William Bryan Jennings
When asked today about William Jennings Bryan, several people would probably remember him as a die-hard Presbyterian that went against a substitute teacher for violating the law of teaching of evolution in schools, as a consequence today people don't realize how William Bryan "did more than any other man" by transforming the Democratic "party from a bulwark of laissez-faire into the citadel of liberalism" by using related religious principles as a foundation for his actions that caused millions of people to chant his of being their godly hero (xix). With the writing of “A Godly Hero", Michael Kazin makes an attempt to change the perception of a deranged man into one of a godly hero.
Because of how Michael Kazin wrote …show more content…
He was raised by his religious Democratic father who would have defended “the white majority against black Americans” and is major factor in what shaped Bryan’s loyalty to his religion along with his position on blacks through society (4). At a young age Bryan’s passion for speaking lead him into winning multiple speaking contests. Bryan’s love of speaking and religion become the very foundation to his rapid raise from Mr. Nobody to a godly hero inspiring millions. By constantly campaigning through a party where from the very beginning in what seemed to be the peak for him and then turning into a downward slope of constant failure. Campaigning continually, through three defeats for presidency, and remaining loyal to his party till his next victory “fourteen years” later with his candidate Woodrow Wilson winning (180). Even through Bryan’s constant meeting with failure, he remained devoted to the idea of being a pillar to the common man by being involved in the Free Silver Movement, anti-imperialism, anti-trust, anti-corporate, women’s suffrage, prohibition, and labor unions so that everybody can have the opportunity to obtain the American Dream. Even though William Jennings Bryan is continually renounced as a godly hero, all heroes have fatal flaws in how he tried …show more content…
Another thing that made Bryan more attractive to get behind was how he would speak about controversial topics such as “the free coinage of silver” and the income tax making himself significantly closer to the Populist Party itself (34). At the convention Bryan gave his famous Cross of Gold speech comparing the issue of gold and silver to how “our ancestors” was able to gain independence from a country with only 3 million people while today we can’t decide on an issue with 70 million. Through Bryan’s final sentence “You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold and held a Christ like pose for five seconds” this pose Bryan gave off was him offering himself to the cause as Jesus did in turn changed the Democratic Party with his words and actions through the speech (61). He changed it by winning the Populist support and became a Populist/Democratic fusion candidate altering past Democratic Party’s views, even though, losing the Presidential
When asked today about William Jennings Bryan, several people would probably remember him as a die-hard Presbyterian that went against a substitute teacher for violating the law of teaching of evolution in schools, as a consequence today people don't realize how William Bryan "did more than any other man" by transforming the Democratic "party from a bulwark of laissez-faire into the citadel of liberalism" by using related religious principles as a foundation for his actions that caused millions of people to chant his of being their godly hero (xix). With the writing of “A Godly Hero", Michael Kazin makes an attempt to change the perception of a deranged man into one of a godly hero.
Because of how Michael Kazin wrote …show more content…
He was raised by his religious Democratic father who would have defended “the white majority against black Americans” and is major factor in what shaped Bryan’s loyalty to his religion along with his position on blacks through society (4). At a young age Bryan’s passion for speaking lead him into winning multiple speaking contests. Bryan’s love of speaking and religion become the very foundation to his rapid raise from Mr. Nobody to a godly hero inspiring millions. By constantly campaigning through a party where from the very beginning in what seemed to be the peak for him and then turning into a downward slope of constant failure. Campaigning continually, through three defeats for presidency, and remaining loyal to his party till his next victory “fourteen years” later with his candidate Woodrow Wilson winning (180). Even through Bryan’s constant meeting with failure, he remained devoted to the idea of being a pillar to the common man by being involved in the Free Silver Movement, anti-imperialism, anti-trust, anti-corporate, women’s suffrage, prohibition, and labor unions so that everybody can have the opportunity to obtain the American Dream. Even though William Jennings Bryan is continually renounced as a godly hero, all heroes have fatal flaws in how he tried …show more content…
Another thing that made Bryan more attractive to get behind was how he would speak about controversial topics such as “the free coinage of silver” and the income tax making himself significantly closer to the Populist Party itself (34). At the convention Bryan gave his famous Cross of Gold speech comparing the issue of gold and silver to how “our ancestors” was able to gain independence from a country with only 3 million people while today we can’t decide on an issue with 70 million. Through Bryan’s final sentence “You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold and held a Christ like pose for five seconds” this pose Bryan gave off was him offering himself to the cause as Jesus did in turn changed the Democratic Party with his words and actions through the speech (61). He changed it by winning the Populist support and became a Populist/Democratic fusion candidate altering past Democratic Party’s views, even though, losing the Presidential