The American Presidents

[Rubber Soul]

21. CHESTER A. ARTHUR (For he's a dedicated follower of fashion)




Born: October 5, 1829, Fairfield, Vermont
Died: November 18, 1886, New York, New York

Term: September 19, 1881- March 4, 1885
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: none

First Lady: Mary Arthur McElroy (sister)

Before the Presidency: Chester Arthur was the son of a Baptist minister in Vermont. His father was a passionate abolitionist. He learned how to read and write at home before entering school as a child.

Arthur attended Union College in New York and, while not an A student, still graduated in the top third of his class.

He taught school for a while but had dreams of becoming a wealthy lawyer. Even at an early age, Arthur had fine tastes in clothing and was getting a reputation as a bit of a dandy. He passed the bar in 1854 and secured a clerkship in a New York legal firm. While at the firm, Arthur worked on an appeal to free seven slaves. He assisted in arguments before the New York Supreme Court, and they ultimately won the case in 1860. This case also got Arthur connections with other legal minds as well as some politicians.

Arthur, now a partner, also won another important case. A black woman had been forced out of a New York streetcar and told to catch the next one (shades of Rosa Parks a century later). Arthur argued the case and the woman won. After the case, all railroad companies in New York were told to seat black people without prejudice on their streetcars.

Arthur signed up for the Civil War as a way to further his political connections and maybe to make friends along the way. The Governor appointed Arthur Engineer-in Chief with the rank of Quartermaster General in the state militia. He would leave with the rank of Brigadier General as he became known for his administrative skills and efficiency.

Arthur, as a Unionist, wanted to go into battle, but his wife's family were from Virginia, so he never pushed his case.

So, he went back to his law practice in 1863. It was through this practice where he met Roscoe Conkling, a New York Republican Party boss. Conkling was also a Senator who used patronage and party discipline to gain more power. Think Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago for a comparison.

It wasn't long before Arthur became one of Conkling's top Lieutenants.  Through Conkling, he became Chief Counsel to the New York Tax Commission, and he would become fairly wealthy as a result.

And, thanks to Senator Conkling, no doubt, President Grant appointed Arthur as the Collector of the Port of New York, a very important position as they controlled the majority of the nation's import duties. It also had a bit of a reputation for corruption although Arthur, himself, was never implicated in any graft. He did, however, collect salary kickbacks from custom house employees to give to Conkling's machine.

In 1878, the gravy train all but ended. President Hayes was determined to end the practice of patronage, and Roscoe Conkling, and the New York Customs House, were in his crosshairs. Arthur was initially fired and offered a consulship in Paris, but he and Conkling fought the firing. Arthur instead was suspended and he and Conkling vowed to support Grant in 1880.

Summary of offices held:

1861-1863: Engineer-in- Chief, New York Militia

1871-1878: Collector of the Port of New York

1879-1881: Chairman, New York Republican Party

1881: Vice President of the United States


What was going on: the Gilded Age, Civil Service reform, Chinese immigration, Naval reform

Scandals within the administration: Ordway corruption scandal

Why he was a good President: He ended the spoils system once and for all and made improvements to the Navy.

Why he was a bad President: He never was truly able to shake the corrupt tag on him from his days as a Stalwart, and there really is no civil rights record one way or the other.

What could have saved his Presidency: He was able to kill the Stalwarts, but he needed to go after the more corrupt wings of the Half- Breeds.  Also, maybe a stand against the bigotry towards the Chinese could have glorified his presidency (though it certainly would not have helped him in the 1880s)

What could have destroyed his Presidency: If he had continued to favor Conkling and the Stalwarts and vetoed the Civil Service Act, well, we would have been putting him in with Buchanan and Pierce.

How he became Vice President: The Republican convention was more of less a war between Conkling's Stalwarts by way of Grant, and James Blaine's Half- Breeds. Both sides were known for their patronage habits, and both truly despised each other. It was an ugly battle, and it took thirty-six ballots to nominate a compromise candidate, James Garfield, who aligned with the Half- Breeds.

Now why Arthur, with no real political experience, was even considered for the Vice-Presidency is a bit of a mystery. What we do know is that some of Conkling's lackeys were pushing Arthur for the ticket and a reluctant Garfield acquiesced as he knew he would need the New York machine if he wanted to win the election. Conkling, meanwhile, had nothing to do with his lieutenants' zeal and he tried to persuade Arthur to turn the Vice-Presidency down. Conkling hated the Half-Breeds so bad, he would apparently have rather had a Democrat in the White House.

But Arthur's ego was pretty much flattered, and he accepted the nomination saying that, " The office of the Vice-President is a great honor than I ever dreamed of attaining."

And Garfield won a fairly close election. Chester A. Arthur was the Vice-President of the United States.

First term: The Vice-Presidency was an interesting one to say the least. Already accused of being in Conkling's pocket, Arthur broke with the President over the Robertson appointment (pushed by now Secretary of State Blaine) to the New York Custom House. Conkling and the other New York Senator resigned in protest. It was obvious Garfield and Arthur didn't like each other and Arthur was more of less powerless, at first anyway.

For, on that fateful July day, President Garfield was shot. Two and half months later, he was dead, and Chester A. Arthur was now the President of the United States. Roscoe Conkling was dancing a jig.

But Garfield's assassination created a public outcry for civil service reform and President Arthur, to the shock of Conkling, voiced his support for it. It was one thing to dislike Garfield; it was another thing for him to die so unnecessarily.

Arthur, indeed, surprised everybody by being a fairly capable President. He vetoed the Chinese Exclusion act (though he would sign a watered down bill later). Then he went after the graft, first by vetoing the River and Harbor act (overridden) that he considered a pork barrel bill.

Then came the big blow. After losing big time in the midterms, the Republicans passed the Pendleton Civil Service Act in hopes to salvage some patronage at least. President Arthur signed the bill.

Then he appointed the members of the new Civil Service Commission to the astonishment of the Democrats at least and the ire of Boss Conkling who must have felt fairly betrayed. Chester Arthur did what his predecessors couldn't do (though Hayes came close), end the spoils system in government once and for all.

Well, sort of. Presidents still appoint friends and political allies to cabinet positions to this day. Even Arthur would be accused of appointing a Secretary of the Navy via the spoils system.

But mostly, people are now appointed on the basis of their merits and not on who they donated to, and Arthur gets the credit for that.

He also gets credit for refurbishing the Naval fleet as he appropriated funds for the Navy's first steel vessels.



Post Presidency: President Arthur was secretly diagnosed with a fatal kidney disease in 1882. He kept it quiet even as he half-heartedly sought re-election in 1884. But he didn't get much support as his Stalwart allies turned against him and the Half Breeds really wanted Blaine. Arthur would lose out on the fourth ballot.

And that was fine with Arthur as he was dying anyway. He tried to return to his law practice, but the disease had a devastating effect on his heart. He died in November 1886 surrounded by family and friends. He was buried with honors in Albany, President Grover Cleveland was in attendance.



Odd notes: In college, he helped to throw the school bell into the Erie Canal

Arthur owned at least 80 pairs of pants

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/28917/21-things-you-didnt-know-about-21st-president

Final Summary: Chester A. Arthur is the perfect example of how the Presidency can change you into a better person. Once corrupt, Arthur became a reformer. And for someone who had no business being in the White House to begin with, Arthur proved to be quite adept and even if he wasn't considered a hard worker (Got that from an episode of the Presidents on the History Channel), he certainly took the office seriously. I would have liked to have seen him take a stand against discrimination in the South (The Republicans were still pro-civil rights in the 1880s) and maybe attempted to do something to end the genocide against the Native Americans that was going on.

But all in all, ending the political patronage for the most part and starting to beef up the Navy isn't a bad legacy to go on.

Overall rating: B-

https://millercenter.org/president/arthur

[Rubber Soul]

22 and 24. GROVER CLEVELAND (Ma, Ma, where's your PA?)





Born: March 18, 1837, Caldwell, New Jersey
Died: June 24, 1908, Princeton, New Jersey

Terms: March 4, 1885- March 4, 1889, March 4, 1893- March 4, 1897
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President(s): Thomas Hendricks, Adlai Stevenson

First Lady: Ann Cleveland (sister) Frances Folsom Cleveland (married 1886)

Before the Presidency: The son of a minister, Cleveland grew up in central New York State. He had dreams of college but had to put it aside to support the family after his father died. He worked with his older brother in New York City then studied law in Buffalo while working as a clerk. It was there where he was admitted to the bar in 1858.

