Warren G. Harding Worksheets
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Summary
- Early Life and Career
- Political Career
- Campaign and Presidency
- Death
Key Facts And Information
Let’s find out more about Warren Harding!
Warren G. Harding (1865–1923) was the 29th President of the United States (US), holding office from 1921 until his demise. As a Republican, he advocated for a “return to normalcy,” emphasising economic recovery, tax reductions, and minimal government interference. Harding advocated for commercial expansion, infrastructural development, and scientific progress in aviation and radio. Charismatic and media-savvy, he garnered public admiration. Following his demise, controversies, including the Teapot Dome scandal and his liaison with Nan Britton, besmirched his legacy. Despite the conviction of his interior secretary, Albert Fall, for corruption, Harding's historical record remains ambiguous, with some reevaluation of his economic accomplishments.
Warren G. Harding
Early Life and Career
- On 2 November 1865, Warren Harding was born in Blooming Grove, Ohio. He was the oldest of George Tryon Harding and Phoebe Elizabeth Harding’s eight children and was called “Winnie” when he was a child. His mother was a licensed midwife, and his father was a farmer, teacher, and later a doctor after going to medical school. Harding's family came from England, Wales, Scotland, and the Netherlands. His first American ancestor came to Massachusetts around 1624.
- There was a speculation going around that Harding was of African American descent, but this turned out to be false and came from a family fight over money. Genetic testing done in 2015 showed that there was a better than 95% chance that Harding did not have any sub-Saharan African ancestors within four generations.
- Harding’s family, who were against slavery, moved to Caledonia, Ohio, in 1870. His father bought a weekly newspaper there. Harding learnt how to work in a newspaper from a young age.
- He started going to Ohio Central College when he was 14 and helped publish a student newspaper there. He moved to Marion, Ohio, after he graduated in 1882. This town would always be important to him and his work. Harding became a member of the Free Baptist Church in 1883 and stayed active in it for the rest of his life.
- He worked as a teacher, an insurance agent, and a law student for a short time before becoming a journalist. With money from investors, he bought the failing Marion Star and slowly turned it into a successful newspaper. He took a moderate editorial stance that reflected the city’s mixed political views, and he was very involved in Marion’s civic and economic growth.
- Harding was the only US president who had worked as a full-time journalist, and he had made a lot of money by the time he died.
- In 1891, Harding married Florence Kling. She was older, strong-willed, and good at business. She was a big part of managing and growing the Marion Star. Even though her father did not want them to get married, they stayed together and did not have kids. Florence had a big impact on Harding’s career and is often credited with helping him get ahead, possibly even paving the way for him to become president.
Political Career of Warren Harding
- Warren Harding got more and more involved in Republican politics after buying The Marion Star. He supported Joseph B. Foraker’s successful campaign for Ohio governor in 1885. Harding was loyal to the Republican Party and didn't like third-party movements. He also regularly went to state conventions as a delegate starting in 1888. Editing the newspaper, on the other hand, took a toll on his health, and he had to stay at the Battle Creek Sanatorium several times. Florence Harding ran the paper’s business while Harding was away in 1894. She did a great job, which allowed Harding to spend more time on politics.
- Harding got a taste of politics early on by travelling and campaigning, but he lost his first race for county auditor in 1895. His reputation grew while he campaigned for Republican presidential candidate William McKinley across the country in 1896. Harding won election to the Ohio State Senate in 1899 with help from party leaders Joseph Foraker and Mark Hanna. He became known for being a calm leader, being popular, and bringing the party together over two terms.
- Harding was chosen as the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in 1903, and the party won by a wide margin. His job helped him grow his political network, but plans for further advancement were put on hold because of fights between parties. Harding stayed involved in state politics, working to bridge the gap between progressive and conservative Republicans.
- In 1910, he ran for governor but lost. The loss was made worse by the fact that Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft were not on the same page.
- Harding’s luck changed in 1914 when he ran for the US Senate after direct senatorial elections were put in place. He ran a friendly campaign that did not get in anyone’s way, beat Foraker in the primary, and won the general election by a wide margin. Harding was a conservative Republican senator from the US. He was known for being friendly and moderate. He was careful about women’s suffrage and prohibition, changing his mind as public opinion changed.
- Harding backed the declaration of war and most of the laws that were passed during the First World War, but he was worried about the president having too much power. Harding became a member of the Foreign Relations Committee after Republicans took back control of the Senate in 1918. He became a well-known opponent of the Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, formally ending the First World War between Germany and the Allies, especially its League of Nations provision, which he said threatened the power of Congress.
- The Senate finally turned down the treaty after US President Woodrow Wilson had a stroke, and public support for it fell.
Campaign and Presidency
- A lot of people thought that former US President Theodore Roosevelt would run for the Republican nomination in 1920 after most Progressives went back to the Republican Party. His death on 6 January 1919 changed the political landscape and opened the door for candidates like General Leonard Wood, Illinois Governor Frank Lowden, California Senator Hiram Johnson, and others, including Herbert Hoover, Calvin Coolidge, and General John J. Pershing. Harding, on the other hand, ran for president in part to keep control of Ohio’s Republican politics and keep his Senate seat.
