William Jennings Bryan made a very famous speech on July 9, 1896 at the Democratic Convention in Chicago. Bryan aspired to be the Democratic nominee for President, so he gave a speech that was so dramatic and passionate that it riled up the crowd quite a bit. In this speech, he addresses the issue of the rising value of gold and the decreasing value of silver. He even mentions that old leaders are being replaced if they show opposition to the coinage of silver. He argues that the gold standard is only destructive to the country, and that it is important to restore bimetallism in order to maintain a prosperous America. He says that the gold standard is worth fighting against, and that this must be done in order to protect the commercial and labor interests of the people. Bryan closes by saying, “you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold” (hence the name of this speech). In other words, he believes it is unjust to implement the gold standard because it only prevents Americans from opportunity that would help benefit the country.
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| William Jennings Bryan |
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| Jackson implemented the Specie Circular in 1836, which only allowed gold and silver to be used to purchase land rather than paper money. This is similar to the gold standard that Bryan was opposed to, because that was also a change in the value of money. |
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