During the Civil War, he worked as an assistant district attorney for Erie County. He also got out of the war by paying a substitute $300. It was legal though obviously controversial, and it would be a factor in his political career later. Still, he was a good attorney with a photographic memory, and he took advantage of that when giving arguments in court.

The political career of sorts started in 1870 when he was elected Sheriff of Erie County. He also gained a bit of weight and might have been, after William Taft, the second heaviest President in history. He was a gregarious guy, not extremely cultured. He also stayed active in the Democratic Party.

Though Cleveland had been a sheriff, he tried to stay away from partisan politics and yet, would become Mayor of Buffalo by way of the Democratic machine there. It was a surprising endorsement as the new Mayor would be known quickly as a reformer as he exposed graft and corruption in some of the city's services. He vetoed dozens of pork barrel bills and earned a reputation for honesty and efficiency. This got the attention of Democratic leaders in New York and the nominated him for Governor in 1882. He won the support of Tammany Hall (who would soon regret it) and he was elected  that November.

And, as Governor, Cleveland went after, guess who, Tammany Hall. He was a workaholic and vetoed many a spending bill, especially those that were blatantly of the pork barrel variety. He became nationally known being the Governor of a prominent state and  was already being talked about as a potential Presidential candidate in 1884.

Summary of offices held:

1871-1873: Sheriff or Erie County, New York

1882: Mayor, Buffalo, New York

1883-1885: Governor, New York


What was going on: 1885-1888: The Statue of Liberty, the Gilded Age, the Dawes Act, Great blizzard of 1888

                                      1893-1896: Lizzie Borden, Coxey's Army, Dreyfus Affair, Plessy vs Ferguson

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of

Why he was a good President: He was an advocate against corruption and, was a pretty solid administrator if nothing else. Plus, while not the greatest policy maker, he was at least honest.

Why he was a bad President: He was, at best, insensitive to racial concerns and pretty much was the President to give Jim Crow laws a green light in the South. For someone with excellent administrative skills, he did virtually nothing to alleviate the economic impact from the Panic of 1893.

What could have saved his Presidency: A more active approach to the Panic of 1893 and maybe a better Foreign Policy. The fact that we could have gotten to war with England in 1895 seems rather scary.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: A situation like Harrison would have with the Wounded Knee massacre. And, of course, there was the Panic of 1893 that nearly did.

Election of 1884: This would prove to be one of the ugliest campaigns in history. Cleveland came in early on as the favorite to take the Democratic nomination. He was lauded for his taking on of Tammany Hall plus, it was assumed New York, along with the South, would make Cleveland a shoo in for the White House.

Meanwhile, the Republicans were in disarray. The Stalwarts were staring to fade away, but Blaine remained the most powerful man in the Republican Party. But he now had a new faction to contend with, the Mugwumps, a group that really was reform minded and they were secretly supporting Cleveland.

In the end, Cleveland and Blaine were the opposing candidates and the mudslinging began in earnest. At first, the campaign was issue oriented as Blaine talked about Tariffs and Cleveland was emphasizing honesty in Government.

The Cleveland camp fired the first shot as they depicted Blaine in political cartoons as corrupt and even came up with a slogan: Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine, the continental liar from the state of Maine.

Blaine's camp responded with something a little more personal. Cleveland, in his younger days, was having a bit of fun sowing his wild oats, the result being having a child born out of wedlock.

So, the Blaine camp came up with the infamous: Ma, Ma, where's your Pa?

Now the typical politician might have tried to cover the whole details up, but Cleveland fessed up to possibly having an illegitimate child, thus neutralizing the political damage.

As far as the accusations go. Both Cleveland and his law partner had slept with the woman in question which is why Cleveland had said his fatherhood was possible. The woman also suffered from mental health issues and was indeed committed, but that had nothing to do with Cleveland as the Republicans were suggesting. In any event, neither Cleveland nor his law partner would see the child, adopted by a couple later on, again.

In the end, Cleveland won just enough states to eke out a close victory.

And the Democrats crowed: Ma, Ma, where's your pa? Gone to the White House ha, ha, ha.

First term: President Cleveland quickly earned a reputation as something of a miser when it came to public funding. He vetoed hundreds of Veteran's Pension bills seeing them as fraudulent. He also denied drought relief to farmers in the West as he didn't think it was the responsibility of the Government, this was no FDR.

On the other hand, he continued the crusade to end government corruption. He expanded the list of classified positions under the merit system among other things and he fought against attempts to weaken reform laws already on the books.

President Cleveland wasn't known as an activist President and he only rarely advocated legislation to Congress, but he did approve of the streamlined Presidential Succession Act which established the order of Presidential succession after the Vice President. That would be law until 1947 when a new act to include the Speaker of the House and the President Pro-Tempore would be passed.

1886 was also something of an interesting year for President Cleveland as he became to first President to marry in the White House. It was also year he welcomed the Statue of Liberty from France.

But when it came to relations with minorities, Cleveland wasn't so hot. He signed the Dawes act which divided tribal lands with the intention of assimilating the Natives to the American way of life. It backfired. It made the railroad barons happy though as that took the land that was divided and made them even more money.

It wasn't a good time for African Americans either as Cleveland more or less let the South do its thing with the Jim Crow laws. The Chinese didn't fare much better. Cleveland, at first, was reluctant to bar them from the US seeing them as an important workforce, but pressure from Western whites resigned him to think that their culture was way too different from American (read: white) culture for them to ever really assimilate . So, he signed the Chinese Exclusion Act.

He did, however, repeal the 1867 Tenure of Office act, deeming it unconstitutional, which it likely was.

Election of 1888: As the election of 1888 approached, it was obvious that Cleveland wasn't setting the country afire. He wasn't unpopular by any means, but he wasn't exactly a rock star either and he seemed beatable in this election.

The Republicans nominated former Senator Benjamin Harrison, yet another Civil War hero. Meanwhile, the only drama on the Democratic side was on who to choose for Vice President since Vice President Hendricks had died three years earlier, thus sparking the Presidential Succession Act.  They would go with Allen Thurman of Ohio.

The general election was much more issue oriented than the previous one. The Republicans pushed for higher tariffs as usual and blasted Cleveland on his numerous vetoes (he holds the record for vetoes by any President to this day). Cleveland, meanwhile, campaigned on his civil service reform and the lowering of tariffs.

In the end, and this may be one of the arguments against an Electoral College, Cleveland won the popular vote by a close margin.

But Benjamin Harrison was going to be the new President because he won the Electoral College rather handily. Indiana (Harrison's home state) swung back to the Republicans and Cleveland lost his state of New York narrowly (New Yorkers liked high tariffs apparently).

President Cleveland left the White House with dignity, but his First Lady and wife, Frances Folsom informed the staff.  "I want you to take good care of all the furniture and ornaments in the house, for I want to find everything just as it is now when we come back again four years from today."

She proved to be prophetic.

Election of 1892: Grover Cleveland emerged as the favorite in 1892. People had had enough of four years of Benjamin Harrison,  and they missed the relatively good times of Cleveland's term.

So, after some competition from the likes of David B. Hill of New York who had hoped to get some support from the South and Midwest, who were a little skeptical of Cleveland's chances. As such, Cleveland would barely win on the first ballot.

The general election proved to be a bit easier as Harrison was quite unpopular with his high tariffs (and makes you wonder how McKinley ever got elected in 1896 considering it was his tariffs). Because of the economy, a new party called the Populists were created and they would have an effect on both candidates. Cleveland would win the popular vote again but this time with just a plurality, the Populists scoring eight percent of the vote.

The Electoral College though was  a clean victory for Cleveland as he swept the South and lost only most of New England as well as a handful of other states.

And Grover Cleveland would make history as the only person (so far) to serve two non-consecutive terms.

Second Term: The honeymoon for President Cleveland ended just two months into his term as the Panic of 1893 hit. And of course, as is typical of Americans (and I bet all people actually), whoever is holding the ball at the time gets the blame, even if it was the predecessor who actually fumbled the ball.

The real question now, though was, what was President Cleveland going to do about it? Well, as noted earlier, he wasn't any FDR, so if you expected economic help on a lower level, you wouldn't want to hold your breath.

