Presidency of William J. Bryan

The presidency of William Jennings Bryan began on March 4, 1897, when Bryan was inaugurated and ended March 4, 1901, following his defeat in the 1900 Presidential Election. A Democrat, Bryan is best known for repealing the "Crime of 73", conducting the successful Spanish–American War (1898), freeing Cuba from Spain; creating the American influenced Republic of the Philippines; taking ownership of the Republic of Hawaii; and purchasing Guam and Puerto Rico from Spain.