{"id":256,"date":"2015-08-21T18:07:00","date_gmt":"2015-08-21T18:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/ushistory2os2xmaster\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=256"},"modified":"2022-09-16T21:45:29","modified_gmt":"2022-09-16T21:45:29","slug":"warren-g-hardings-presidency","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-ushistory2\/chapter\/warren-g-hardings-presidency\/","title":{"raw":"Warren G. Harding's Presidency","rendered":"Warren G. Harding&#8217;s Presidency"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\r\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Discuss the major events, policies, and scandals of Warren G. Harding\u2019s presidency<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm14913472\">The election of 1920 saw the weakening of the Democratic Party. The death of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson\u2019s ill health meant the passing of a generation of Progressive leaders. The waning of the Red Scare took with it the last vestiges of Progressive zeal, and Wilson\u2019s support of the League of Nations turned Irish and German immigrants against the Democrats. Americans were tired of reform, tired of witch hunts, and were more than ready for a <strong>return to normalcy<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm8629168\">Above all, the 1920s signaled a return to a pro-business government\u2014almost a return to the laissez-faire politics of the Gilded Age of the late nineteenth century. Calvin Coolidge\u2019s statement that \u201cthe chief business of the American people is business\u201d became the dominant attitude.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2>Warren Harding and the Return to Normalcy<\/h2>\r\n<section id=\"fs-idm2217600\" data-depth=\"1\">\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm4373904\">In the election of 1920, Republicans were eager to nominate a man whom they could manage and control. Warren G. Harding, a senator from Ohio, represented just such a man. Before his nomination, Harding stated, \u201cAmerica\u2019s present need is not heroics but healing; not nostrums but normalcy; not revolution but restoration.\u201d Harding was genial and affable, but not everyone appreciated his speeches; Democratic presidential hopeful William Gibbs McAdoo described Harding\u2019s speeches as \u201can army of pompous phrases moving across the landscape in search of an idea.\u201d H. L. Mencken, the great social critic of the 1920s, wrote of Harding\u2019s speaking, \u201cIt drags itself out of the dark abysm of pish, and crawls insanely up to the top-most pinnacle of posh. It is rumble and bumble. It is flap and doodle. It is balder and dash.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm9257776\">Harding was known for enjoying golf, alcohol, and poker (not necessarily in that order). Although his critics depicted him as weak, lazy, or incompetent, he was actually quite shrewd and politically astute. Together with his running mate, Calvin Coolidge, the governor of Massachusetts, they attracted the votes of many Americans who sought Harding\u2019s promised <span data-type=\"term\">return to normalcy<\/span>. In the election, Harding defeated Governor James Cox of Ohio by the greatest majority in the history of two-party politics, winning 61 percent of the popular vote.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<figure id=\"Figure_24_04_HardCool\">\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"520\"]<img src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/884\/2015\/08\/23203120\/CNX_History_24_04_HardCool.jpg\" alt=\"Photograph (a) shows Warren Harding pointing his finger with a stern expression on his face. Photograph (b) shows Calvin Coolidge smiling and holding his hat above his head.\" width=\"520\" height=\"333\" data-media-type=\"image\/jpeg\" \/> <strong>Figure 1.<\/strong> Warren Harding (a) poses on the campaign trail in 1920. His running mate, Calvin Coolidge (b), would go on to become president in 1923, when Harding died suddenly while touring the United States.[\/caption]<\/figure>\r\n<h3>Harding's Pro-Business Agenda<\/h3>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm23414736\">Harding\u2019s cabinet reflected his pro-business agenda. Herbert Hoover, a millionaire mechanical engineer and miner, became his Secretary of Commerce. Hoover had served as head of the relief effort for Belgium during World War I and helped to feed those in Russia and Germany after the war ended. He was a very effective administrator, seeking to limit inefficiency in the government and promoting partnerships between government and businesses. Harding\u2019s Secretary of the Treasury, Andrew Mellon, was also a pro-business multimillionaire who had built a with fortune in banking and the production of aluminum. Even more so than Hoover, Mellon entered public service with a strong sense that government should run as efficiently as any business, famously writing that \u201cthe Government is just a business, and can and should be run on business principles.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idp325744\">Consistent with his efficiency-maximizing views, Harding proposed and signed into law tax cuts as well as the country\u2019s first formal budgeting process, which created a presidential budget director and required that the president submit an annual budget to Congress. These policies helped to reduce the debt that the United States had incurred during World War I. However, as European industry and agriculture began to recover, U.S. exports to the continent dwindled. In an effort to protect U.S. agriculture and other businesses threatened by lower-priced imports, Harding pushed through the Emergency Tariff of 1921. This defensive tariff had the effect of increasing American purchasing power, although it also inflated the prices of many goods.