1. Warren G. Harding’s Presidency
“Not heroism, but healing, not nostrums, but normalcy”

2. Warren G. Harding From Marion, Ohio Newspaper publisher Legislator
Lt. Governor
1914, elected to US Senate
1920, elected US President

3. Harding’s Cabinet Vice-President, Calvin Coolidge
Secretary of State, Charles Evans Hughes
Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover
Secretary of Treasury, Andrew Mellon
Secretary of Agriculture, Henry Wallace

4. Harding’s Economic Policies
Tariff and tax policy
1921, Congress passed an emergency tariff act
1922, Fordney-McCumber Tariff Act
Protectionist in nature
Raised the basic rates, tried to help farmers by raising the tax on imports
Lazier faire business policy

5. Harding’s Domestic Policies
Advocated civil rights for all Americans
Advocated forming an international commission for improving race relations between African American and whites.
Opposition from southern Democrats blocked this
Signed anti-lynching bill
Advocated suffrage for women
Established the Veterans’ Bureau (Department of Veterans’ Affairs)
Appointed William H. Taft to Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court

6. Harding’s Foreign Policy
Washington Naval Conference
1st international conference held in the US
1st disarmament conference in history
Met to limit the navies of world powers to maintain peace

7. Problems for Harding
When Harding became president, he took to Washington DC many of his friends and supporters (cronyism), they were called the “Ohio Gang”
The two that gave him the most trouble were:
Attorney General, Harry M. Daugherty
Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall
“With friends like this, who needs enemies.”

8. Teapot Dome Scandal
By executive order, Harding transferred large oil fields in CA and WY from the Naval Department to the Interior Department.
These fields had been reserved for the Navy’s use
Albert Fall gave the oil leases to Edward Doheny and Harry Sinclair without putting them out for public bid

9. The Benefit to Fall
Doheny was to profit about $1 million on the California oil fields
Gave Fall a “loan” of $100,000
Sinclair was given a 20 year lease on the Teapot Dome oil fields in Wyoming
Gave Fall a “loan” of $36,000 cash and $198,000 in Liberty Bonds, followed by another $35,000 in bonds
Sinclair also gave Fall $25,000 cash to travel to Russia with him to check out oil fields there

10. Result of the Teapot Dome Scandal
Senate decided to investigate (Harding died during the investigation & Coolidge became president)
Coolidge appointed a special prosecutor
The case was in court for 6 years
Fall became the 1st cabinet member ever sent to prison

11. Attorney General Scandal
Harry Daughtery was involved with a bootlegger named Jess Smith
This was during Prohibition
Daughtery worked a deal with Smith to supply the White House with booze for parties, etc.
Daughtery got “kickbacks” on the sale of booze
Daughtery resigned in disgrace