- Harding was acceptable to the party’s conservative senior members, unlike the progressive frontrunners. This got him the support of important leaders.
- Harry Daugherty, Harding’s campaign manager, thought that no candidate could get a majority of votes right away, so he tried to make Harding the compromise choice. Harding stayed in the race even though his primary results were not great.
- Warren Harding only won Ohio by a small margin and did poorly in Indiana. His wife, Florence, encouraged him to do so. His speech in Boston about “normalcy” and national healing struck a chord with Americans who were tired of war and social change. It became the main message of his campaign.
- The 1920 Republican National Convention in Chicago showed how divided the party was. No one candidate got a majority of the votes, and Harding, who was a dark horse at first, gained support after former governor Frank Willis gave a nomination speech that impressed delegates with how short and simple it was.
Calvin Coolidge
- Harding slowly became the most acceptable choice after more than ten ballots and rumours of backroom deals, which people often called the “smoke-filled room.” He won the nomination on the tenth ballot, and all of the delegates chose Calvin Coolidge as his running mate because they liked how he handled the Boston Police Strike. Harding ran his campaign from the front porch of his home in Marion, Ohio, during the general election. James Cox and Franklin D. Roosevelt, on the other hand, travelled a lot.
- Voters who wanted things to go back to normal after the war and progressive reforms liked Harding’s theme of “return to normalcy.” Harding’s campaign used advertising, newsreels, and press relations in new ways, even though some people said his speeches were too vague. Harding also benefited from public worry about the League of Nations. He didn't want to join it, but he did want a less formal international group.
- In November 1920, Harding beat Cox by a wide margin, getting 60% of the popular vote and a big majority in the Electoral College.
- Harding wanted a simple inauguration and little government involvement as president. He chose Charles Evans Hughes to be Secretary of State, Andrew Mellon to be Treasury Secretary, and Herbert Hoover to be Commerce Secretary. However, some of these choices, like Albert Fall and Attorney General Harry Daugherty, later became linked to scandal.
- Harding put the economy first and supported Mellon’s tax cuts and deregulation, which led to fast growth, more jobs, and higher wages. He also pushed for modernisation by putting money into highways, aviation, and radio regulation, which helped industries that were linked to mass production and transportation. Harding’s government dealt with labour unrest by negotiating settlements during coal and railway strikes.
- It also cautiously pushed for civil rights, calling for political equality for African Americans while navigating the racially segregated South. He signed laws that made it harder for people to immigrate, but only if they were enforced in a humane way. He also commuted the sentences of political prisoners like Socialist Eugene Debs. He ended the war with Germany, Austria, and Hungary, dealt with war debts, opposed joining the League, and was careful when dealing with Bolshevik Russia and Latin America.
- Harding’s plans for his second term were cut short by his health worsening. He started the “Voyage of Understanding” in 1923. It was a trip across the country that included stops in Alaska and Canada. The goal was to connect with people and promote policy. He was clearly tired during the trip, which was a sign of his death later that year.
Death of Warren Harding
- President Harding went to bed early on 27 July 1923, after giving a speech at the University of Washington. Later that night, he told his doctor, Charles E. Sawyer, that he was having pain in his upper abdomen. Dr. Sawyer thought it might be a stomach problem, but Dr. Boone was worried it might be a heart problem. The press said that Harding had an “acute gastrointestinal attack” and that his planned weekend in Portland was cancelled. Harding arrived in San Francisco on 29 July and seemed to be getting better at first, but he got worse again at the Palace Hotel.
- Doctors found heart problems and pneumonia, which kept him in bed. He seemed to get better after being given liquid caffeine and digitalis. He was also happy that his speech about US membership in the World Court was well received. Harding was able to sit up in bed by the evening of 2 August.
- He said, “That’s good,” while his wife, Florence, read an article that praised him. Go ahead and read more. A few minutes later, he had a seizure and fell to the ground, gasping for air. He was 57 years old. At the time, it was thought that he died from a brain haemorrhage, and no autopsy was done.
- The country’s reaction to Harding’s sudden death was shock. Millions watched as the train carrying his body from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., where he lay in state at the Capitol rotunda.
- After that, his body was taken to Marion, Ohio, to be buried. A horse-drawn hearse took the casket through the city, with President Calvin Coolidge, Chief Justice William Taft, Florence Harding, and Harding’s father behind it. Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone were all at the funeral. President Herbert Hoover dedicated the Harding Tomb in 1931. Warren and Florence Harding were buried there the next year.
Frequently Asked Questions About Warren Harding
- Who was Warren G. Harding?Warren G. Harding was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 to 1923.
- What was the “Return to Normalcy” slogan?It was Harding’s campaign promise to restore stability and peace in the U.S. after the war and political upheaval.
- What was the Teapot Dome scandal?A major corruption scandal involving government oil reserves that damaged Harding’s presidency, though it was exposed after his death.