William Jennings Bryan quotes

William Jennings Bryan was a prominent American politician in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served as Secretary of State and was known for his strong advocacy for progressive reforms. Bryan was born in 1860 and rose to fame as an orator, captivating audiences with his impassioned speeches. He ran for president three times, advocating for issues such as women's suffrage and income tax. Bryan was an ardent supporter of the populist movement and believed in the power of the common people to effect change. Despite his electoral losses, his influence on American politics cannot be overlooked. Learn more about William Jennings Bryan and his impactful career.

Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved

- William Jennings Bryan

Never be afraid to stand with the minority when the minority is right, for the minority which is right will one day be the majority.

- William Jennings Bryan

Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.

- William Jennings Bryan

There is no more reason to believe that man descended from some inferior animal than there is to believe that a stately mansion has descended from a small cottage.

- William Jennings Bryan

Behold a republic standing erect while empires all around are bowed beneath the weight of their own armaments - a republic whose flag is loved while other flags are only feared.

- William Jennings Bryan

If the Bible had said that Jonah swallowed the whale, I would believe it.

- William Jennings Bryan

One miracle is just as easy to believe as another.

- William Jennings Bryan

Do not compute the totality of your poultry population until all the manifestations of incubation have been entirely completed.

- William Jennings Bryan

The humblest citizen of all the land, when clad in the armor of a righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts of error.

- William Jennings Bryan

None so little enjoy themselves, and are such burdens to themselves, as those who have nothing to do. Only the active have the true relish of life.

- William Jennings Bryan

Anglo-Saxon civilization has taught the individual to protect his own rights; American civilization will teach him to respect the rights of others.

- William Jennings Bryan

Eloquent speech is not from lip to ear, but rather from heart to heart.

- William Jennings Bryan

I hope the two wings of the Democratic Party may flap together.

- William Jennings Bryan

My place in history will depend on what I can do for the people and not on what the people can do for me.

- William Jennings Bryan

No one can earn a million dollars honestly.

- William Jennings Bryan

This is not a contest between persons. The humblest citizen in all the land, when clad in the armor of a righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts of error. I come to you in defense of a cause as holy as the cause of liberty - the cause of humanity.

- William Jennings Bryan

If we have to give up either religion or education, we should give up education.

- William Jennings Bryan

The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear and get a record of successful experiences behind you.

- William Jennings Bryan

Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic; but destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country.

- William Jennings Bryan

Evolution seems to close the heart to some of the plainest spiritual truths while it opens the mind to the wildest guesses advanced in the name of science.

- William Jennings Bryan

If that vital spark that we find in a grain of wheat can pass unchanged through countless deaths and resurrections, will the spirit of man be unable to pass from this body to another?

- William Jennings Bryan

The parents have a right to say that no teacher paid by their money shall rob their children of faith in God and send them back to their homes skeptical, or infidels, or agnostics, or atheists.

- William Jennings Bryan

All the ills from which America suffers can be traced to the teaching of evolution.

- William Jennings Bryan

There can be no settlement of a great cause without discussion, and people will not discuss a cause until their attention is drawn to it.

- William Jennings Bryan