The Panic of 1893 affected other areas as strikes were on the rise. Gold reserves were at such a low point that Cleveland had to borrow $65 million in gold from J.P. Morgan, thus making Americans beholden to the very rich. On top of that there was the infamous Pullman Railroad strike of 1894. To say the least, that was handled badly as Cleveland sent in federal troops to break the strike, giving the affluent another victory.

Things weren't going very well on the Foreign front either. The US threatened war with Britain over a border dispute with Venezuela citing the Monroe Doctrine. Luckily, cooler heads prevailed, and war was averted.

He also failed in Hawaii as he rejected annexation and tried to get Queen Liliuokalani reinstated. It was all well meaning as he was trying to save Hawaii from an overthrow by sugar interests. But neither side seemed exactly moral, and Cleveland simply washed his hands of the whole affair.

So, Cleveland was no more popular than Harrison had been by the mid-terms and the Republicans swept through to again take over Congress.  As a result, Cleveland's last two years were somewhat ineffective and even had opposition from a group known as Silverites, a group that would dominate the Democratic party very soon.

And, even as a pro-Gold faction tried to persuade Cleveland to run for a third term, he declined.

And left the White House an embittered man.

Post Presidency: While Cleveland's popularity upon leaving the White House would make even Donald Trump blush, he would end up about as popular an ex-President as he had been when he lost in 1884. He arrived to a hero's welcome in Princeton, New Jersey and the bitterness he felt after leaving the White House began to dissipate. He wrote a book about his most controversial Presidential decisions and became well-respected as an elder statesman. He often would comment on President Roosevelt's administration, usually with civility, and twice would turn down drafts to run in 1900 and 1904.

His health began to decline after the death of his daughter, Ruth, and he would die of a gastro-intestinal disease in 1908.

Odd notes: Cleveland was affectionately known by his family as Uncle Jumbo

https://twitter.com/mental_floss/status/1229438003107549186

Grover Cleveland allegedly paid to avoid conscription in the Civil War

https://facts.net/grover-cleveland-facts/

While President, he secretly had an operation to remove a cancerous tumor from his mouth.

Final Summary: History has been kind to Grover Cleveland and most historians tend to rate him as an above average President.

But I don't see it. I mean the man all but opened the door for Jim Crow. He basically was no better than Herbert Hoover when it came to financial hardships. His foreign policy was pretty questionable as well as he nearly went to war with Britain over a dispute with Venezuela.

On the plus side, especially in his first term, he was a stanch advocate for civil service reform and, whatever you thought of the guy politically speaking, you couldn't question the man's integrity and honesty.

But he wasn't a friend of minorities and, as a social liberal, I guess I have a hard time with that.

At least they named a candy bar after his daughter (for those who thought it was named after Babe Ruth).

Overall rating: First term: C
                          Second Term: D

https://millercenter.org/president/cleveland

[Rubber Soul]

23. BENJAMIN HARRISON (It's all about the Benjamins)




Born: August 20, 1833, North Bend, Ohio
Died: March 13, 1901, Indianapolis, Indiana

Term: March 4, 1889- March 4, 1893
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: Levi Morton

First Lady: Caroline Scott Harrison

Before the Presidency: Benjamin Harrison came from a political family. His grandfather was the ill-fated William Henry Harrison, the ninth President of the United States and his father, John Scott Harrison, was a congressman. On top of that, his Great-Grandfather was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

As for Benjamin, he was raised in rural Ohio where he enjoyed hunting and fishing among other things. He was schooled by private tutors. He grew up with a certain self-assurance that some people took as arrogance and later was given the derisive nickname, the Human Iceberg.

Benjamin was a good student, and he was near the top of his class at Miami of Ohio University in 1852. He passed the bar in 1854 and he and his wife moved to Indianapolis where he set up a law practice.

Harrison joined the new Republican Party in 1856 and backed John Fremont for President. He became Indianapolis City Attorney in 1857. He later served with the Indiana Republican State Central Committee as secretary and supported Abraham Lincoln for President. Harrison was an ambitious sort and he also took on the job as state reporter for the Indiana Supreme Court.

Harrison's career was interrupted by the Civil War. He joined the Union Army ending his stint as Brigadier General under William Sherman, who liked Harrison. Harrison, though, hated the war, finding it a filthy business.

After the war, Harrison returned to his law career and worked as a court reporter. He also continued on with his political career, running unsuccessfully for Governor in 1872. He ran again four years later as the Republican nominee but would lose in the General election. He was a supporter of Rutherford Hayes and Hayes would appoint Harrison to the Mississippi River Commission in 1879. He chaired the Indiana Delegation at the 1880 Republican National Convention. There, he threw his support behind the dark horse, James Garfield.

Harrison finally made the big time as he became a Senator from Indiana in 1881. It was here where we have an idea of where Harrison stood on the issues. He supported pensions for Civil War veterans, meaning he wasn't a fan of Grover Cleveland. He also supported statehood for Dakota, high tariffs, some civil service reform, a modernized Navy. He also broke with his party by opposing the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Summary of offices held:

1857- 1861: City Attorney, Indianapolis

1862-1865: US Union Army, Brigadier general, served under William Sherman

1881-1887: US Senator


What was going on: The Sherman Anti-trust act, Wounded Knee massacre,

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of

Why he was a good President: He continued the drive towards civil reform and, while he had mixed success on the foreign affairs front, he did start the Pan American Conferences which was essentially the North and South American United Nations.

Why he was a bad President: His aloof and arrogant personality tended to turn people off, so he wasn't the greatest diplomat. His push for high tariffs would precipitate the Panic of 1893. And he obviously wasn't very sensitive in the arena of Indian affairs.

What could have saved his Presidency: Better attention towards the economic conditions might have lessened the severity of the Panic of 1893.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: A disastrous foreign policy could have led to war with both Italy and Chile. I don't see how either could have defeated us and Chile in fact caved in to US demands. As for Italy, it was certainly our bad and we managed to smooth things over.

But, if we hadn't, well...

Election of 1888: Harrison's Senate career ended after the Democrats took over the State Legislature 1887 and he declared his candidacy for President calling himself a living and rejuvenated Republican, thus inventing a catchphrase of the times briefly. Meanwhile, Blaine was again seen as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, but unlike 1884, he was unable to get enough support to guarantee his nomination.

So, he threw his support behind Harrison in hopes of uniting the party. It became a hotly contested contest between Harrison and new favorite James Sherman of Ohio. Harrison would win out on the eighth ballot and be given Levi Morton as his running mate. The Democrats, meanwhile, had an easy selection and renominated President Cleveland.

The 1888 general campaign was much less hostile than the infamous Cleveland-Blaine battle. Harrison limited his campaign to front porch speeches while Cleveland would make only one public appearance. Their backers, of course, were a totally different story, but even they, for the most part, stayed civil.

It was an issue oriented campaign as Harrison talked about tariffs, sound currency (Harrison supported the Gold Standard), and Civil War pensions. One issue that did cause some tensions was over the Civil War itself. Cleveland wanted to return captured Confederate Flags to Southern States which caused  some consternation in the North. There was also some fraud in some of the states, notably in Harrison's hometown of Indianapolis which strangely went for Cleveland.

And it ended in a rather controversial election count. President Cleveland won the popular vote and with a majority, but Harrison won the electoral vote and he was to be the next President of the United States.

At least the Congress didn't have to decide the outcome this time.

First term: President Harrison started right of the gate as he condemned the practice of Senatorial courtesy and the spoils system. James Blaine, as under Garfield, was the Secretary of State and he was quite active, organizing the first Pan-American Conference among other things. The Sherman Anti-Trust act was also passed during Harrison's term though it wouldn't really be used until the Roosevelt Administration. Harrison also pushed for the Sherman Silver Purchase Act though that would have little effect on the economy.

President Harrison also signed the McKinley Tariff act increasing duties by nearly 50%. This proved to be one of the less popular bills in the Harrison Administration. Plus, he had to deal with an International Crisis when eleven Italian immigrants were lynched in New Orleans. Italy had considered going to war over it. There were also tensions with Chile and war was being threatened there as well.

But perhaps the lowest point of Harrison's Presidency was the infamous Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890. In that incident, there was an uprising that resulted from the attempted arrest and murder of Sitting Bull (another thing for Trollheart to delve more deeply into). A group of Lakota Indians were met by the 7th Cavalry. There were escorted to camp at Wounded Knee and, after being told to disarm, there was confusion as  Chief Yellow Bird began what was called the Ghost Dance. After some confusion, shots rang out and, in the end, nearly 400 Lakota men, women, and children lay dead.

