William Jennings Bryan delivered the Cross of Gold speech advocating inflation to ease the burden on farmers by pursuing what policy?

William Jennings Bryan delivered the Cross of Gold speech advocating inflation to ease the burden on farmers by pursuing what policy?

• A. Defend the Gold Standard at All Costs
• B. Promote Agriculture Subsidies
• C. Push for Free Silver and Inflation
• D. End Monetary Reform

Answer: (C)

The central idea being tested is using silver to expand the money supply and cause inflation, which Bryan argued would help farmers by raising crop prices and easing debt burdens. He advocated free coinage of silver—free silver—to create more money in circulation, rather than sticking to a strict gold standard. This is why the best answer is the push for Free Silver and Inflation. If the policy sticks with the gold standard, deflation tends to lower prices and make debts harder to pay, which is opposite to what Bryan was proposing. Agriculture subsidies are a different approach not what the Cross of Gold speech centers on, and ending monetary reform would undo the very change Bryan was calling for—moving away from the gold standard toward a bimetallic system.

The central idea being tested is using silver to expand the money supply and cause inflation, which Bryan argued would help farmers by raising crop prices and easing debt burdens. He advocated free coinage of silver—free silver—to create more money in circulation, rather than sticking to a strict gold standard. This is why the best answer is the push for Free Silver and Inflation.

If the policy sticks with the gold standard, deflation tends to lower prices and make debts harder to pay, which is opposite to what Bryan was proposing. Agriculture subsidies are a different approach not what the Cross of Gold speech centers on, and ending monetary reform would undo the very change Bryan was calling for—moving away from the gold standard toward a bimetallic system.