Warren G. Harding was both a popular and controversial president.
How did Harding become president?
Why was he so controversial?
Warren G. Harding was born on November 2, 1865, in Blooming Grove, Ohio.
From an early age, he showed a strong interest in journalism and the newspaper industry.
He studied this field in college and managed to graduate at the young age of seventeen!
After graduating, he held several different jobs including selling insurance and teaching.
He eventually joined with others in purchasing a failing newspaper, the Marion Daily Star.
By 1886, he was the sole owner of the paper and went on to make it a popular publication.
His first attempt at running for political office was a failed bid to become the Marion
County Auditor.
Just a few years later, in 1899, he was elected to the Ohio State Senate.
In 1904, he was appointed Lt. Governor of Ohio, a position he held for two years.
He continued to gain political recognition throughout the early years of the 1900s.
In 1912, William Howard Taft selected Harding to deliver his nomination speech at the Republican
National Convention.
Two years later, Harding was elected to the United States Senate.
He also delivered the keynote address at the 1916 Republican National Convention.
At the 1920 Republican National Convention, Harding was initially considered an outside
shot for becoming the Republican nominee for president.
However, the Republicans were heavily divided over who the candidate should be.
Finally, after ten votes, Harding emerged as a “dark horse” and became the Republican
nominee.
He went on to win the general election against the Democrat candidate, Ohio governor James
Cox.
Harding ran his campaign on the promise of a “Return to Normalcy”.
This meant that he hoped to return the nation to the way it was prior to World War I.
This would include adopting many of the Nativist philosophies that were becoming popular in
regards to immigration, a renewed focus on returning to the isolationist policies of
earlier eras, and bringing an end to the progressive approach to government that had become prominent.
During his years in office, one of Harding’s greatest successes was the creation of the
Bureau of Veteran’s Affairs.
He felt it was important to meet the needs of veterans who had returned from World War
I. Harding also slashed government spending, cut tax rates, and took other measures that
eventually helped to reduce the national debt significantly.
He became the first president to address the nation over the radio, as well as the first
president to visit Alaska.
However, his administration was plagued by scandals.
From rumors of adulterous relationships to allegations of bribery, accusations of wrongdoing
tormented the Harding White House.
The most notorious of these incidents was the Tea Pot Dome Scandal, which involved the
Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall, accepting bribes from oil companies.
Harding’s presidency was short-lived.
Harding’s health began to deteriorate throughout late 1922 and into 1923.
In the fall of 1923, Harding made a trip to the western half of the nation.
While visiting San Francisco, he developed a respiratory illness.
After struggling for several days, he seemed to be improving.
Unfortunately, he died suddenly while speaking to his wife on August 2, 1923.
At the time, the doctors suspected he had a stroke, but today it is believed he suffered
from congestive heart failure.
A train brought the deceased president’s body back across the country.
As it traveled, millions of citizens lined the tracks to pay their respects to the departed
president.