Cross of Gold

The “Cross of Gold” speech strikes a balance between logic and emotion. Bryan rebuts the arguments used by his opponents against bimetallism, and then turns to a combination of persuasive tactics and radical language to stir up the crowd. “Cross of Gold” served as a rallying cry not only for supporters of bimetallism and the free silver movement but for any people who aligned themselves with the “laboring masses” of the country. While he did not win the election, and the changes he hoped to make never came to pass, the speech cemented his position as one of the greatest orators in US history.

The crux of his speech lies in two interconnected parts. The first is his appeal to the economic issues of the time, namely the debate whether only gold or gold and silver should be used to back the US dollar. The second is impassioned support for the rural population of the United States who faced devastation to their livelihoods from the recent depression.

Bryan opens the speech by portraying himself as a humble man. He gives the prior speakers their due before he gets to his point. By doing so, he appears to the