Discussion Post
Read and review the following from your textbook, then answer the questions following each reading for your discussion board post:
o Defining American: William Jennings Bryan and the "Cross of Gold"
a) We say to you that you have made the definition of a business man too limited in its application. The man who is employed for wages is as much a business man as his employer; the attorney in a country town is as much a business man as the corporation counsel in a great metropolis; the merchant at the cross-roads store is as much a business man as the merchant of New York; the farmer who goes forth in the morning and toils all day, who begins in spring and toils all summer, and who by the application of brain and muscle to the natural resources of the country creates wealth, is as much a business man as the man who goes upon the Board of Trade and bets upon the price of grain; . . . We come to speak of this broader class of business men.
b) 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.
Task
• How do these portions of Bryan's speech reflect how Populists saw their interests being marginalized?
• What is the meaning of his "cross of gold" analogy, and why do you think he utilized this?
o My Story: William Shepherd on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
• In previous chapters you have read about the struggles of labor unions to seek better working conditions, how did the disaster, explained by Shepherd, reveal the consequences of unsafe working conditions?
• It has been stated that labor organizer Samuel Gompers said after the Triangle fire, "Rarely do you get an opportunity for such legislative reform, but women had to burn first in order for this to happen." How does this quote, in connection with Shepherd's account, highlight the arguments made by progressive reformers?
The response should include a reference list. One-inch margins, Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space and APA style of writing and citations.