president warren g. harding

PRESIDENT WARREN G. HARDING

An Affable Simpleton

HARDING ON BEING PRESIDENT:

“I am a man of limited talents from a small town. I don’t seem to grasp that I am president. . . I love to meet people. It is the most pleasant thing I do; It really is the only fun I have.”

1920 ELECTION

Republic Campaign Planks• “Return to Normalcy”• Political Isolation• Pro-business policies

MELLON FAVORS BIG BUSINESS

Andrew Mellon appointed Secretary of the Treasury

• Spending Slashed• Protectionist Tariffs

• Tariff War

Herbert Hoover of Sec. of Commerce• Policy of cooperation and voluntary reform

A DEN OF GRAFT AND CORRUPTION

Harding was poor at managing his administration

“Ohio Gang”• Charles Forbes (Head of VB)

• Graft, waste• Harry Daugherty (Attorney General)

• Accepting bribes• Albert Fall (secretary of Interior)

• Teapot Dome Scandal

TEAPOT DOME SCANDAL

Navy emergency oil reserves transferred to Department of Interior

Land leased to private oilmen

Senate Investigation

HARDING DIES

Heart attack while returning from speaking tour in Alaska

• August 2, 1923