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.
