The Daily History Chronicle

On July 9, 1896, a little-known Nebraska congressman walked to a podium and delivered the speech that made him a presidential nominee overnight by accusing America's financial system of crucifying its own people. Today, Rich Backus traces the real economic suffering behind William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech, the genuine danger in his proposed fix, and the uncomfortable thread connecting 1890s populism to the modern flight toward cryptocurrency and away from central banks.