At the time, it probably did little to hurt Harrison's political chances and it is uncertain as to what he even knew (he basically was more pro than anti civil-rights at the time, even going so far as to appoint Frederick Douglass minister to Haiti).

But it pretty much destroyed his legacy.

Election of 1892: Harrison entered 1892 as not the most popular President going. He had differences with Secretary of State Blaine and Blaine resigned that summer, running against him for the nomination. Meanwhile, Grover Cleveland was back and was more popular than ever. And though there was some resistance from within the party, Cleveland eked out the nomination on the very first ballot.

Harrison, too, would be nominated on the first ballot but only because Blaine had turned down a draft (he would die in early 1893) and as for up and comer William McKinley, well, it just wasn't his time yet.

So, it was going to be a Harrison- Cleveland rematch. It was a quiet campaign as Cleveland, out of compassion for President Harrison's ailing wife (she would die just two weeks before the election), didn't campaign at all. Harrison, for his part, limited his campaign to just New York and New Jersey, considered swing states at the time.

There was also a third party to contend with known as the Populists. They nominated Civil war General James Weaver and advocated the free coinage of silver.

In the end, Cleveland again won the popular vote but this time, he also ran away with the electoral vote, thus making history.

Harrison, now widowed, was just going home.

Post Presidency: Harrison had a quiet retirement, speaking on Constitutional Law at Stanford University and working as Chief Counsel for Venezuela during a boundary dispute with British Guiana.

Benjamin Harrison passed away in 1901 at the age of 67.

Odd notes: Harrison owned a goat named Old Whiskers

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/12300/11-tips-benjamin-harrison-birthday-bash-youre-probably-planning

Harrison had electricity installed in the White House

Final Summary:  Harrison wasn't the most eloquent of Presidents and he certainly lacked the ability to rally Americans around a cause like Theodore Roosevelt would do a decade later.

But he did have some accomplishments on the foreign front, notably the Pan-American Conference. He backed American sailors after an incident in Chile, and he supported the expansion of the Navy.

But, overall, he probably goes down as one of the littlest known Presidents in history. And I'm sure being sandwiched between Grover Cleveland's two terms didn't help.

He did try to do his best though.

Overall rating: C-

https://millercenter.org/president/bharrison

[Rubber Soul]

25. WILLIAM MCKINLEY (Shufflin' off to Buffalo)




Born: January 29, 1843, Niles, Ohio
Died: September 14, 1901, Buffalo, New York (assassinated)

Term: March 4, 1897- September 14, 1901 (assassinated)
Political Party: Republican

Vice President(s): Garret Hobart, Theodore Roosevelt

First Lady: Ida Saxton McKinley

Before the Presidency: William McKinley grew up with a happy childhood. His mother was deeply religious and taught young William the vales of honesty and prayer among other things while his father taught young William to have a strong work ethic.

It was this work ethic that made William want to get a good education. Entering Allegheny Collage in 1860, he had to drop out after a year, because of illness and financial difficulties.

His illness must not have been too debilitating, however, as he joined the Twenty-Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry at the start of the Civil War. As a Private, he fought bravely at Antietam. Later, he was a Lieutenant under Colonel Rutherford B Hayes. He considered Hayes his mentor and they would enjoy a lifelong friendship. By the time the war ended, McKinley was a Brevet Major.

After the Civil War, McKinley entered Albany Law School, passing the bar in 1867. He opened a practice in Canton, Ohio and it was there where he met his wife, Ida Saxton.

He became involved in Republican politics in 1869 and won an election as County Prosecutor that year. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1876. He served three terms before losing in 1882 but he won his seat back two years later.

It was as Chairman of the House and Ways Committee where he became nationally known. He drafted and pushed through what was known as the very protectionist McKinley Tariff of 1890. It had an effect of raising consumer prices and McKinley ended up losing his second election that year.

He didn't try to return to the House. Instead, McKinley made a run for Governor of Ohio where he won by a razor thin margin.

McKinley had considerably better success as a Governor as he tried to lessen the rift between management and labor. McKinley was certainly pro- business but that didn't stop him from developing a system of arbitration designed to settle labor agreements. It wasn't all fun and games, however, as Governor McKinley called in the National Guard to quell strike related violence by the United Mine Workers in 1894.

McKinley was personally affected by the Panic of 1893, and he could sympathize with voters when he ran for re-election in 1894. Voters sympathized with him as well and he was re-elected Governor easily.

And it put him in position as a candidate for President in 1896.

Summary of offices held:

1861-1865: US Union Army, Brevet Major

1869-1871: Prosecuting Attorney, Stark County, Ohio

1877-1883: US House of Representatives, Ohio

1885-1981: US House of Representatives, Ohio

1889-1891: Chairman, House and Ways Committee

1892-1896: Governor of Ohio




What was going on: Spanish American War, The Philippine Insurrection, the Gold Standard, the Gay Nineties

Scandals within the administration: Oregon land fraud scandal

Why he was a good President: The United States more or less was recognized as a global power after the Spanish-American War. And, though his tariffs were controversial from a historical standpoint, the economy was improving.

Why he was a bad President: The concept of big money controlling elections more or less started with him. He wasn't corrupt by any means, but some of his followers, well... He was also something of an Imperialist President so that doesn't go well on his resume either.

What could have saved his Presidency: Historically speaking, I'd say maybe if he had shown more restraint when it came to wars, particularly the ill-advised Philippine one. I would have also liked to  have seen him take a stand on civil rights.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: If people knew more about the Philippine resurrection. If they hadn't discovered more gold, which had a lot to do with the now booming economy.

Election of 1896: 1896 is something of a historic election, for a new political Machiavellian was taking over the Republican Party. He was an affluent businessman from Ohio named Mark Hanna. He especially pushed for McKinley, and he won on the first ballot.

The Democrats, burned from the Panic of 1893, were looking for some new blood. They found it in a young Populist, William Jennings Bryan. Bryan, of course, would be remembered mostly for being the prosecutor in the infamous Scopes trial of 1925. For anyone interested, I'll explain that trial later (assuming Trollheart doesn't beat me to it first). Anyway, basically Bryan was an Evangelical Christian, certainly not a handicap in 1896 and not even a factor in the campaign.

The Republican and Democratic platforms were quite different in 1896. The Republicans wanted to stay on the Gold Standard, pushed for protectionist policies, and supported the annexation of Hawaii.

The Democrats, through the charismatic Bryan, was primarily for the Silver standard. His passion for free silver was likely the dominant issue in both campaigns. It was in this campaign where Bryan made his famous Cross of Gold speech. The Democrats also opposed protectionism, pushed for cheap foreign labor through immigration, and the use of injunctions to end strikes. They also supported an income tax (that still goes so well with Americans even today- yes, I'm being sarcastic).

The third party Populists lost their platform to Bryan, so they nominated him as their candidate as well.

The campaigning styles were quite different as well. McKinley, as was the tradition, ran a front porch campaign. But, Bryan campaigned all over the country, 18,000 miles in all. He spoke to enthusiastic crowds and painted McKinley as a puppet to big business (and, in a sense he was, $4 million dollars was donated to his campaign by, um, big business).

Bryan's campaign seemed to be going fairly well, but there was a faction of Gold Democrats who bolted from the party. Bryan would go on to be, the Scopes trial notwithstanding, to be one of the most decent people ever to run for President (wait till we get to Woodrow Wilson, and I'll tell you why).

But he was not to be President. William McKinley would win by over 600,000 votes and pulled a solid win in the all-important Electoral College.

First term: The first thing President McKinley did upon entering office was to go after the tariffs. He would sign the Dingley Tariff act that raised the average tariff by nearly 50%

But it would be wars that would dominate McKinley's first term, notably, the Spanish-American war. Expansionists had been looking for an excuse to take Spain's territories in the Caribbean and Pacific, even if it meant war with Spain. In fact, some were hankering for a war with Spain, no longer the powerhouse they were during Colonial times. McKinley, to his credit, did everything he could to avoid going to war.

But the saber rattlers had their excuse when an explosion on the Battleship Maine was blamed on the Spanish off Cuba. Yellow journalists, led by William Randolph Hearst, convinced the public that Spain was essentially the epitome of evil (Actually, they weren't far off the mark; Spanish authorities were indeed guilty of some human rights abuses in Cuba).