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3>Harding's Foreign Policy<\/h3>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm15870528\">In the area of foreign policy, Harding worked to preserve peace through international cooperation and the reduction of armaments around the world. Despite the refusal of the U.S. Senate to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, Harding was able to work with Germany and Austria to secure a formal peace. He convened a conference in Washington that brought world leaders together to agree on reducing the threat of future wars by reducing armaments. Out of these negotiations came a number of treaties designed to foster cooperation in the Far East, reduce the size of navies around the world, and establish guidelines for submarine usage. These agreements ultimately fell apart in the 1930s, as the world descended into war again. But, at the time, they were seen as a promising path to diplomacy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3>Scandals in the Harding Administration<\/h3>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm20124896\">Despite these developments, the Harding administration has gone down in history as one that was especially marked by scandal. While Harding was personally honest, he surrounded himself with politicians who were not. Harding made the mistake of often turning to unscrupulous advisors or even his \u201cOhio Gang\u201d of drinking and poker buddies for advice and guidance. And, as he himself recognized, this group tended to cause him grief. \u201cI have no trouble with my enemies,\u201d he once commented. \u201cI can take care of my enemies in a fight. But my friends, my goddamned friends, they\u2019re the ones who keep me walking the floor at nights!\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm5252240\">The scandals mounted quickly. From 1920 to 1923, Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall was involved in a scam that became known as the <strong>Teapot Dome scandal<\/strong>. Fall had leased navy reserves in Teapot Dome, Wyoming, and two other sites in California to private oil companies without opening the bidding to other companies. In exchange, the companies gave him $300,000 in cash and bonds, as well as a herd of cattle for his ranch. Fall was convicted of accepting bribes from the oil companies; he was fined $100,000 and sentenced to a year in prison. It was the first time that a cabinet official had received such a sentence.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm1781536\">In 1923, Harding also learned that the head of the Veterans\u2019 Bureau, Colonel Charles Forbes, had absconded with most of the $250 million set aside for extravagant bureau functions. Harding allowed Forbes to resign and leave the country; however, after the president died, Forbes returned and was tried, convicted, and sentenced to two years in Leavenworth prison.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm6622544\">Although the Harding presidency had a number of successes and a variety of scandals, it ended before the first term was up. In July 1923, while traveling in Seattle, the president suffered a heart attack. On August 2, in his weakened condition, he suffered a stroke and died in San Francisco, leaving the presidency to his vice president, Calvin Coolidge. As for Harding, few presidents were so deeply mourned by the populace. His kindly nature and ability to poke fun at himself endeared him to the public.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\r\n<h3>WAtch It<\/h3>\r\nCheck out this video to learn more about President Harding.\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=w9w7shxJAbk\r\n\r\nYou can view the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/course-building.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/US+history+II\/PresidentWarrenG.HardingKnowOhio.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">transcript for \u201cPresident Warren G. Harding | Know Ohio\u201d here (opens in new window)<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/565b23ca-6a41-458e-a01a-0912a764387e\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Glossary<\/h3>\r\n<strong>return to normalcy:\u00a0<\/strong>the campaign promise made by Warren Harding in the presidential election of 1920\r\n\r\n<strong>Teapot Dome scandal:\u00a0<\/strong>the bribery scandal involving Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall in 1923, resulting from Fall's offer of lucrative no-bid government contracts in exchange for cash payment\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Discuss the major events, policies, and scandals of Warren G. Harding\u2019s presidency<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"fs-idm14913472\">The election of 1920 saw the weakening of the Democratic Party. The death of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson\u2019s ill health meant the passing of a generation of Progressive leaders. The waning of the Red Scare took with it the last vestiges of Progressive zeal, and Wilson\u2019s support of the League of Nations turned Irish and German immigrants against the Democrats. Americans were tired of reform, tired of witch hunts, and were more than ready for a <strong>return to normalcy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-idm8629168\">Above all, the 1920s signaled a return to a pro-business government\u2014almost a return to the laissez-faire politics of the Gilded Age of the late nineteenth century. Calvin Coolidge\u2019s statement that \u201cthe chief business of the American people is business\u201d became the dominant attitude.<\/p>\n<h2>Warren Harding and the Return to Normalcy<\/h2>\n<section id=\"fs-idm2217600\" data-depth=\"1\">\n<p id=\"fs-idm4373904\">In the election of 1920, Republicans were eager to nominate a man whom they could manage and control. Warren G. Harding, a senator from Ohio, represented just such a man. Before his nomination, Harding stated, \u201cAmerica\u2019s present need is not heroics but healing; not nostrums but normalcy; not revolution but restoration.