WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN 1860 1925 POLITICIAN AND SECRETARY OF STATE BRYAN WILLIAM JENNINGS 1860 1925 POLITICAL PARTIES ELECTIONS REFORM MOVEMENTS U.S GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTION ELECTIONS AND POLITICS WILLIAM BRYAN BORN IN SALEM ILLINOIS WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN WAS EDUCATED AS A LAWYER HE PRACTICED IN JACKSONVILLE OHIO UNTIL 1887 HE THEN MOVED TO LINCOLN NEBRASKA AND BECAME INVOLVED IN POLITICS IN 1890 BRYAN WAS ELECTED TO CONGRESS AND BEGAN TO GAIN A REPUTATION AS A GREAT PUBLIC SPEAKER HE SERVED TWO TERMS BEFORE LOSING A RACE FOR THE SENATE IN 1894 AT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION IN 1896 BRYAN GAVE A SPEECH IN SUPPORT OF THE FREE COINAGE OF SILVER THIS CROSS OF GOLD SPEECH HELPED HIM WIN THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT BRYAN LOST TO WILLIAM MCKINLEY BRYAN ALSO RAN UNSUCCESSFULLY FOR PRESIDENT IN 1900 AND 1908 IN 1912 HE SUPPORTED WOODROW WILSON'S NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT WILSON WAS ELECTED AND NAMED BRYAN HIS SECRETARY OF STATE BRYAN RESIGNED HIS POST IN 1915 OVER DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT WILSON'S FOREIGN POLICY DURING WORLD WAR I IN 1925 BRYAN TRAVELED TO DAYTON TENNESSEE TO BE A WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTORS IN A CASE AGAINST A BIOLOGY TEACHER WHO HAD TAUGHT EVOLUTION DEFENSE ATTORNEY CLARENCE DARROW SUBJECTED BRYAN TO INTENSE QUESTIONING BRYAN DIED ONE WEEK LATER
