Cross of Gold speech William Jennings Bryan carried on the shoulders of delegates after giving the speech Date July 9, 1896 (1896-07-09) Time 2:00 pm Duration 35 minutes (scheduled) Venue Chicago Coliseum Location Chicago, Illinois, United States Theme Bimetallism Participants William Jennings Bryan Outcome Bryan nominated for president by the Democrats At 1896 Democratic National Convention, third day, party platform debate Website later audio recording by Bryan transcript