The First Battle; A Story of the Campaign of 1896, Together with a Collection of His Speeches and a Biographical Sketch by His Wife

Chicago: W. B. Conkey Company, 1896. Presumed First Edition. Hardcover. Fair. 629 pages. Includes double frontis of Bryan and his wife. Preface; Index to Speeches, Addresses, and Documents; List of Illustrations; Introduction; and Biography. Front and rear boards weak. Some page discoloration. Cover very worn and soiled. Some page staining. Barely in fair condition. The Publisher's Preface states: The object of "The First Battle" is to present an account of the leading events and issues of the most critical campaign in American history. This work contains an interesting description of the author's famous tour, including his most important speeches, together with the principal addresses and documents identified with the campaign of 1896; the whole embodying a faithful presentation of the rise and development of the silver movement. It also contains a review of the political situation and an analysis of the election returns. William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 - July 26, 1925) was an American orator and politician from Nebraska. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the Democratic Party, running three times as the party's nominee for President of the United States in the 1896, 1900, and 1908 elections. He also served in the United States House of Representatives and as the United States Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson. Just before his death, he gained national attention for attacking the teaching of evolution in the Scopes Trial. Because of his faith in the wisdom of the common people, he was often called "The Great Commoner". In the intensely fought 1896 presidential election, Republican nominee William McKinley emerged triumphant. Bryan gained fame as an orator, as he invented the national stumping tour when he reached an audience of 5 million people in 27 states in 1896. Bryan retained control of the Democratic Party and won the presidential nomination again in 1900. In the aftermath of the Spanish-American War, Bryan became a fierce opponent of American imperialism and much of his campaign centered on that issue. (The preface in the original source appears in the author's hand-writing.)

The campaign of 1896 was a remarkable one whether we measure it by the magnitude of the issues involved or by the depth of interest aroused. I have been led to undertake the present work by a desire, felt by myself and expressed by others, to bare the more important incidents of the campaign put into permanent form for the convenience of those who here take part in the contest and for the use of those who share hereafter desire to review the struggle. The amount of work done by the advocates of free coinage is beyond computation and the number of those who took an active part in the contest is great for ennumeration. These facts, together with the difficulty of choosing between so many meritorious speeches, have compelled me to limit quotations to the addresses made and documents issued, by persons standing in an official or semi-official capacity, and to the principal speeches delivered by myself. I have added a brief history of the campaign, including a discussion of the election returns and the significance thereof. It has also been thought best to now rate the part taken by me in the silver question prior to the Chicago Convention, and at the request of the Publishers, I have included a biographical sketch written by Mrs. Bryan.