Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
One of the most reviled presidents by historians today is President Warren G. Harding. In fact, he consistently ranks as the lowest rated in American history. To people whose knowledge of history does not expand past their high school textbooks, maybe this is understandable. Nobody seems to better represent the excesses of the Roaring 20s that (according to textbooks) lead to the Great Depression. Harding barely served 2 years as president, and the scandals involving various administration officials tarnished his reputation forever.
This past weekend, my fiancee and I took a road trip a few hours away to Marion, OH to see the former president's house. If you ever find yourself in northern or central Ohio, I encourage you to stop there. The Harding House is preserved almost exactly as it was when he lived in it while running for president in 1920. He was famous for running a "front-porch campaign," more or less winning the White House without ever leaving his house where thousands of people would come to listen to him. (As a side note, I successfully proposed to my fiancee on the same porch he gave his speeches)
The Depression of 1920-21 is curiously never mentioned in history classes. The story skips from World War I to Versailles to this magic economic miracle of the 1920s. No explanation is given. But in fact, following the uber-Progressive administration of Woodrow Wilson, the economy was in the doldrums. With the return of millions of servicemen to the workforce, the sky-high tax rates, and an economy still on a wartime footing, the stock market fell sharply and unemployment spiked to upwards of 12% or higher. These forces combined to earn Harding a landslide victory in 1920 with his theme of "normalcy." The Progressives received their largest repudiation ever, and for all intents and purposes, the Republican victory effectively ended the Progressive era in America.
Harding said in his inaugural address: "Our most dangerous tendency is to expect too much from the government and at the same time do too little for it." Harding was a Jeffersonian conservative, and had a much more limited concept of government than his binge-spending predecessor.
The victorious Republican and his VP Calvin Coolidge set to work in restoring the economy. Federal spending had reached $6.3 billion under Wilson. By 1921, Harding's Office of the Budget had trimmed it to $5 billion in 1921 and $3.3 billion in 1922. In other words, Harding cut federal spending by 50%! In addition, the national debt was reduced by 1/3. And if it wasn't delicious enough, under Harding and later under Coolidge's tutelage, income tax rates for top earners fell from wartime levels of 73% to 25% by the year 1925.
The result of this Reagan on steroids was one of the most prosperous decades in American history. By Harding's death in 1923, the economy had vastly improved and unemployment eventually fell to a negligible 2%! Not to be outdone, Harding's successor Coolidge continued these same fiscally conservative policies and defeating the Democrats handily in the 1924 elections. Hoover rode on the coattails, securing the 1928 election as well.
To put it shortly, despite Harding's questionable moral failings as a husband (He could be Clintonian), and despite the scandals involving many of his personal staff (Harding never got to defend himself), the president must ultimately be judged on results. Harding ended a Depression on par with the one a decade later, in just 2 years! While his legacy will be forever tarnished because of Teapot Dome and other scandals, Harding along with Coolidge are models for fiscal conservatism and economic prosperity, and show what can be achieved when the government's role in dictating the economy is reduced.
Outside his home, there is a large plaque that summed up the core beliefs of President Harding: "In the great fulfillment we must have a citizenship less concerned about what the government can do for it and more anxious about what it can do for the nation."
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Oct '10
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
The progressives slander against Harding will be almost impossible to overcome... as long as the government is in charge of education. Americans are led to believe that FDR is the economic genius of the 20th century, even though the evidence, as you correctly point out, is unconvincing.
Apr '11
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
Very interesting post. Thanks for sharing. And nice work on the proposal.
Dec '10
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
Yes - thanks for clearing up the history for me. And congrats on your engagement!
Sep '11
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
Er, not to quibble...
But assuming you proposed to a lovely young lady, she's your fiancee. (You're her fiance.)
Jul '10
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
All,
Thank you. And John, thanks for catching that. I have amended it. We're both history nerds, and she has a thing for 20s fashion, so the location was perfect.
That said, he's in dire need of another biography. I think the most recent ones were published in the 70s.
Jan '11
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
Byron Horatio:
That said, he's in dire need of another biography. I think the most recent ones were published in the 70s. · Oct 18 at 5:58pm
The Radosh's are on it.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/time-another-harding_595933.html
Mar '11
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
On the other hand, in Delaware the birth home of Rutherford B. Hayes is well preserved... as a BP station!
Great post, Harding is totally under appreciated. He undid much of the damage of Wilson, damage which is always ignored by the "truth writers" of the textbooks.