So, President McKinley sent in the military to free Cuba from the Spanish. The Rough Riders were formed by Congress and McKinley's Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt, resigned to lead one of the regiments in Cuba.

The war was more or less a rout as Spain surrendered within months. As a result, Hawaii was finally annexed, the US also gained Puerto Rico and Guam, Cuba was independent, and the Philippines was up in the air.

And that created an issue that isn't much talked about today, for a rebellion was brewing in the Philippines and the US was going to get caught right in the middle of it. Called the Philippine Insurrection, McKinley sent troops to the islands in order to stifle the rebels. It only made matters worse, and McKinley just avoided ending up with his own Vietnam. Thanks, strangely enough and inadvertently, of course, to Leon Czolgosz. (It would be Theodore Roosevelt that got us out of that quagmire).

President McKinley would also send troops to China as the Boxer Rebellion was underway in 1900. McKinley had adopted an Open Door policy regarding China. What he didn't know that there was a group, known as the Boxers, who wanted all foreigners out of the country and went on a rampage, massacring Western missionaries, diplomats, garbage collectors, you get the picture.

So, McKinley sent troops and gunboats along with Britain, Germany, Russia, and Japan to crush the rebellion. In the end, the Chinese had to shell out $300 million in indemnities to the five nations.

So, whatever the economic climate was in the US (and it was good for the most part), McKinley's successes in war (two out of three isn't bad I guess) put him in fairly good position for re-election.

Election of 1900: The election of 1900 was more or less a repeat of 1896 as the popular McKinley won re-nomination easily, the only drama being who would be his running mate. His Vice-President, Garret A. Hobart, had died in office, so they had to find someone to counter McKinley. They went with Theodore Roosevelt, the hero of San Juan Hill, and the Republicans left very happy with their ticket.

The Democrats decided to go with the popular Williams Jennings Bryan for a second time, going with former Vice President Adlai Stevenson as the running mate. An interesting rematch was brewing.

Some of the issues were old as Bryan continued to push for free silver. The Democrats also opposed the Philippine War and American Imperialism in general. The Republicans, of course, had the success of the Spanish-American war on their side and could point to the economic upturn as the result of gold discoveries in Alaska and South Africa (and, by the way, the Boer War involving Britain and Germany, was going on then too).

In the end, the silver issue was more or less dead and McKinley would win re-election rather easily.

Second Term: The second term got off to a good start as the leader of the Philippine rebels, Emilio Aguinaldo, surrendered, and the US gained the upper hand. Fighting still would continue for another year, however.

The next months would be rather quiet as President McKinley worked on trade and tariff issues. It was about tariff reciprocity that dominated a speech President McKinley made in Buffalo during the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo.

It was the last speech he would ever make.

Assassination:  The next day, September 6, 1901, would prove a fateful one for President McKinley. He was visiting the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. After making his speech, he stood last in a line of greeters shaking hands with admirers, well, mostly admirers.

Because, at 4:07 in the afternoon, McKinley offered his hand to a professed anarchist named Leon Czolgosz. Czolgosz happened to have a concealed weapon under his shirt and fired point blank into McKinley's chest. He fell backwards, telling his Secret Service men not to hurt the assailant. He also worried on how they would tell his wife, for the First lady was very emotionally dependent on her husband and he obviously loved her as well.

It was hoped that McKinley would survive the wound (and he might have under today's technology), but gangrene set in, and he would die eight days later. At least he didn't have to suffer the way Garfield had.

Odd notes:

McKinley had a pet parrot named Washington Post

https://www.visitcanton.com/blog/stark11-11-facts-about-president-mckinley-you-may-not-know/


Wife Ida hated the color yellow

10 Interesting Facts About William McKinley

Final Summary: William McKinley, in some ways, is an example of being beholden to special interests. It wasn't all his fault of course; Mark Hanna deserves much of the blame. But it is true that more money poured into McKinley's two Presidential campaigns than any candidate previously. We became a world power during his administration and some of it can be attributed to McKinley's foreign policy and, of course, a rather formidable military, but, as in the Polk Administration, was it worth losing our souls?

Still, while I can't say I was a fan of McKinley's economic policies (I'm definitely not a protectionist), the economy did improve significantly during his one term plus. Yes, it had more to do with external factors such as the new gold discoveries than of McKinley's policies. I guess you can say, on that score, McKinley was quite lucky.

But of course, and tragically, he wasn't lucky at all.


Overall rating: C

https://millercenter.org/president/mckinley

[Rubber Soul]

26. THEODORE ROOSEVELT (Won't you be my Teddy Bear)




Born: October 27, 1858, New York, New York
Died: January 6, 1919, Oyster Bay, New York

Term: September 14, 1901- March 4, 1909
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: Charles Fairbanks

First Lady: Edith Carow Roosevelt

Before the Presidency: Theodore Roosevelt grew up in a fairly affluent family in New York City. He suffered from asthma as a young child but was surrounded by love from his parents and three siblings.

Young Theodore was a determined young man, and he took it upon himself to get out from under his bad health. He took up gymnastics and weight lifting and built up a fairly rugged physique. He became an advocate of exercise and the adventurous life as a result. It also instilled quite a bit of confidence in the young man. He also spent his childhood traveling extensively overseas with his family and no doubt gained a perspective on other nations, particularly in Europe.

In 1876, Roosevelt entered Harvard College where he studied a variety of subjects. It was there where he met his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee, who he would marry in 1880. He dropped out of Columbia Law School a year later to begin a life of public service.

Roosevelt was elected to the New York Assembly in 1882 where he served for two years. Unfortunately, tragedy would strike in 1884 when both his mother and wife died on the same day. Distraught, Roosevelt left for the first of his many adventures, hanging out in the Dakota Badlands where he hunted Grizzly bears, herded cows, and chasing outlaws as a frontier sheriff. Roosevelt was quite happy living the rugged life.

But he would return to the East after a devastating winter all but wiped out his cattle. He had rekindled a love with his childhood sweetheart, Edith Kermit Carow, and they would marry in England in 1886, settling at Oyster Bay, New York.

Back in New York, Roosevelt resumed his writing career, writing about the Naval War of 1812. Several more books followed, and it is possible Roosevelt could have been a successful non-fiction author.

But public service was his first calling, and he ran for Mayor of New York in 1886. He lost but, after campaigning for Benjamin Harrison in 1888, he was appointed to the US Civil Service Commission. And indeed, he was a reformer, being re-nominated by Grover Cleveland in 1893. As Commissioner, he enforced the Civil Service laws and clashed with both parties who wanted him to look the other way when it came to patronage.

In 1895, Roosevelt left the Commission to accept the job of Police Commissioner in New York City. There he developed a reputation for honesty as he cleaned up the corrupt Police Board and enforced the city's blue laws (no liquor to be sold on Sundays). Needless to say, Roosevelt wasn't popular with the party bosses.

Lucky for them, Roosevelt was off to accept a new job as President McKinley appointed him as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, an interesting position, since, up to then, he hadn't served in the military.

Of course, that would change a year later when the Spanish-American War broke out. Roosevelt left the Administration to join the Rough Riders as a Lieutenant Colonel. The Rough Riders were essentially a rag tag bunch of Ivy Leaguers like himself, Western cowboys, sheriffs, police officers, even Native Americans. Roosevelt was a popular leader and he led them up San Juan Hill. His contingent suffered heavy casualties, but they emerged victorious; Roosevelt becoming perhaps the biggest military hero since Ulysses Grant.

Roosevelt came home a war hero, and the Republicans tagged him for New York Governor against the Tammany Hall backed Democrat, Judge Augustus Van Wyck. Roosevelt too benefitted from party bosses, in his case Boss Thomas Platt. Roosevelt, though, was not a big fan of patronage and he let it be clear he would be his own man. He narrowly won the election.

And, indeed, he wouldn't be a favorite of party bosses as he refused to appoint party regulars to the most powerful positions in the state. He really went against Platt when he supported a bill for taxes on the public services, who had been in Platt's pocket before.

So, Platt had a pow wow with Senator Mark Hanna to devise a way to get rid of Roosevelt. Their solution was to kick him upstairs as the Vice Presidential candidate in 1900.

And, as they say, don't ask for something too hard- you might just get it.

