A retired Smithsonian Institute employee with an emphasis on political science says William Jennings Bryan started many of today’s Presidential campaign methods.
Dr. Clair Jesse spoke about Bryan’s place in history during a talk at this weekend’s celebration of Bryan’s birthday.
Jesse says Bryan was the first to take to the campaign trail during his first Presidential campaign in 1896.
“Candidates didn’t go out on the road on their own,” Jesse said. “It was considered unseemly, so they really weren’t out engaging with voters in that way. There hadn’t been those kinds of campaign speeches, and they did not interact one-on-one with the candidates. That really comes with Bryan.
Bryan was also the first to develop many of the campaign materials used today.
“Partly because celluloid’s been invented, so what we think of as the pin-back button is now possible. It was not possible before 1896 to do that. Technology has something to do with the explosion of objects as well, as it was a very contested and interesting issue to people.”
Bryan also used elaborate posters to lay out his campaign. After losing in 1896, Bryan ran again unsuccessfully for President in 1900 and 1908.
Jesse believes Salem has the largest number of Bryan items of any place in the country and some unique items that aren’t available anywhere else.
Historic Commission member Mark Larimore was pleased with the turnout for the open houses at the city’s historic museum and at the Bryan Birthplace Home as well as at Jesse’s talk. He noted a number of those in attendance were from out of town.
