by the greatest foreign policy crisis since the War of 1812, a war with Spain.
Who was holding McKinley's puppet strings?
By October, newspapers that supported Bryan began to change tactics. They began to focus on the man they saw as holding McKinley’s puppet strings–Mark Hanna. For weeks, editorial cartoons savaged Hanna as a bloated plutocrat who had McKinley completely under his thumb.
Who was the governor of Pennsylvania in 1888?
1888 convention, but did help McKinley win two terms as governor. Earlier in the year, Hanna had shrewdly sized up both Sherman and McKinley, and had concluded that McKinley would be the better candidate. Hanna’s convention strategy had been to win the nomination by promising patronage to powerful political bosses like Thomas Platt of New York and Matthew Quay of Pennsylvania, but McKinley vetoed the strategy in favor of the slogan, “The People Against The Bosses.” By the time the convention began, McKinley was already the clear favorite, and he won on the first ballot. Garret Hobart, a businessman and state politician from New Jersey, was nominated for vice president in the hopes that he would help his party carry his home state for the first time since 1872.
Why was McKinley renominated as the Republican candidate in 1900?
After four years in office, McKinley's popularity had risen because of his image as the victorious commander-in-chief of the Spanish-American War (see Foreign Affairs section) and because of the nation's general return to economic prosperity. Hence, he was easily renominated in 1900 as the Republican candidate.
How many House seats did McKinley's party have?
In congressional elections that year, Republicans held fifty-five Senate seats to the Democrats' thirty-one, and McKinley's party captured 197 House seats compared to the Democrats' 151. Indeed, the Republican Party had become the majority political party in the nation.
What did the Democrats oppose in the McKinley war?
The Democrats also opposed McKinley's war against Philippine insurgents and the emergence of an American empire, viewing the latter as contrary to the basic character of the nation. The Republicans countered with a spirited defense of America's interests in foreign markets.
What was Governor McKinley's role in the Panic of 1893?
The Panic of 1893, one of America's most devastating economic collapses, placed the Democrats on the defensive and restored Governor McKinley's stature in national politics. McKinley dominated the political arena at the opening of the 1896 Republican presidential nominating convention held in St. Louis. His commitment to protectionism as a solution to unemployment and his popularity in the Republican Party—as well as the behind-the-scenes political management of his chief political supporter, affluent businessman Marcus Hanna of Ohio—gave McKinley the nomination on the first ballot. He accumulated 661 votes compared to the 84 votes won by his nearest rival, House Speaker Thomas B. Reed of Maine.
What was the Republican victory?
The Republican victory reflected a winning coalition of urban residents in the North, prosperous midwestern farmers, industrial workers, ethnic voters (with the exception of the Irish), and reform-minded professionals.
Who was the vice president of New York at the Philadelphia Convention?
The most momentous event at the Philadelphia convention centered on the vice presidential nomination of Governor Theodore Roosevelt of New York. Vice President Garret A. Hobart of New Jersey had died in office, and Roosevelt's candidacy added a popular war hero and reform governor to the ticket.
How many postcards did the Republicans spend on their campaign?
Duplicating the campaign tactics of 1896, the Republicans spent several million dollars on 125 million campaign documents, including 21 million postcards and 2 million written inserts that were distributed to over 5,000 newspapers weekly. They also employed 600 speakers and poll watchers. As in 1896, McKinley stayed at home dispensing carefully written speeches. His running mate, Theodore Roosevelt, campaigned across the nation, condemning Bryan as a dangerous threat to America's prosperity and status.
What was the 1896 campaign?
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. [1] McKinley forged a coalition in which businessmen, professionals, skilled factory workers and prosperous farmers were heavily represented; he was strongest in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, and Pacific Coast. Bryan was the nominee of the Democrats, the Populist Party, and the Silver Republicans. He was strongest in the South, rural Midwest, and Rocky Mountain states.
Who was the Republican who defeated Jennings Bryan?
William McKinley. Change History! The United States presidential election of November 3, 1896, saw Republican William McKinley defeat Democrat William Jennings Bryan in a campaign considered by historians to be one of the most dramatic and complex in American history.
What were the issues of the day in 1893?
Issues of the Day: Monetary System (Gold, Silver Standards), Financial Panic of 1893
Which states became states during the election cycle?
Welcome: Utah becomes a state during this election cycle. California: Voters chose electors directly, with eight pledged to McKinley (R) and one to Bryan (D-P) winning. Kentucky: Voters chose electors directly, with 12 pledged to McKinley (R) and one to Bryan (D-P) winning.
What was Bryan's political party?
Bryan was the nominee of the Democrats, the Populist Party, and the Silver Republicans. He was strongest in the South, rural Midwest, and Rocky Mountain states. Economic issues including bimetallism, the gold standard, free silver, and the tariff, were crucial.
