1. The Return to Normalcy The Harding Presidency

2. The Return to Normalcy Return to life before World War I Rejection of Progressive ideals  Americans wanted calm and peace Warren G. Harding’s campaign slogan

3. Warren G. Harding Harding was born in Ohio in 1865  Lived in rural Ohio for most of his life Originally worked as a teacher and an insurance agent 1886- Harding bought a failing newspaper  The Marion Star He managed to turn it into a successful newspaper  Made a name for himself in politics

4. The Marion Star Under Harding’s leadership, the Newspaper tended to lean towards the Republican party

5. Harding’s Senate Career Harding was elected to the Senate in 1915  Served for two terms He opposed President Wilson’s League of Nations Had an “unremarkable” career in the Senate

7. Election of 1920 Ohio politician Harry Daugherty promoted Harding for the 1920 Republican nomination  “looked like a president ought to look” Harding became the Republican nominee  Chose Calvin Coolidge as his running mate  Boston Police Strike Democrats nominated another newspaper editor from Ohio  Governor James M. Cox  VP- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

10. Election Day Harding received 60% of the popular vote 404 electoral votes https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/1920nationwidecounty mapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

11. Harding’s Inaugural Address “America’s present need is not heroics, but healing; not nostrums, but normalcy ; not revolution, but restoration; not agitation, but adjustment; not surgery, but serenity; not the dramatic, but the dispassionate; not experiment, but equipoise; not submergence in internationality, but sustainment in triumphant nationality.” “My best judgment of America’s needs is to steady down, to get squarely on our feet, to make sure of the right path. Let’s get out of the fevered delirium of war, with the hallucination that all the money in the world is to be made in the madness of war and the wildness of its aftermath. Let us stop to consider that tranquillity at home is more precious than peace abroad, and that both our good fortune and our eminence are dependent on the normal forward stride of all the American people. …”

12. Harding’s International Policy Harding won the election because of a promise of a “return to normalcy” Wanted to take steps to avoid another war Washington Naval Conference 1921- limited the amount of warships all major powers could have  Steps towards disarmament  Halt construction of warships for 10 years

13. Domestic Policies Harding ended wartime controls Slashed taxes Restored high tariffs Restricted immigration Cut unemployment rate in half “less government in business and more business in government”

14. Discussion How did Harding’s policies reflect his “return to normalcy” platform? Why did Harding win by such a landslide? How did Coolidge’s political past help promote Harding’s platform?

15. Harding’s Presidency Harding seemed overwhelmed by the job Admitted that he did not understand many of the issues He tried to keep his campaign promise of appointing the best men to his cabinet Often burdened by his administration

16. Charles Evans Hughes Appointed as Secretary of State  Dealt with foreign policy Republican politician from New York  Former governor Headed the American delegation at the Washington Naval Conference in 1921

17. Herbert Hoover Secretary of Commerce  In charge of uniting the interests of business and government  Head of the US department of commerce  Successfully handled food distribution and refugee crisis in World War I Promoted American business and industry Eventually becomes President in 1929

18. Andrew Mellon Wealthy investor from Pittsburgh Became Secretary of the Treasury  Extremely powerful  Extremely partisan Supported emergency tariffs Re-adjustment of war taxes

19. The Ohio Gang Along with these distinguished men, Harding surrounded himself with dishonest friends known as The Ohio Gang Many would be charged with fraud and sent to jail Harding knew about their reputations  Liked to play poker, drink whiskey, smoke, tell jokes, play golf and keep late hours “The air heavy with tobacco smoke, trays with bottles containing every imaginable brand of whiskey, cards and poker chips ready at hand—a general atmosphere of waistcoat unbuttoned, feet on the desk, and spittoons alongside.” –Alice Roosevelt Longworth

21. Harry Daugherty Had been Harding’s campaign manager Became Attorney General  Head of the Department of Justice Survived two impeachment attempts  Survived two indictments for fraud

22. Albert B. Fall Secretary of the Interior  Manages land, water, wildlife, energy resources Managed to get oil reserves transferred from the navy to the Interior Department

23. The Teapot Dome Scandal Government set aside oil-rich public lands at Teapot Dome, Wyoming and Elk Hills, California  Reserved for use by the US Navy Albert B. Falls allowed private oil companies to tap into the reserves  He claimed these contracts were in the government’s interest  Received more than $400,000 in “loans, bonds, and cash.” He was found guilty of bribery  First American to be convicted of a felony while holding a cabinet post

25. Harding as President Harding was a man who could not say no to his friends Tried to make up for his weaknesses by supporting a few reform measures Harding was tolerant of civil liberties  Criticized treatment of African Americans  Lectured a segregated crowd at the University of Alabama Pardoned Americans jailed for non-violent anti-war protests  Eugene V. Debs

26. Harding in the summer of 1923  “I have no trouble with my enemies….but my…friends, they’re the ones that keep walking the floors nights!” August 2, 1923- Harding died from either a heart attack or stroke Calvin Coolidge became President

27. Discussion Harding ran on the platform of “return to normalcy.” Despite his sweeping majority of the election and his plans to return policies to how they were before, Harding was regarded as one of the worst Presidents of all time. Do you agree with this? Do you think Harding was successful in plan of “return to normalcy?”