William Jennings Bryan's "A Cross of Gold" Speech: List 5

On July 8, 1896, William Jennings Bryan, a former Congressman from Nebraska, rose to address the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. In his now famous "A Cross of Gold" speech, Bryan called for the coinage of silver currency to gold currency at a ratio of 16 to 1. In those days, all money was either gold or backed by gold actually held by the government. Bryan’s "bimetallism" proposal would have created inflation or "cheap money" to aid the poor farmers and workers who were his supporters. Business leaders and the Republicans opposed it. Considered one of the greatest political speeches of all time, Bryan’s fiery delivery mesmerized the convention and led to his nomination as the Democratic candidate for president. Read the full text here.

Here are links to our lists for the speech: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5
25 words 14 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. campaign
    related operations aimed at achieving a particular goal
    We go forth confident that we shall win. Why? Because upon the paramount issue of this campaign there is not a spot of ground upon which the enemy will dare to challenge battle.
  2. avow
    declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
    I call your attention to the fact that some of the very people who are in this convention to-day, and who tell us that we ought to declare in favor of international bimetallism—thereby declaring that the gold standard is wrong and that the principle of bimetallism is better—these very people four months ago were open and avowed advocates of the gold standard, and were then telling us that we could not legislate two metals together, even with the aid of all the world.
  3. legislate
    make laws or bills
    I call your attention to the fact that some of the very people who are in this convention to-day, and who tell us that we ought to declare in favor of international bimetallism—thereby declaring that the gold standard is wrong and that the principle of bimetallism is better—these very people four months ago were open and avowed advocates of the gold standard, and were then telling us that we could not legislate two metals together, even with the aid of all the world.
  4. favor
    a feeling of positive regard
    If the gold standard is a good thing we ought to declare in favor of its retention, and not in favor of abandoning it, and if the gold standard is a bad thing, why should we wait until other nations are willing to help us to let go?
  5. retention
    the act of keeping something
    If the gold standard is a good thing we ought to declare in favor of its retention, and not in favor of abandoning it, and if the gold standard is a bad thing, why should we wait until other nations are willing to help us to let go?
  6. civilization
    a society in an advanced state of social development
    If they tell us that the gold standard is the standard of civilization, we reply to them that this, the most enlightened of all the nations of the earth, has never declared for a gold standard and that both the great parties this year are declaring against it.
  7. enlightened
    having knowledge and spiritual insight
    If they tell us that the gold standard is the standard of civilization, we reply to them that this, the most enlightened of all the nations of the earth, has never declared for a gold standard and that both the great parties this year are declaring against it.
  8. in vain
    without a successful result or effect
    More than that—we can tell them that they will search the pages of history in vain to find a single instance where the common people of any land have ever declared themselves in favor of the gold standard.
  9. idle
    not in action or at work
    Mr. Carlisle said in 1878 that this was a struggle between "the idle holders of idle capital" and "the struggling masses, who produce the wealth and pay the taxes of the country," and, my friends, the question we are to decide is, upon which side will the Democratic party fight—upon the side of "the idle holders of idle capital," or upon the side of "the struggling masses"?
  10. capital
    wealth in the form of money or property
    Mr. Carlisle said in 1878 that this was a struggle between "the idle holders of idle capital" and "the struggling masses, who produce the wealth and pay the taxes of the country," and, my friends, the question we are to decide is, upon which side will the Democratic party fight—upon the side of "the idle holders of idle capital," or upon the side of "the struggling masses"?
  11. sympathy
    an inclination to support or agree with an opinion
    The sympathies of the Democratic party, as shown by the platform, are on the side of the struggling masses who have ever been the foundation of the Democratic party.
  12. foundation
    the basis on which something is grounded
    The sympathies of the Democratic party, as shown by the platform, are on the side of the struggling masses who have ever been the foundation of the Democratic party.
  13. prosperous
    in fortunate circumstances financially
    There are those who believe that if you will only legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous their prosperity will leak through on those below.
  14. prosperity
    the condition of having good fortune
    The Democratic idea, however, has been that if you legislate to make the masses prosperous their prosperity will find its way up through every class which rests upon them.
  15. fertile
    marked by great fruitfulness
    You come to us and tell us that the great cities are in favor of the gold standard; we reply that the great cities rest upon our broad and fertile prairies.
  16. consent
    permission to do something
    My friends, we declare that this nation is able to legislate for its own people on every question without waiting for the aid or consent of any other nation on earth, and upon that issue we expect to carry every State in the Union.
  17. slander
    attack the good name and reputation of someone
    I shall not slander the inhabitants of the fair State of Massachusetts nor the inhabitants of the State of New York by saying that, when they are confronted with the proposition, they will declare that this nation is not able to attend to its own business.
  18. confront
    present somebody with something, usually to criticize
    I shall not slander the inhabitants of the fair State of Massachusetts nor the inhabitants of the State of New York by saying that, when they are confronted with the proposition, they will declare that this nation is not able to attend to its own business.
  19. attend
    take charge of or deal with
    I shall not slander the inhabitants of the fair State of Massachusetts nor the inhabitants of the State of New York by saying that, when they are confronted with the proposition, they will declare that this nation is not able to attend to its own business.
  20. ancestor
    someone from whom you are descended
    Our ancestors, when but 3,000,000 in number, had the courage to declare their political independence on every other nation; shall we, their descendants, when we have grown to 70,000,000 declare that we are less independent than our forefathers?
  21. descendant
    a person considered as coming from some ancestor or race
    Our ancestors, when but 3,000,000 in number, had the courage to declare their political independence on every other nation; shall we, their descendants, when we have grown to 70,000,000 declare that we are less independent than our forefathers?
  22. verdict
    a position or opinion reached after consideration
    No, my friends, that will never be the verdict of our people.
  23. masses
    the common people generally
    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.
  24. commercial
    connected with or engaged in the exchange of goods
    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.
  25. labor
    work hard
    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.
Created on Thu Mar 14 09:02:26 EDT 2024 (updated Fri Mar 15 10:24:06 EDT 2024)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.