\u201d Harding was genial and affable, but not everyone appreciated his speeches; Democratic presidential hopeful William Gibbs McAdoo described Harding\u2019s speeches as \u201can army of pompous phrases moving across the landscape in search of an idea.\u201d H. L. Mencken, the great social critic of the 1920s, wrote of Harding\u2019s speaking, \u201cIt drags itself out of the dark abysm of pish, and crawls insanely up to the top-most pinnacle of posh. It is rumble and bumble. It is flap and doodle. It is balder and dash.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-idm9257776\">Harding was known for enjoying golf, alcohol, and poker (not necessarily in that order). Although his critics depicted him as weak, lazy, or incompetent, he was actually quite shrewd and politically astute. Together with his running mate, Calvin Coolidge, the governor of Massachusetts, they attracted the votes of many Americans who sought Harding\u2019s promised <span data-type=\"term\">return to normalcy<\/span>. In the election, Harding defeated Governor James Cox of Ohio by the greatest majority in the history of two-party politics, winning 61 percent of the popular vote.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"Figure_24_04_HardCool\">\n<div style=\"width: 530px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/884\/2015\/08\/23203120\/CNX_History_24_04_HardCool.jpg\" alt=\"Photograph (a) shows Warren Harding pointing his finger with a stern expression on his face. Photograph (b) shows Calvin Coolidge smiling and holding his hat above his head.\" width=\"520\" height=\"333\" data-media-type=\"image\/jpeg\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1.<\/strong> Warren Harding (a) poses on the campaign trail in 1920. His running mate, Calvin Coolidge (b), would go on to become president in 1923, when Harding died suddenly while touring the United States.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h3>Harding&#8217;s Pro-Business Agenda<\/h3>\n<p id=\"fs-idm23414736\">Harding\u2019s cabinet reflected his pro-business agenda. Herbert Hoover, a millionaire mechanical engineer and miner, became his Secretary of Commerce. Hoover had served as head of the relief effort for Belgium during World War I and helped to feed those in Russia and Germany after the war ended. He was a very effective administrator, seeking to limit inefficiency in the government and promoting partnerships between government and businesses. Harding\u2019s Secretary of the Treasury, Andrew Mellon, was also a pro-business multimillionaire who had built a with fortune in banking and the production of aluminum. Even more so than Hoover, Mellon entered public service with a strong sense that government should run as efficiently as any business, famously writing that \u201cthe Government is just a business, and can and should be run on business principles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-idp325744\">Consistent with his efficiency-maximizing views, Harding proposed and signed into law tax cuts as well as the country\u2019s first formal budgeting process, which created a presidential budget director and required that the president submit an annual budget to Congress. These policies helped to reduce the debt that the United States had incurred during World War I. However, as European industry and agriculture began to recover, U.S. exports to the continent dwindled. In an effort to protect U.S. agriculture and other businesses threatened by lower-priced imports, Harding pushed through the Emergency Tariff of 1921. This defensive tariff had the effect of increasing American purchasing power, although it also inflated the prices of many goods.<\/p>\n<h3>Harding&#8217;s Foreign Policy<\/h3>\n<p id=\"fs-idm15870528\">In the area of foreign policy, Harding worked to preserve peace through international cooperation and the reduction of armaments around the world. Despite the refusal of the U.S. Senate to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, Harding was able to work with Germany and Austria to secure a formal peace. He convened a conference in Washington that brought world leaders together to agree on reducing the threat of future wars by reducing armaments. Out of these negotiations came a number of treaties designed to foster cooperation in the Far East, reduce the size of navies around the world, and establish guidelines for submarine usage. These agreements ultimately fell apart in the 1930s, as the world descended into war again. But, at the time, they were seen as a promising path to diplomacy.<\/p>\n<h3>Scandals in the Harding Administration<\/h3>\n<p id=\"fs-idm20124896\">Despite these developments, the Harding administration has gone down in history as one that was especially marked by scandal. While Harding was personally honest, he surrounded himself with politicians who were not. Harding made the mistake of often turning to unscrupulous advisors or even his \u201cOhio Gang\u201d of drinking and poker buddies for advice and guidance. And, as he himself recognized, this group tended to cause him grief. \u201cI have no trouble with my enemies,\u201d he once commented. \u201cI can take care of my enemies in a fight. But my friends, my goddamned friends, they\u2019re the ones who keep me walking the floor at nights!\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-idm5252240\">The scandals mounted quickly. From 1920 to 1923, Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall was involved in a scam that became known as the <strong>Teapot Dome scandal<\/strong>. Fall had leased navy reserves in Teapot Dome, Wyoming, and two other sites in California to private oil companies without opening the bidding to other companies. In exchange, the companies gave him $300,000 in cash and bonds, as well as a herd of cattle for his ranch. Fall was convicted of accepting bribes from the oil companies; he was fined $100,000 and sentenced to a year in prison. It was the first time that a cabinet official had received such a sentence.