1. Resume
    1. 1904 - 1906: 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
    2. 1915 - 1921: United States Senator from Ohio
    3. 1919 - 1921: Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Philippines
    4. 1921 - 1923: 29th President of the United States
  2. Chronology
    1. 1865: Born in Blooming Grove, Ohio
    2. 1878: His brother Charles and sister Persilla died, presumably from typhoid
    3. 1882: Graduated from Ohio Central College, studied the printing and newspaper trade and became an accomplished public speaker.
    4. 1884: Gained popular recognition in Marion, when his Citizens' Cornet Band won the third place $200 prize
    5. 1889: Suffered from exhaustion and nervous fatigue after an editorial battle with his Marion Daily Star paper against Independent
    6. 1891: Harding married Florence Kling DeWolfe, the daughter of his nemesis
    7. 1903: Announced his campaign for Governor of Ohio and received Lieutenant Governor
    8. 1912: Gave the nominating speech for incumbent President William Howard Taft
    9. 1923: Had trouble sleeping, looked tired, and could barely get through nine holes of golf. Eventually died in the presidential suite of a hotel
  3. Notables
    1. Self-made newspaper publisher
    2. Protected alcohol interests and moderately supported women's suffrage
    3. Originated the phrase "Founding Fathers"
    4. Won the election in the largest presidential popular vote landslide ever (60.32% to 34.15%)
    5. Desired to put the best minds on his cabinet, but rewarded his friends and contributors with powerful positions
    6. Signed the first child welfare program in the United States and dealt with striking workers in the mining and railroad industries, including supporting an eight hour work day
    7. Unemployment rate dropped by half during his administration
    8. Set up the Bureau of the Budget that helped curb and keep track of excessive federal spending
    9. Advocated an anti-lynching bill to curb violence against African Americans; however it was blocked
    10. Spurned the League of Nations, and officially ended World War I, having signed a separate peace treaty with Germany and Austria
    11. 1923: Suddenly collapsed and died in California on a return trip from Alaska
    12. First sitting senator to be elected President of the United States; JFK and Obama followed in this pattern
    13. Considered a fence sitter on most issues, be that labor, big business, women's suffrage, or prohibition
    14. Against Philippine independence
    15. His six-year record as Senator was unremarkable
    16. Ran on a promise to "Return to Normalcy", and healing for the nation after World War I
    17. Smart marketing for his campaign
    18. Considered handsome, he photographed well compared to Cox, who he was running against
    19. 1920: Ratification of the 19th Amendment
    20. 1920: First election in which women could vote nationwide
    21. Only Republican to ever defeat FDR
    22. Remained popular both nationally and internationally
    23. Accomplishments: income tax and federal spending reductions, economic policies that reduce stagflation, a reduction of unemployment by 10%, and a bold foreign policy that created peace with Germany, Japan, and Central America
    24. Lack of leadership in the Congress and Harding was not inclined to fill that void
    25. Didn't have the experience or intellect of other presidents
    26. Got along better with the press than any other previous President, being a former newspaperman
    27. 1921: Signed the Budget and Accounting Act, considered one of his greatest domestic and enduring achievements
    28. Depression of 1920-21 led to an economic recovery beginning when he assumed office
    29. Tax cuts ended the Depression of 1920-1921 and were responsible for creating a decade-long expansion
    30. Farm Loan Act of 1916, The Capper-Volstead Act and The Future Trading Act dealt with farmers
    31. Became the first president to have a radio in his office
    32. 1921: Signed the Revenue Act, which greatly reduced taxes for the wealthiest Americans
    33. 1920s were a time of modernization for America - the advent of movies, flappers, and automobiles
    34. 1921: Federal Highway Act improved and expanded the nation's highway system
    35. 1922: Signed the Fordney-McCumber Tariff Act, which increased the tariff rates to the highest level in the nation's history
    36. The tariffs established in the 1920s have historically been viewed as a contributing factor to causing the Wall Street Crash of 1929
    37. 1921: Knox-Porter Resolution was signed by Harding and officially ended World War I for the U.S.
    38. 1921: Blair Mountain miner war, where miners cut down telephone and telegrah lines and trained their guns on the mines, strikebreakers and buildings. Battle lasted three days
    39. 1922: Labor movement supported an 8-hour day and a 6-day workweek compared to the 12-hour work day
    40. Did not hold any racial animosity
    41. Advocated civil rights for African Americans; the first President to openly advocate black political, educational, and economic equality during the 20th century
    42. 1921: The Per Centum Act severely reduced the amount of immigration into the U.S. to 3% of a country's represented population based on the 1910 census
    43. 1921: Signed the Sheppard-Towner Maternity Act, the first major federal government social welfare program
    44. Allowed alcohol in the White House, drank, smoked, and played poker inside
    45. Corruption in his administration were amuck
    46. Came to Alaska to open up lands for oil, mining, timber development, and industry
    47. Harding and John F. Kennedy are the only two presidents to have predeceased their fathers
    48. Shortest term of office of any 20th-century U.S. President