William Jennings Bryan spent a lifetime giving speeches and running for office but is best remembered for his involvement in one of the most publicized legal battles of the twentieth century. Bryan was born in Salem, Illinois, on March 19, 1860, and was introduced to the legal world at an early age through his father's career as a politically active circuit judge. After primary school, Bryan attended Illinois College and went on to graduate from Union College of Law (the predecessor to Northwestern Law School) in 1883. Shortly after law school, Bryan married Mary Baird and began a legal practice in Jacksonville, Illinois. His practice proved to be financially unsuccessful and Bryan moved his family west to Lincoln, Nebraska, following rumors of greater career opportunities.

After moving to Nebraska, Bryan became interested in politics and served as a congressman for five years. In 1895, following an unsuccessful bid for Senate, Bryan found...