<Tr> <Th> Profession </Th> <Td> Lawyer </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Signature </Th> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <P> 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, standing three times as the party's nominee for President of the United States . He also served in the United States House of Representatives and as the United States Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson . Because of his faith in the wisdom of the common people, he was often called "The Great Commoner". </P> <P> Born and raised in Illinois, Bryan moved to Nebraska in the 1880s . He won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1890 elections, serving two terms before his defeat in the 1894 Senate elections . At the 1896 Democratic National Convention, Bryan delivered his "Cross of Gold speech" which attacked the gold standard and the eastern moneyed interests . In a repudiation of incumbent President Grover Cleveland and his conservative Bourbon Democrats, the Democratic convention nominated Bryan for president, making Bryan the youngest major party presidential nominee in U.S. history . A supporter of bimetallism, Bryan was also nominated by the Populist Party and the Silver Republican Party . In the intensely fought 1896 presidential election, Republican nominee William McKinley emerged triumphant . With over 500 speeches in 1896, Bryan invented the national stumping tour in an era when other presidential candidates stayed home . </P>

This statesman from nebraska was known as a speaker for the common man