Summary of offices held:

1882-1886: New York National Guard

1882-1884: New York State Assembly

1883: Minority Leader, New York State Assembly

1889-1895: Commissioner, United States Civil Service Commission

1895-1897: New York City Police Commissioner

1897-1898: Assistant Secretary of the Navy

1898: United States Army, Colonel (Spanish-American War)

1899-1900: Governor of New York

1901: Vice President of the United States



What was going on: Trust busting, the Panama Canal, the Great White Fleet, Russo- Japanese War

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of

Why he was a good President: Where should I start? He broke up the monopolies, or at least some of them anyway (it was the one Roosevelt legacy Taft would continue), he ensured the US would stay a World power, he broke tradition when he guested an African American, and he passed laws to make sure the Grand Canyon wouldn't become a landfill among other things. Did I miss anything? Probably.

Why he was a bad President: Well, as history shows, he wasn't, but I wish he could have been more forceful with his beliefs on civil rights.

What could have saved his Presidency: Not a thing. It wasn't perfect (what Presidency is?) and he made his mistakes, but you can't accuse this Presidency of needing any saving.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Roosevelt took a lot of chances, especially in his second term, and anything could have destroyed it at any given time. If the economy had tanked (and there was the Panic of 1907), could he have saved it? What if he had turned his back on labor to appease the Republican majority? It is to his great credit that he didn't.

How he became Vice President: Indeed, Mark Hanna pushed Roosevelt for the Vice-Presidency in 1900. Roosevelt was nominated by acclamation. Roosevelt proved to be the perfect pit bull for McKinley as he furiously campaigned for the President. He traveled 21,000 miles and seemed like an endless bundle of energy, putting opponents Bryan and Stevenson, also actively campaigning, to shame. In the end, McKinley won by a larger margin than he had in 1896. Mark Hanna got what he wished for.

But then he had to pay the piper, though not in the way anyone would wish for. For in September 1901, President McKinley was assassinated, and that damned cowboy, as Hanna put it, was now President.

And, to Hanna's consternation, the United States would never be the same again and, even more frustrating for Hanna, for the better.

First term: Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office in Buffalo moments after President McKinley died. At 43, he was the youngest President ever.

And the Republicans were none too happy, for Roosevelt absolutely represented the Liberal wing of the Republican Party. Yes, he was pro-business, but he was also pro-labor as well. And he wasn't in office much more than a month when he invited Booker T. Washington, a prominent black educator, to the White House. You can imagine the outrage in the South right now.

President Roosevelt would also go to war with the trusts. He began to enforce the Sherman-Anti Trust Act and won an important victory in the Supreme Court. While the court case was going on, Roosevelt also went after the railroads, signing the Elkins act in 1903. This prohibited railroads from granting rebates to larger companies, thus leaving the smaller companies out. Railroads unfortunately found a way around this, but TR would have a response to that in his second term.

The beginnings of what would be the Panama Canal began in Roosevelt's abbreviated term. He signed the amended Hay- Pauncefote treaty opening the way for a canal at the isthmus of Panama. Unfortunately, Colombia controlled Panama. Colombia did not want to give the US permission to build a canal.

So, there was a rebellion for Panamanian independence, backed by the US. Roosevelt sent the Navy to deter Colombia from crushing the revolt. They succeeded, Panama gained their independence, and the United States was getting their canal.

The other major event was the Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902. Coal miners walked off the job in Pennsylvania in 1902. It went on all summer and Roosevelt thought executive action was needed to get the miners back to work.

But he didn't send the army to quell the strike. Instead, he called for the mine operators and Union leaders to the White House where he was able to arbitrate an agreement, an agreement that probably favored the coal miners. It was the precursor to what would be called the Square Deal later.

President Roosevelt, much to the consternation of the more conservative Republicans, I'm sure, would come into 1904 a very popular President indeed. And, with Mark Hanna dying, early in 1904, they would be hard pressed to find a candidate that could wrestle the party's nomination from him.


Election of 1904: Theodore Roosevelt had to walk a thin line if he wanted to win the nomination in his own right. At first, he used the White House as a "bully pulpit", to advocate how government should regulate big business but would tone down the rhetoric come election time. He also was able to place his people in key positions within the party and managed to win the endorsement of Mark Hanna, now the RNC Chairman. Roosevelt also appealed to the public at a time when there wasn't primary voting.

Things eased up a bit when Mark Hanna died suddenly. TR's nomination was more or less etched in stone after Hanna's death. As for the Vice-Presidency, he nabbed conservative Charles Fairbanks as his running mate. His ties to the railroad industry were no doubt attractive to the big business wing of the party.

The Democrats too went conservative, picking Judge Alton P. Parker from New York, and Henry Davis, at 81, the oldest man ever to run for the Vice-Presidency. They had wanted Bryan to run again but he agreed with much of Roosevelt's policies and, besides, if he couldn't beat McKinley, he sure wasn't going to defeat Roosevelt.

As for the campaign itself, the Democrats painted Parker as the sane and safe choice while the Republicans touted Roosevelt's foreign policy. Neither candidate campaigned actively.

In the end though, it was a matter of personalities as Parker's affable but staid personality couldn't match up with Roosevelt's extroverted optimism. As a result, Roosevelt won in a landslide for the most part, particularly in the North and, well, everywhere but the South. Guess they hadn't forgiven him for Booker T. Washington.

Second Term: After the election of 1904, President Roosevelt introduced the Roosevelt Corollary as a companion to the Monroe Doctrine, essentially giving the US police power in the Western Hemisphere or the Americas anyway. It was a controversial doctrine and would later cause resentment in South America.

But even as Roosevelt carried his big stick which ended with the Great White Fleet Tour at the end of his Presidency, Roosevelt was also a man of peace. He mediated negotiations between the warring factions in the Russo- Japanese War, winning the Nobel Peace Prize as a result. He also mediated an agreement with France and Germany over Morocco. Many historians believe it may have averted, or at least postponed a major European War (Alas, he couldn't save Europe in 1914). It certainly strengthened ties between the US and France.

There was a racial incident in Brownsville, Texas that tainted Roosevelt's record a bit. White civilians taunted a group of Black soldiers. Violence erupted and three whites were killed. The public (it was still a racist time in the United States) assumed that it was all the Blacks' fault and President Roosevelt would discharge 160 black soldiers as a result. Probably not a proud moment given his own more enlightened opinions on race.

But, as before, his biggest peeve was against the monopolies, and he signed the Hepburn Act which gave the Interstate Commerce Commission more power to regulate railroad rates. Roosevelt was in his second term, and he wasn't going to run for a third, so he had free reign whether the conservatives liked it or not.

And he used that knowledge to improve the environment. He started by establishing the National Forest Service in 1905 followed by the National Monuments Act a year later. His big act, however, would be the Antiquities Act which gave the President the power to create national monuments from Federal lands. The landscape of the Unites States would certainly have been different if not for this law in particular.

And Roosevelt wasn't done. After Upton Sinclair published the Jungle, an indictment against the meat packing industry, President Roosevelt pushed more laws to make food safer with the Meat Inspection Act and the Food and Drug Act in particular.

Things quieted down a bit by 1908 as Roosevelt was now a lame duck President but he launched the Great White Fleet which toured the world both as a sign of American strength and of goodwill. They were received with warm welcomes in most of the ports they visited.

He also engineered a compromise with Japan over immigration. Japan agreed not to issue any more visas with the understanding that the US would allow laborers to come to the States

President Roosevelt was indeed a very popular man, but he declined another run for the Presidency honoring the two-term tradition. Still, he didn't feel like he fulfilled everything he needed to (and as history would prove just six years later, he hadn't), and he would return to the political stage four years later.



Election of 1912: Roosevelt had handpicked President Taft to succeed him in 1908, but he would be disappointed, even angry, at Taft's more conservative policies overall.

So, equipped with an ego the size of Montana, Roosevelt decided to make another run. It would cause a split within the GOP. Roosevelt had won a series of preferential primaries and had the lead in delegates. Taft, as the sitting President, controlled the floor and his backers refused to accept the credentials of the Roosevelt delegates. Roosevelt was infuriated and withdrew, thus, giving Taft the nomination.

But it wasn't over yet, for TR formed the Progressive Party, otherwise known as the Bull Moose Party. He was drafted as their candidate. Roosevelt described the new party platform as a "New Nationalism", seeking social justice, an eight-hour workday, and a minimum wage for women. He also campaigned on a social security program (That his distant cousin, Franklin D, would push through two decades later), a National Health Service (TR was a Communist? Just kidding), and direct elections of US Senators (which was right around the corner, actually). It was very forward thinking to say the least.

