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Silver Bullion Research Paper

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Silver Bullion Research Paper
It would be hard to imagine American voters today getting excited about the money supply. So why was free silver the hot topic of the 1896 election?

At that point in time, social unrest, political ambitions, and unconditional economic interests came together to cause a power push to increase the money supply. (1). On July 14, 1890, Senator John Sherman of Ohio passed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. This act provided for the issuance of legal tender notes sufficient in amount to pay for approximately 4.5 million ounces of silver bullion every month at the frequent market price. Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan knew that he had to have a catchy platform for his campaign. He then decided to go with ‘free silver’. With the economy


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