"Having behind us the producing masses of this nation and the world, supported by the commercial interests, the laboring interests, and the toilers everywhere, we will answer their demand for a gold standard by saying to them: You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold." — William Jennings Bryan, 1896
The 1896 election outcome contributed most directly to:
- Acheck_circle
The collapse of the Populist Party as a national force
- B
Federal recognition of industrial labor unions
- C
Repeal of the Fourteenth Amendment in southern states
- D
The immediate adoption of free silver coinage
Explanation
McKinley's victory and Bryan's loss ended Populism's national prospects; the party fused with Democrats and dissolved as a third-party force.