1896 election Politics 1890-1920

1896 election candidates

Democrat - William Jennings Bryan

Republican - William McKinley

Significance of 1896 election

considered one of the first to use modern campaigning methods and financing

1896 election Republican techniques

Businessman Mark Hanna spends $3 million supporting McKinley, with some going to smear Bryan’s reputation

Hanna sent 1,500 speakers to undecided electoral areas

1896 election Democrat techniques

Bryan did not have such financial aid, stuck to traditional methods of campainging

travelled over 28,000km and gave over 600 speeches

Election results 1896

• McKinley wins roughly 1 million more votes in the popular vote and wins the electoral college vote - 273 votes

1896 election impact on the Populist party

The party never recovered from the election - by 1900 membership had fallen and populist activists either joined other parties or abandoned politics

1896 election impact on the USA

• The Progressives adopted many of the aims of the Populist Party

• Populists had electoral successes - electing 11 governors & numerous other local officials

• Approximately 45 members of the party served in Congress 1891-1902