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The United States political scheme was greatly shifted by the presidential election of
1896, due to its wide and far reaching political implications that in turn forced America's shift
from an agricultural society to one of urbanization and social development. Occurring between
William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic candidate, and William McKinley, the victorious
Republican candidate, the election of 1896 broke previously determined paradigms pertaining
to political campaigning and the methods through which it was done, as well as political focus
and political appeal. The long term as well as short term effects of the election resonated
throughout the continuation of America's history and as such acted as one of America's modern
The first major differentiation between the election of 1896 and its predecessors was its
campaigning process. Unlike most other previous presidential candidates, William Bryan
traveled far and wide in the interest of directly campaigning to his possible voters; by holding
approximately 600 speeches in more than half of the states, Bryan was considered to be more
of the citizen's president than McKinley, and in turn gained voters. In retaliation, McKinley
spent over $15 million in order to compensate for his less attractive public oratory skills - an
amount that was nearly five times as great as the frugal Democrats'. These ridiculous
expenditures fueled Bryan's campaigning, most notably in his Cross of Gold speech which
showed the Democrat's unwavering support of the silver-standard and their relations with the
rural, lower class Americans, namely agriculturalists. Opposingly, McKinley's lavish lifestyle and
extraneous budget won over the majority of New Englanders who were almost entirely in favor
of the Republican supported gold-standard. McKinley's campaign budget fueled hate towards
Bryan's, ultimately resulting in the coinage of hate terms and ideas, even spurring religious
Unlike many of the presidential elections during the foregoing Gilded Age, the election
of 1986 was one that shifted its focus to a small set of issues, namely the gold and silver
standards as well as tariffs. Bryan as well as his followers supported the silver-standard, or free
silver, which intended on setting gold and silver at a consistent ratio, with silver as the
determinate factor - this approach appealed to much of the mid-west, specifically to its farmers
and lower class, as it would cause inflation, in turn allowing the less wealthy to pay off their
debts and mortgages. Alternately, McKinley intended on basing America's wealth on the more
precious metal, gold, which was mainly for the benefit of New England and other urban centers
throughout America. On top of this each side held differentiating views on the current state of
America's tariff - the Democrats recently passed a lower protective tariff intending on allowing
for a more internationally-oriented trade. The Republicans on the other hand wanted a higher
protective tariff which would potentially strengthen the local economy of America (in turn
appealing to the Republican's already urbanized supporters). McKinley's success in this election
led to the passing of the gold standard as well as a higher protective tariff, ultimately solidifying
America's shift from the Gilded Age into its more urbanized, modern age.
During the progression of the gilded age, America underwent both an extreme
demographic shift and a population explosion. The majority of America's agriculture came from
its now productive Mid-West and Western "bread basket," while urbanization spread from New
England all across America to its Western coast. These changes, coupled with the indirect social
and political powers of corporations and trusts, forced both Bryan and McKinley to orient their
political action towards all different locations of the US and appeal to the newly created social
classes - there no longer only existed a North and South, a businessman and a farmer. In order
their parties had to remain more active and resourceful in their campaigning and political
appeal. Urban centers were now located in the Northeast, the South, and the West while
agriculture had become more widespread, covering nearly all locations throughout the USA -
knowing this, McKinley and Bryan were forced to spread more wide-reaching ideas and values
realization and continued spread of urbanization coupled with the increasing interconnectivity
of America greatly affected the outcome of not only the 1896 election, but of all of those
following it as well.
Ultimately, the presidential election of 1896 shifted previously held political ideologies
coupled with the determinate shift of political focus and appeal, set the stage for upcoming
activism and action in politics. The results of this election and its ensuing presidency caused a
formal shift from America's adolescent nature to that of its modern self. This shift, coupled with
the upcoming age of progressivism ultimately accentuated America's power on the global scale