It was an interesting campaign to be sure and it nearly cost TR his life. On October 12, 1912, while making a speech, Roosevelt was shot in the chest by a would-be assassin. He was lucky, though. He had a book in his jacket where the bullet hit. It slowed down the bullet and, while it penetrated the former President's chest, the damage was minimal; so minimal, in fact, that Roosevelt continued on with his speech.

With Woodrow Wilson, a progressive (sort of, more on that later) within the Democratic Party, Roosevelt didn't expect to win, but he did overtake Taft to become Wilson's toughest opponent. Still, in the end, Wilson would win election easily and Roosevelt would finally retire for good... maybe.

Post Presidency: Of course, Theodore Roosevelt may have retired but he wasn't finished living. He explored the jungles of Brazil with his son, Kermit, and developed malaria in the process. Of course, as usual, he survived. After his return to the United States, he went back to writing again.

World War I broke out in 1914 and Roosevelt led the cause for military preparedness. He supported US involvement in the war effort and was disappointed in President Wilson's neutrality stance. When the US did enter the war, Roosevelt wanted to join and form his own volunteer division, but President Wilson turned him down. Roosevelt was 58 by then. He mellowed a little after his youngest son, Quentin, died in the war.

Down, but not out, Roosevelt was being touted as the frontrunner for the 1920 Republican nomination, but death took the gallant man by surprise on January 6, 1919. It was said that it was a good thing he died in his sleep, otherwise death would have had a fight on its hands.

Odd notes: TR kept a virtual zoo at the White House

He was blind in one eye as the result of a boxing mishap

He hated the nickname Teddy

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/545665/facts-about-president-theodore-teddy-roosevelt

Final Summary: I think I mentioned that I didn't quite think Abraham Lincoln was the greatest President (though he came close). Theodore Roosevelt is the reason why. No, he wasn't perfect. I could have done without his Cowboy interventions in Latin America for example and I do wish he had taken a stand on the Brownsville riots instead of firing 160 Black servicemen.

But look at all the accomplishments. No, he didn't make it okay to mix races in the White House but at least inviting Booker T. Washington was a start. More importantly, he broke several monopolies, he made sure that the most beautiful areas of the United States would be preserved, he was a friend of labor, and he negotiated peace between several countries and ended one major war in the process. Plus, he established the Presidency as a position of inspiration as future Presidents such as FDR, Kennedy, Reagan (yes, Batlord, Reagan too), and Obama would use the bully pulpit for their own agendas, mostly in the name of good, as Theodore Roosevelt had.

And he foresaw the need of the safety nets that his distant cousin, FDR, would implement as well as would Lyndon Johnson with Medicare.

So, is Theodore Roosevelt the greatest American President ever?

You're damned right he is!

Overall rating: A

https://millercenter.org/president/roosevelt

[Rubber Soul]

27. WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT (You can't judge a book by looking at its cover)



Born: September 15, 1857, Cincinnati, Ohio
Died: March 8, 1930, Washington, DC

Term: March 4, 1909- March 4, 1913
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: James Sherman

First Lady: Helen Herron Taft

Before the Presidency: William Taft grew up in Cincinnati. Despite being overweight, he was quite the athlete. He also was quite intelligent finishing second in his class at private Woodward High School.

Following his father's advice, Taft refrained from athletics at Yale and concentrated on academics. After graduation, he returned to Cincinnati to attend law school and passed the bar in 1880.

The Taft family was a very political family, and it didn't start with William. His father, Alphonso Taft, served as Secretary of War and then Attorney General in President Grant's cabinet. He would later serve as Minister to Austria-Hungary and Russia under President Arthur. Alphonso, though conservative overall, was quite liberal when it came to women's rights. That, no doubt, rubbed off on William.

William put a lot of pressure on himself to please his parents. But he never really wanted a political career, not in the classic sense anyway. His actual dream was to one day be Chief Justice of the United States.

Of course, he fouled up on the onset when he married Nellie Herron. Her father had been a law partner of Rutherford Hayes and she had dreams of one day becoming First Lady.

So, with that in mind, Taft, through his father's connections, became assistant prosecutor of Hamilton County in 1881. He worked as a lawyer for a while thereafter before he was appointed to the Cincinnati Superior Court in 1887. He must have gotten someone's attention because, in 1890, he was appointed as United States Solicitor General under President Harrison. While Solicitor General, he became friends with Theodore Roosevelt, and it was Taft who persuaded President McKinley to appoint Roosevelt as Assistant Secretary to the Navy.

Despite opposition from his wife, who still had White House dreams, Taft accepted a position to the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals. He stayed at the that position for eight years. He also would teach at the University of Cincinnati Law School.

Taft was happy on the Court of Appeals, but his wife wasn't. Wanting to please his wife, Taft answered the call from President McKinley to become Governor General of the Philippines; like it or not, Taft had entered politics.

And he presided over the Philippine Insurrection. Seventy Thousand US soldiers had been sent to the Philippines to quell the rebellion and things were not going very well. Things were quite brutal on the US side and Taft was often at odds with the military Governor, General Arthur MacArthur (yes, Douglas McArthur's father). Taft felt MacArthur's treatment as too brutal and unsympathetic to the Islanders. He was able to remove MacArthur after Aguinaldo's capture and set up a Constitution and Bill of Rights not unlike the US Constitution. He also established a civil service system, a judicial system, an English-speaking education system, a transportation network, and health care facilities. He even twice turned down the Supreme Court so he could finish his work. He would leave the Philippines in 1903 very much loved by the islanders.

Taft might have stayed in the Philippines longer if not for a request from President Roosevelt to come to Washington and the prodding of his wife. Taft was offered the position of Secretary of War and, since Nellie would be back in Washington, he accepted. He became Roosevelt's most important adviser, overseeing the work on the Panama Canal and traveled around the world on behalf of the President. He also functioned as the Provisional Governor of Cuba.

It would all set up the Presidential race of 1908, though it wasn't something Taft really wanted.

Summary of offices held:

1887-1890: Judge, Cincinnati Superior Court

1890-1892: Solicitor General of the United States

1892-1900: Judge, Sixth US Court of Appeals

1901-1903: Governor General of the Philippines

1904-1908: Secretary of War

1906: Provisional Governor of Cuba



What was going on: Progressive labor policies, Mexican revolution

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of

Why he was a good President: Basically, though not the progressive Roosevelt had hoped for, he at least didn't rock the boat and busted even more trusts than Roosevelt himself.

Why he was a bad President: He really didn't want the job. He appointed too many pro-businesspeople at the cost of the environment, and he sometimes went against the progressive principles of the time.

What could have saved his Presidency: A more progressive approach with his policies. He should have taken more chances like Roosevelt had.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: If he had actually reversed Roosevelt's environmental policies, he wouldn't have been remembered fondly. Had he not been a trust buster in his own right (which is what actually saved his legacy as President). Also, if he had followed the political wind and intervened in Mexico, something that could have ended in disaster.

Election of 1908: President Roosevelt decided not to run again in 1908 despite already having regrets about that decision. He did want someone that would continue his policies and he believed his good friend, William Taft, was the man. Taft really didn't want to run for President but Nellie, who had always dreamed of one day living in the White House, insisted, as had Roosevelt.

The nomination wasn't as simple as it sounded though. On the second day of the Convention, a spirted demonstration of Roosevelt supporters wanted to draft Roosevelt. Roosevelt, however, sent word that he wasn't available, and Taft was nominated on the first ballot.

The Democrats, for the third time in four elections, went with William Jennings Bryan. He remained quite popular with the liberal and populist wings of the party and his closest competitor, reformist Governor John Albert Johnson of Minnesota, couldn't even come close.

In a sense, Bryan was running against Roosevelt by proxy. Taft had pledged to continue Roosevelt's progressive policies and Roosevelt himself was on the campaign trail, boosting his friend. Nellie also got into the political game as she persuaded Taft to lose thirty pounds (Taft would be the heaviest man in history, even Grover Cleveland looked like an anorexic next to Taft).

In the end, all Taft really needed to do was to pledge he'd continue Roosevelt's work and he would win election quite easily.



First term: Taft's administration seemed to start out at the gate okay as he continued to pledge to push progressive policies, but there was already a rift brewing between Taft and his predecessor. Nellie fulfilled her dream as First Lady, but she suffered a stroke two months into the term, taking over a year to fully recover. Sort of a Monkey's Paw tale, I guess.