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-idm1781536\">In 1923, Harding also learned that the head of the Veterans\u2019 Bureau, Colonel Charles Forbes, had absconded with most of the $250 million set aside for extravagant bureau functions. Harding allowed Forbes to resign and leave the country; however, after the president died, Forbes returned and was tried, convicted, and sentenced to two years in Leavenworth prison.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-idm6622544\">Although the Harding presidency had a number of successes and a variety of scandals, it ended before the first term was up. In July 1923, while traveling in Seattle, the president suffered a heart attack. On August 2, in his weakened condition, he suffered a stroke and died in San Francisco, leaving the presidency to his vice president, Calvin Coolidge. As for Harding, few presidents were so deeply mourned by the populace. His kindly nature and ability to poke fun at himself endeared him to the public.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\n<h3>WAtch It<\/h3>\n<p>Check out this video to learn more about President Harding.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"oembed-1\" title=\"President Warren G. Harding | Know Ohio\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/w9w7shxJAbk?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>You can view the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/course-building.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/US+history+II\/PresidentWarrenG.HardingKnowOhio.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">transcript for \u201cPresident Warren G. Harding | Know Ohio\u201d here (opens in new window)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_565b23ca-6a41-458e-a01a-0912a764387e\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/565b23ca-6a41-458e-a01a-0912a764387e?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_565b23ca-6a41-458e-a01a-0912a764387e\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Glossary<\/h3>\n<p><strong>return to normalcy:\u00a0<\/strong>the campaign promise made by Warren Harding in the presidential election of 1920<\/p>\n<p><strong>Teapot Dome scandal:\u00a0<\/strong>the bribery scandal involving Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall in 1923, resulting from Fall&#8217;s offer of lucrative no-bid government contracts in exchange for cash payment<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-256\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>US History. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: OpenStax. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/openstaxcollege.org\/textbooks\/us-history\">http:\/\/openstaxcollege.org\/textbooks\/us-history<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: Access for free at https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/us-history\/pages\/1-introduction<\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">All rights reserved content<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>President Warren G. Harding | Know Ohio. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: NewsDepth. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=w9w7shxJAbk&#038;t=59s\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=w9w7shxJAbk&#038;t=59s<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em>All Rights Reserved<\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: Standard YouTube License<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":19,"menu_order":13,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"US History\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"OpenStax\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/openstaxcollege.org\/textbooks\/us-history\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"Access for free at https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/us-history\/pages\/1-introduction\"},{\"type\":\"copyrighted_video\",\"description\":\"President Warren G. Harding | Know Ohio\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"NewsDepth\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=w9w7shxJAbk&t=59s\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"arr\",\"license_terms\":\"Standard YouTube License\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"2ec7c785-cc83-4a17-bf6f-bfbeca059ff9,a4963b5b-0453-4456-8453-c244c448c376","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-256","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":230,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-ushistory2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-ushistory2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-ushistory2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-ushistory2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-ushistory2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/256\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9464,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-ushistory2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/256\/revisions\/9464"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-ushistory2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/230"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-ushistory2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/256\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-ushistory2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-ushistory2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=256"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-ushistory2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=256"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-ushistory2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}