Willam+Jennings+Bryan-the+Democrat+as+Revivalist

 VB – William Jennings Bryant was a noted orator who often utilized evangelical references. Bryant was a well-educated individual, but used the Bible as his frame of reference. Supporters of Bryant acknowledged his use of religion as his political foundation. As a progressive in politics and a conservative in religion Bryan mixed the two ideologies and was unable to separate the two from his political philosophy. Religion gave him the impetus to want change; politics was the medium to make those changes. To illustrate the relationship, examine his fervent campaign to ban the teaching of evolution in public schools. At the Scopes trial, he defended his belief that religion and the word of God reigned supreme. As a result, he denounced the progression of education. This was in total opposition of the Democratic Party.

However, Richard Hofstadter postulates that Bryan’s social philosophy was derived from the Democratic Party. A correlation between Bryan and his democratic ideals can be shown through his support of women’s rights, and American farmers. Bryant was a prominent member of the Democratic Party and thrice was nominated as the presidential candidate. In 1896 convention, Bryan delivered a powerful speech that confirmed his ideology about the belief of the party. The “Cross of Gold” speech endorsed the idea of free silver which was strongly associated with the feelings of the Democratic Party during this time. Free silver also supported farmers, which tied back to one of the earliest principles of the party. His career in newspaper business allowed him to travel and speak in support of his beliefs. His support for women’s suffrage was often a topic in his speeches. It is evident that both convictions, religion and the Democratic Party, influenced Bryan’s career. good repeated tie-backs to the religious/evangelical references with good specific references