 1896, William Jennings Bryan delivered his famous Cross of Gold speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. 1868, the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting citizenship and equal protection under the laws to anyone born or naturalized in the United States, including formerly enslaved people. 1918, 101 people were killed in a train collision in Nashville and the deadliest U.S. rail disaster in history.