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'''Warren G. (Gamaliel) Harding''' (November 2, 1865 - August 2, 1923) was an Ohio Senator and the 29th [[President of the United States of America]], serving from 1921 to 1923. After the [[First World War]], his presidency was marked as a "return to normalcy".  Mr. Harding and his running mate Calvin Coolidge were elected by a large majority over James Cox and [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], in large part because of the American people's rejection of the internationalist policies of former President Woodrow Wilson, particularly the League of Nations.  <ref>http://ap.grolier.com/article?assetid=atb037b09&templatename=/article/article.html</ref>  

'''Warren G. (Gamaliel) Harding''' (November 2, 1865 - August 2, 1923) was an [[Ohio]] [[Senator]] and the 29th [[President of the United States of America]], serving from 1921 to 1923. After the [[First World War]], his presidency was marked as a "return to normalcy".  Mr. Harding and his running mate [[Calvin Coolidge]] were elected by a large majority over James Cox and [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], in large part because of the American people's rejection of the internationalist policies of former President [[Woodrow Wilson]], particularly the [[League of Nations]].  <ref>http://ap.grolier.com/article?assetid=atb037b09&templatename=/article/article.html</ref>  

Harding's undeviating Republicanism and vibrant speaking voice, plus his willingness to let the machine bosses set policies, led him far in Ohio politics. He served in the state Senate and as Lieutenant Governor, and unsuccessfully ran for Governor. He delivered the nominating address for President Taft at the 1912 Republican Convention. In 1914 he was elected to the Senate. An Ohio admirer, Harry Daugherty, began to promote Harding for the 1920 Republican nomination because, he later explained, "He looked like a President." [http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/wh29.html]

Harding's undeviating Republicanism and vibrant speaking voice, plus his willingness to let the machine bosses set policies, led him far in Ohio politics. He served in the state Senate and as Lieutenant Governor, and unsuccessfully ran for Governor. He delivered the nominating address for President [[William Howard Taft|Taft]] at the 1912 Republican Convention. In 1914 he was elected to the Senate. An Ohio admirer, Harry Daugherty, began to promote Harding for the 1920 Republican nomination because, he later explained, "He looked like a President." <ref>http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/wh29.html</ref>

== Key Accomplishments ==

== Key Accomplishments ==

=== Immigration Control ===

=== Immigration Control ===

Mr. Harding signed into law the [[Emergency Quota Act]]<ref>http://tucnak.fsv.cuni.cz/~calda/Documents/1920s/QuotaAct1918.html</ref> which sought to control immigration following World War I and preserve the distinctive American culture by ensuring the majority of immigrants came from the historically compatible cultures of Northern Europe.  This law aimed to bring wages of hard working Americans under control by limiting immigration to 3% of the 1910 census. It was followed on by a similar act in 1924, after Mr. Harding's death.<ref>http://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/faculty/hodgson/Courses/so11/Race/quota_acts.htm</ref>

Mr. Harding signed into law the [[Emergency Quota Act]]<ref>http://tucnak.fsv.cuni.cz/~calda/Documents/1920s/QuotaAct1918.html</ref> which sought to control immigration following [[World War I]] and preserve the distinctive American culture by ensuring the majority of immigrants came from the historically compatible cultures of Northern Europe.  This law aimed to bring wages of hard working Americans under control by limiting immigration to 3% of the 1910 census. It was followed on by a similar act in 1924, after Mr. Harding's death.<ref>http://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/faculty/hodgson/Courses/so11/Race/quota_acts.htm</ref>

=== Tulsa Race Riot ===

=== Tulsa Race Riot ===

=== Justice ===

=== Justice ===

Harding pardoned the [[socialist]] [[Eugene Debs]] who was imprisoned during World War I for opposing the war.  Despite their political differences, Harding was cordial to him and met with him in the White House, "I have heard so damned much about you, Mr Debs, that I am very glad to meet you personally."<ref>http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/vodebs.htm</ref>

Harding pardoned the [[socialist]] [[Eugene Debs]] who was imprisoned during World War I for opposing the war.  Despite their political differences, Harding was cordial to him and met with him in the [[White House]], "I have heard so damned much about you, Mr Debs, that I am very glad to meet you personally."<ref>http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/vodebs.htm</ref>

Harding defined the Supreme Court for two decades, appointing four solidly [[conservative]] justices.  Harding's appointments included former President [[William Howard Taft]] to be Chief Justice (1921), [[George Sutherland]] (1922), [[Pierce Butler]] (1923) and [[Edward Terry Sanford]] (1923).  Two of these justices (Taft and Sanford) served until 1930.  The other two (Sutherland and Butler) served until the late 1930s  and stood up to the [[liberal]] policies of President [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]].

Harding defined the [[Supreme Court]] for two decades, appointing four solidly [[conservative]] justices.  Harding's appointments included former President [[William Howard Taft]] to be Chief Justice (1921), [[George Sutherland]] (1922), [[Pierce Butler]] (1923) and [[Edward Terry Sanford]] (1923).  Two of these justices (Taft and Sanford) served until 1930.  The other two (Sutherland and Butler) served until the late 1930s  and stood up to the [[liberal]] policies of President [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]].

In particular, Sutherland and Butler were the core of the conservative [[Four Horsemen]] who invalidated key aspects of the [[New Deal]] and drove President Roosevelt to propose his [[court-packing scheme]], which caused him to lose his credibility with Congress and the public.

