46. Following the 1893 depression, Coxey’s Army
demanded government jobs for the unemployed.
organized a massive protest march down Wall Street.
tried to overthrow the government.
carried Cleveland into the White House.
formed as a faction of Republican congressmen.
47. Which of the following was an important issue for the People’s party in the election of 1896?
reducing government regulation of business
the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act
preserving the gold standard
the free coinage of silver
48. What was one reason why the Democratic convention in 1896 held in Chicago was one of the
greatest turning points in American political history?
Cleveland emerged as stronger than ever due to his success in quickly responding to and curbing
the depression of 1893, setting a precedent for future presidents.
The economic issues of everyday people were largely forgotten, as candidates focused solely on
how best to support Big Business in their speeches and campaigns to the public.
Promises made to African Americans and immigrants for the first time became the central focus of
a presidential election, as they were considered the most influential block of voters.
The Democratic Party was fractured, and the Silverite, largely rural delegates surprised the party
leadership and the “Gold Democrats,” or “goldbugs,” by capturing control of the convention.
For the first time since the Civil War, the Democrats developed a unified platform that would go on
to earn them votes in all areas of the country and secure them a presidential victory.
49. What was the significance of William Jennings Bryan’s “cross of gold” speech in which he famously said, “You
shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold”?
Bryan’s speech came to represent his “front–porch campaign” in which he allowed other
Republicans to do much of the talking and adopted a strictly middle-of-the-road approach in order
to retain the votes of “goldbugs.”
The Republicans were so moved by Bryan’s speech that they threw their support behind him,
ushering in a new era in which there were few major philosophical differences between parties and
it was more about the candidate.
Bryan’s speech guaranteed that the Populists would go on to win the presidential election of 1896,
thereby officially marking the end of the traditional two-party system in the United States for much
of the next century.
In agreeing to continue to back Bryan, despite the scandal that was the focus of his speech,
Democrats openly showed that they prized party loyalty above all else and would ignore public
opinion in terms of elections.
Aware of the high stakes of the election due to the depression, Democrats who had supported
Cleveland were alienated by Bryan’s positions in the speech, dismissed him as a socialist, and
nominated their own candidate.