William Jennings Bryan was born in 1860 in Southern Illinois and raised in a religious family. He moved to Chicago to attend law school after furthering his education elsewhere. After passing the bar exam, he married and moved to Lincoln, Nebraska where he began his career in politics. He was elected to Congress in 1890 and 1892. In 1896, he gave his famous "Cross of Gold" speech at the Democratic National Convention that raised his profile. He ran for president as a Democrat in 1896 and later became known for his anti-imperialist and progressive views. Later in life, he spent over a decade giving religious and political speeches across the country before assisting Woodrow Wilson's presidential campaign in 1912.