William Jennings Bryan actively participated in the Democratic Party throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.  He served as a Nebraska congressman and the 41st US Secretary of State; he unsuccessfully ran for United States presidency three times and for United States Senate once.  He is better remembered for his failed political bids and populist rhetoric, than for the offices he held.  His continual presence in national politics along with his ever-evolving political positions and changing political allies made him a frequent subject of political cartoons. 

This exhibit features cartoons from Jay N. "Ding" Darling, Homer Davenport, John T. McCutcheon, and William F. Hanny. Political cartoons reveal just as much about their subjects as they do about the time and culture in which they were created.  These cartoons are grouped by the general sentiment they represent about William Jennings Bryan, his political campaigns, and his ambitions.  The majority of cartoons in the exhibit are from the 1908 and 1920 election cycles.