A Cross of Gold

Politician William Jennings Bryan delivered this speech at the Democratic National Convention in 1896. Historians consider it one of the most famous political speeches in American history; Bryan stirred the crowd into a frenzy with his support for adding a silver to the mix of America’s gold-backed currency. “You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of Gold,” he stated, for it was bankrupt farmers who suffered at the hands of this inflation freeze. Experience for yourself this fiery speech that won Bryan the nod for Democratic presidential candidate in 1896.