Silver Party

Silver Party
LeadersJohn E. Jones
Reinhold Sadler
Founded1892; 132 years ago (1892)
Dissolved1911; 113 years ago (1911)
Merged intoDemocratic Party
IdeologyBimetallism
Free silver
Liberalism
Colors  Silver

The Silver Party was a political party in the United States active from 1892 until 1911 and most successful in Nevada which supported a platform of bimetallism and free silver.[1][2]

In 1892, several Silver Party candidates were elected to Nevada public offices. The party's success continued throughout the decade, culminating in the election of Governors John E. Jones and Reinhold Sadler. Nevada was the only state to elect both Senators and Congressional representatives from the Silver Party.[3]

Nationally, the Silver Party aligned with the Populist Party and to a lesser extent with the Silver Republican Party. However, the 1896 Democratic Party presidential nomination of free silver advocate William Jennings Bryan moved many Silver Party members towards the Democrats. By 1902, most pro-silver factions in Nevada had been absorbed by the state Democratic Party organization.

  1. ^ "Political Parties and Voter Registration". Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs. 2008. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
  2. ^ Ferguson, Margaret Robertson (2006). The executive branch of state government: people, process, and politics. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 329. ISBN 1-85109-771-6. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
  3. ^ Edwards, Rebecca (2000). "The Silver Party". Vassar College. Retrieved October 29, 2009.