William Jennings Bryan – American Progressive

JB Shreve
October 26, 2020 2 mins to read
Reading Time: 2 minutes

This first episode in our podcast, The Losers, tells the story of William Jennings Bryan. Bryan is what you would get if you combined Pat Robertson and Alexandria Octavio-Cortez into one person? Ok, maybe that’s a little bit of stretch – but just a little.

william jennings bryan
A political cartoon from way back when featuring Jennings Bryan (WJB)

Bryan ran for President three times between 1896 and 1908. He remains the youngest person ever to receive an electoral vote for the presidency. Bryan was hardcore progressive and changed the shape of the Democratic party. He was also a hardcore Bible-thumping believer who brought a religious zeal to American politics never seen before him. Many track the beginning of America’s religious right to Bryan, even though he was a Democrat.

THIS PODCAST EPISODE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND IS AVAILABLE NOW ONLY TO OUR PATREON SUBSCRIBERS.

JB Shreve and Ben Lagrone share the store of William Jennings Bryan in this first episode in our pre-election day series, The Losers. Check out the complete podcast series here:

those who lost the presidential election

 

If you enjoyed this podcast episode, check out the links to the resources mentioned within the episode:


The Losers tells the story of people lost to the pages of popular American history. They once presented the country with a vision of the future. They offered a unique interpretation of what America meant to the world. This short podcast series tells the story of candidates who stood at the precipice of the American presidency. But the country and the voters opted to go a different way. It is the story of those who lost the presidential election and somehow became forgotten by most of history. In their day, they stood on the cutting edge of power and politics. It is also the story of what might have been.

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