Nov '10
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
It's great to see this post. I'm a closet Harding fan. Ethical problems, I wholeheartedly admit, and problems with his cabinet. But look at the performance, not the man, and you'll be impressed.
Consider this: Harding was a slimeball who doesn't get any credit for his stellar handling of the economy. Clinton was equally slimy, and he gets credit for a terrific economy that he had nothing to do with. That really steams my beans.
Edited on Oct 19, 2011 at 9:27pmJul '10
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
MLH
Byron Horatio:
That said, he's in dire need of another biography. I think the most recent ones were published in the 70s. · Oct 18 at 5:58pm
The Radosh's are on it.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/time-another-harding_595933.html · Oct 18 at 6:14pm
Excellent news! I'll be looking forward to it. He, much like Coolidge, deserve to have their legacies restored.
Apr '11
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
Just a point: you probably know that "campaigning" only began in the 1890's or so. Prior to that candidates did not go on the road like they do now. In that sense, Harding may have been a little bit of a throwback, but people would not have been surprised by a front-porch-campaign like they would be now - people expected to go to the candidate, rather than have the candidate come to them.
Aug '11
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
David Brooks wouldn't like Harding. He obviously doesn't have a sharp crease in his trousers.
Sep '10
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
Byron Horatio
The Depression of 1920-21 is curiously never mentioned in history classes. The story skips from World War I to Versailles to this magic economic miracle of the 1920s. No explanation is given.
Tell me about it. I remember that Harding died, and Coolidge was silent, which I think I read in footnotes during the chapter that focused on the culture of the roaring 20's.
Then we spent a month learning about how the New Deal was super awesome.
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
Please direct your attention to the footer of this web page:
Ricochet's founders really truly love the Harding/Coolidge administration.
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
Bless you for this. I have only one criticism. You compare Harding, who had a mistress, with the Great Fornicator, who was not that particular.
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
Mark Belling Fan
Byron Horatio
The Depression of 1920-21 is curiously never mentioned in history classes. The story skips from World War I to Versailles to this magic economic miracle of the 1920s. No explanation is given.
Tell me about it. I remember that Harding died, and Coolidge was silent, which I think I read in footnotes during the chapter that focused on the culture of the roaring 20's.
Then we spent a month learning about how the New Deal was super awesome. · Oct 19 at 1:57pm
Yes, this mirrors my own high school history class experience. The only single thing I ever heard about Harding was that he "was a jerk."
Now that I think about it, it seems to me that Newt Gingrich could be a modern day Warren Harding.
May '10
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
Harding set the standard for conservative economic policy in the 20th century and was solid in his 'return to normalcy' effort in response to the economic, political, and social mess wrought by the Wilson admin that manifested in 1919 and 1920. On most everything else, I'm more ambivalent about his presidency.
Unfortunately, discussion of the domestic politics of this period in most educational settings has devolved into simply the Sacco and Vanzetti trial. Pietruza's 1920 is an interesting read on this period.
May '11
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
I always liked Harding because he was accused of playing to much poker and golf. How is that possible? I didn't know he led us out of a depression. Very Impressive. It's funny how historians don't canonize presidents who choose (follow the constitution) to limit the power of the executive office and limit the power of the federal government. I guess history favors the bold and not the prudent.
Apr '11
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
Terrible on trade, great POTUS besides that (and the corruption).
Fordney-McCumber was a pretty horribly corporatist tariff bill, though, leaving the Harding-Coolidge administration no real rivals for the title of the most protectionist presidency since McKinley-Roosevelt (Smoot-Hawley was much less bad). Deserves to be mentioned.
Apr '11
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
Byron Horatio
MLH
Byron Horatio:
That said, he's in dire need of another biography. I think the most recent ones were published in the 70s. · Oct 18 at 5:58pm
The Radosh's are on it.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/time-another-harding_595933.html · Oct 18 at 6:14pm
Excellent news! I'll be looking forward to it. He, much like Coolidge, deserve to have their legacies restored. · Oct 18 at 7:49pm
Fascinating article, and I look forward to the book, too! I'm struck by the news that Harding wanted to add a Department of Public Welfare, though, and feel that this should be added to my caveats regarding greatness.
Sep '11
Re: Reevaluating Warren G. Harding
Never heard this wonderful phrase before. I will now overuse it and undoubtedly annoy my wife.