In particular, Sutherland and Butler were the core of the conservative [[Four Horsemen]] who invalidated key aspects of the [[New Deal]] and drove President Roosevelt to propose his [[court-packing scheme]], which caused him to lose his credibility with [[Congress]] and the public.

In selecting Pierce for the bench, Harding broke with tradition by picking a conservative Democrat even though Harding was a Republican.

In selecting Pierce for the bench, Harding broke with tradition by picking a conservative Democrat even though Harding was a Republican.

The death of President Warren Harding would eventually give rise to a savage case of liberal character assassination. Through allegations made by a political novelist, an alleged adulterous lover of  Warren Harding’s, and a criminal who would die in [[Leavenworth]]  prison for accepting money in exchange for returning the kidnapped [[Lindbergh baby]], liberal historian Frederick Lewis Allen would plant firmly in the public mind the notions that Harding was murdered by his wife, out of jealousy and fear of  political scandal.<ref>Ferrell, Robert H. (1996), The Strange Deaths of President Harding, University of Missouri Press  p.31</ref>

The death of President Warren Harding would eventually give rise to a savage case of liberal character assassination. Through allegations made by a political novelist, an alleged adulterous lover of  Warren Harding’s, and a criminal who would die in [[Leavenworth]]  prison for accepting money in exchange for returning the kidnapped [[Lindbergh baby]], liberal historian Frederick Lewis Allen would plant firmly in the public mind the notions that Harding was murdered by his wife, out of jealousy and fear of  political scandal.<ref>Ferrell, Robert H. (1996), The Strange Deaths of President Harding, University of Missouri Press  p.31</ref>

Shaken by the talk of corruption among the friends he had appointed to office, Warren and Florence Harding began a tour on June 20, 1923 of the West and Alaska. He hoped to get out and meet people, to shake hands and explain his policies. Although suffering from high blood pressure and an enlarged heart, he seemed to enjoy himself and the food -- especially the seafood in Alaska. On his return journey, he became ill with what was then attributed to food poisoning. The Presidential train rushed to [[San Francisco]], where his condition worsened. He developed pneumonia, and complicated by his heart ailment, died suddenly on August 23, he suffered a [[heart attack]] in the evening, while his wife was reading to him. He died quietly and instantaneously.

Shaken by the talk of corruption among the friends he had appointed to office, Warren and Florence Harding began a tour on June 20, 1923 of the West and Alaska. He hoped to get out and meet people, to shake hands and explain his policies. Although suffering from high blood pressure and an enlarged heart, he seemed to enjoy himself and the food -- especially the seafood in Alaska. On his return journey, he became ill with what was then attributed to food poisoning. The Presidential train rushed to [[San Francisco]], where his condition worsened. He developed [[pneumonia]], and complicated by his heart ailment, died suddenly on August 23, he suffered a [[heart attack]] in the evening, while his wife was reading to him. He died quietly and instantaneously.

After Harding’s death, the reputation of his administration was tarnished by revelations of scandal, primarily the Teapot Dome scandal (mentioned above) and a scandal in the [[Veteran’s Administration]] which was particularly distasteful in that post World War I period. The scandals were pushed forward by congressional hearings, but were greeted by the public with what liberal historian Frederick Lewis Allen concedes was brief resentment at both scandals and scandalmongers, followed by apathy.<ref>http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/ALLEN/ch6.html</ref>

After Harding’s death, the reputation of his administration was tarnished by revelations of scandal, primarily the Teapot Dome scandal (mentioned above) and a scandal in the [[Veteran’s Administration]] which was particularly distasteful in that post World War I period. The scandals were pushed forward by congressional hearings, but were greeted by the public with what liberal historian Frederick Lewis Allen concedes was brief resentment at both scandals and scandalmongers, followed by apathy.<ref>http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/ALLEN/ch6.html</ref>

== Criticism ==

== Criticism ==

Harding today has come under criticism by both liberal economists and free trade advocates for [[protectionist]] policies--restrictions on [[free trade]]--which resulted in the collapse of international trade and is widely considered a cause of the worldwide [[Great Depression]] that occurred later in the decade and throughout the 1930s. Most economic historians today, however, follow liberal economist John Kenneth Galbraith’s view that the Great Depression was primarily the result of a bank collapse due to a lack of effective regulation of the loan and credit market<ref>Galbraith, John Kenneth (1954) The Great Crash 1929, Houghton Mifflin</ref> Those economists who believe that high tariffs were an important cause of the Depression often note that the tariff made it harder for European nations to pay their war debts.

Harding today has come under criticism by both liberal economists and free trade advocates for [[protectionist]] policies--restrictions on [[free trade]]--which resulted in the collapse of international trade and is widely considered a cause of the worldwide [[Great Depression]] that occurred later in the decade and throughout the 1930s. Most economic historians today, however, follow liberal economist John Kenneth Galbraith’s view that the Great Depression was primarily the result of a bank collapse due to a lack of effective regulation of the loan and credit market<ref>Galbraith, John Kenneth (1954) The Great Crash 1929, Houghton Mifflin</ref> Those economists who believe that high [[tariff]]s were an important cause of the Depression often note that the tariff made it harder for European nations to pay their war debts.

== Trivia ==

== Trivia ==

{{USPresidents}}

{{USPresidents}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Harding, Warren G.}}

 

[[Category:Republican Party]]

[[Category:Republican Party]]