Episode 2 of 2
Delivery of the Cross of Gold Speech
- When
- July 9, 1896
- Where
- Chicago Coliseum
Bryan delivered his keynote address on July 9, 1896, criticizing the gold standard and Eastern moneyed classes.
The speech was delivered prior to his nomination. It drew on earlier rhetoric, including a 1894 phrase about crucifying mankind on a cross of gold. The address gave the convention its voice for the silver cause, appealing to agrarian elements and the West.
Sources
- Cross of Gold speech Wikipedia
- 1896 Democratic National Convention Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-31
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.