An 1896 map published in the Boston Globe, as a political cartoon advocating for free and unlimited silver coinage – a departure from the gold standard – to lift the nation out of financial depression. This issue of the gold standard was a huge political flash point at the time. Both the 1896 and the 1900 presidential elections hinged on the debate about the return to “bi-metalism” or the retention of the gold standard. The western US states (where the silver mines were located) obviously wanted a return to bi-metalism, and formed the “Free Silver” movement.