The 1908 Democratic National Convention took place from July 7 to July 10, 1908, at
Denver Auditorium Arena in
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...
.
The event is widely considered a significant part of Denver's political and social history.
The Convention
The 1908 convention was the first
convention of a major political party in a
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
state. The city did not host another nominating convention until a century later, at the
2008 Democratic National Convention
The 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for president and vice president. The convent ...
.
The convention was the second Democratic National Convention to include female delegates. They were
Mary C.C. Bradford (Colorado) and
Elizabeth Pugsley Hayward (Mrs. Henry J. Hayward) (Utah). Alternate delegates were Mrs. Charles Cook (Colorado), Harriet G. Hood (Wyoming), and
Sara L. Ventress (Utah).
America Comes Alive: A First For Women (1908)
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Presidential nomination
Presidential candidates
Image:WilliamJBryan1902.png,
Image:George Gray Senator.jpg,
Image:John Albert Johnson.jpg,
Three names were placed in nomination: William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running ...
, John A. Johnson, and George Gray. Bryan was unanimously declared the candidate for president after handily winning the first ballot's roll call.
File:1908DemocraticPresidentialNomination1stBallot.png,
Vice Presidential nomination
Candidates
Speculated Candidates
John W. Kern
John Worth Kern (December 20, 1849 – August 17, 1917) was a Democratic United States Senator from Indiana. While the title was not official, he is considered to be the first Senate majority leader (and in turn, the first Senate Democratic Lead ...
of Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
was unanimously declared the candidate for vice-president without a formal ballot after the names of Charles A. Towne, Archibald McNeil, and Clark Howell were withdrawn from consideration.
See also
* History of the United States Democratic Party
The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties of the United States political system and the oldest existing political party in that country founded in the 1830s and 1840s.
It is also the oldest voter-based political party in ...
* 1908 Republican National Convention
The 1908 Republican National Convention was held in Chicago Coliseum, Chicago, Illinois on June 16 to June 19, 1908. It convened to nominate successors to President Theodore Roosevelt and Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks.
U.S. Secretary of ...
* 1908 United States presidential election
The 1908 United States presidential election was the 31st quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 1908. Secretary of War and Republican Party nominee William Howard Taft defeated three-time Democratic nominee William Je ...
References
External links
*
Official report of the proceedings of the Democratic national convention, held in Denver, Colorado, July 7, 8, 9 and 10, 1908
'
Democratic Party Platform of 1908
at ''The American Presidency Project''
{{Authority control
1908 United States presidential election
1908 in Colorado
20th century in Denver
Conventions in Denver
Political conventions in Colorado
Colorado Democratic Party
Political events in Colorado
Democratic National Conventions
1908 conferences
July 1908 events