William Jennings Bryan was only 36 years old when he became the Democratic presidential candidate in 1896, the youngest major party nominee in history. The text printed on this campaign ribbon is from the conclusion of his "Cross of Gold" speech delivered at the National Democratic Convention in Chicago, Illinois on July 9, 1896. This speech won him his party's nomination and is widely regarded as one of the greatest speeches in American political history. The "16 to 1" refers to the Democratic Party's "free silver" policy position to move the nation from the gold to the silver standard. Bryan was a leading voice for the belief that a silver-to-gold coin ratio of 16:1 as the currency standard would lead to national economic prosperity after the Economic Panic of 1893.