As for President Taft, he introduced what would become the sixteenth amendment, calling for a personal income tax. He also reduced the tariff, something that didn't go well with the majority of protectionist minded Republicans.

Taft could be a cowboy President too, just as Roosevelt had been. He sent 700 Marines to Nicaragua to prop up a pro-USA regime

The biggest blunder came in 1910 when he fired Gifford Pinchot, head of the Forestry Service. Pinchot was in a feud with Richard Balinger, Head of the Department of Interior. Ballinger was a business minded executive who, no doubt, wanted to dismantle Roosevelt's work in protecting the environment. Pinchot responded by attacking both Ballinger and Taft leaving Taft with no choice but to fire Pinchot. Roosevelt was on a world tour at the time but when he returned in June 1910, he was none too pleased and the rift between Taft and Roosevelt would be irreparable.

The Mann Act was passed in the Taft Administration. Music historians may remember this as the act that got Chuck Berry busted in 1959 when he transported a minor across state lines.

Most of the rest of Taft's term seemed to be dominated by the now feud between he and Roosevelt. While both would support each other from time to time, relations between the two were frayed as they seemed to avoid each other at all costs. Taft rejected Roosevelt's calls for a new nationalism, saying the US would have to adopt a new Constitution. Taft did replace the controversial Ballinger with a Pinchot ally, but they seemed to do little to please Roosevelt.

But it wasn't all negative. Taft would bust even more trusts than Roosevelt had, and he would veto a bill requiring all immigrants to take a literacy test, and while the US would intervene in Nicaragua and Cuba near the end of Taft's term, Taft took a political hit by wisely staying out of the mess in Mexico (Though Wilson and Harding would have to deal with Pancho Villa later).

And besides, Nellie got to plant the famous Japanese cherry blossoms in 1912.

Election of 1912:  Taft hated his four years in the White House. He really didn't like the political back and forth and he lost a dear friend in Theodore Roosevelt. Still, he accepted a draft to run for a second term.

But Theodore Roosevelt was back too, and he declared his candidacy as well. Roosevelt felt that Taft was taking the party down. He was upset that Taft went after one of the "Good Trusts" in US Steel. But he was most upset over the Pinchot firing. So, he was back in the game.

Roosevelt spent 1911 and 1912 criticizing the President at every turn. Taft finally would respond with attacks of his own and the gloves were indeed off. Taft compared a Roosevelt election to the reign of terror as a result of the French Revolution.

If the primary system had been in place like it is today, Roosevelt would have been the easy nominee. He remained very popular with the public. But in 1912, only thirteen states actually had primaries, Roosevelt winning eleven of them and Robert LaFollette winning the other two, and the votes didn't count at the convention anyway.

So, the convention was a tug of war between Taft and Roosevelt and Taft used his patronage card to take control of the floor. Consequently, Taft won the nomination and Roosevelt and his followers walked out.

The Democrats, seeing victory with a split GOP, eventually went with their own progressive, Governor Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey. They became even more excited when Roosevelt went third party with the intent of torpedoing Taft. In fact, Roosevelt would be so successful in that regard, he would become the man to beat in the general election, not the President.

The election took a toll on Taft to the point where he was in tears. He retreated to the golf course, more or less ceding the Presidency, and let Wilson and Roosevelt battle it out.

In the end, Wilson would win the election easily with Taft finishing third, carrying only Utah and Vermont. Taft's conservative policies lost the day in 1912.

Post Presidency: Even though Taft had suffered a humiliating defeat, he was relieved that he was leaving the White House. Wife Nellie was disappointed to be sure, but she would support her husband in his judicial endeavors for the rest of his life. He lost a lot of weight and stayed active in politics, supporting Charles Evans Hughes for President in 1916 and backing President Wilson's European Policy and his Quixotic quest for the League of Nations.

In 1921, his lifelong dream was fulfilled when President Harding appointed him as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. It was a conservative court for the most part and it isn't remembered for many landmark decisions, but Taft proved to be an honorable man worthy of the position.

Taft, falling ill, resigned from the Supreme Court in 1930 and died shortly after. He is one of only two Presidents buried at Arlington National Cemetery (John Kennedy being the other).

Odd notes: While the getting stuck in the bathtub story could be a rumor, he was reported to have spilled water on the heads of guests below in a hotel in 1915.

Taft had a habit of falling asleep at public functions

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/58914/15-wonderful-william-howard-taft-facts

Final Summary: I guess you could argue that Taft was a caretaker President between two of the better-known ones, Roosevelt and the once praised Woodrow Wilson.

But he did accomplish some things in his own right. He continued some of the progressive policies of Roosevelt at least even if he did have conservative leanings. He didn't do a lot in terms of race, but he didn't set things back either.

But he did lean more towards the business interests when it came to the environment. I won't judge him on labor so much because he didn't have the same situations that Roosevelt had.

And the bottom line was, even though he did run for re-election, he didn't really want to be there. Instead, he was just another good person who simply wasn't that good a President.

But he would be a good Chief Justice, whether you agreed with him or not, and you could feel good for the guy in the end. It was a rocky path, but in the end, he got what he wished for.

He even deserved it.


Overall rating: C

https://millercenter.org/president/taft

[Rubber Soul]

28. WOODROW WILSON (He kept us out us, um, ...)




Born: December 28, 1856, Staunton, Virginia
Died: February 3, 1924, Washington, DC

Term: March 4, 1913- March 4, 1921
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President: Thomas Marshall

First Lady: Ellen Axson Wilson (died 1914), Edith Galt Wilson (married 1915)

Before the Presidency: Thomas Woodrow Wilson was essentially a product of the old south having been born in antebellum Virginia and raised in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, mostly in the years of Reconstruction. His father, an ordained minister, had been born in Ohio but shared the racist Southern values and helped to organize the Presbyterian Church of the Confederate States of America. In Columbia, South Carolina, Wilson grew up around a majority of blacks, some of whom were known as leased slaves.

Young Wilson suffered from a weak eyesight and may have had dyslexia. Still, he was a normal boy, playing baseball and the like. Schools were scarce in the post-Civil War South and Wilson had to rely on former Confederate soldiers for his education.

In 1873, Wilson enrolled at Davidson Collage despite not being academically prepared. Despite the slow start in education, Wilson was quite the intellect as he excelled in Logic, Latin, and English among other subjects. He had to drop out after a year however when his father was forced out his church in Columbia as well as Wilson's own poor health.

He enrolled at the College of New Jersey (Princeton) in 1875. There he did fairly well, graduating in the top quarter of his class. He entered law school at the University of Virginia but dropped out after a year to study law on his own. Bored with law, he attended Johns Hopkins University as a graduate student and received his PhD in History in 1886.

He found academia rather easy, so he spent much of his free time reading British history and writing essays on Government. One essay, Cabinet Government in the United States, was published in the International Review, where Henry Cabot Lodge was the editor. Another essay, his dissertation titled Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics, became a classic in the annals of American Political Science. In it, he criticized congressional dominance of Government and the weak-Presidencies in the post-Civil War Era. He even argued for the British Parliamentary System though he would change his mind after Roosevelt's strong presidency.

Though Wilson was undoubtedly a racist, his first wife, Ellen Axson, influenced him on the social needs of the poor and dispossessed as well as for political and economic reforms.

It would seem that Wilson was destined to be a scholar, but he was also very interested in politics, having dreams of becoming a US senator as a stepping stone to the presidency. In the meantime, he taught economy and law at Bryn Mawr College in the 1880s. Later, he would teach history at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He would end up at Princeton University where he would teach law and political economy.

In 1902, Wilson was tapped for President of Princeton University. The trustees wanted a reformer. What they got was someone intent on changing the way colleges were run. Princeton went from a tradition Ivy league school to a modern liberal university where professors were more less impersonable with their students. The changes would get old after a while and Wilson would leave the university in 1906 but not without leaving as a reformer with realistic goals.

By 1910, the Democrats in New Jersey had been tarnished by scandal and the party bosses were looking for an honest man with a high profile to run for Governor. Woodrow Wilson was that man with the caveat that he would be his own man and not beholden to the political machine. The party bosses agreed.

But they would soon regret their decision for Wilson was elected Governor and the first thing he did was to go after the political machines. Governor Wilson pushed through legislation that required primaries for all state candidates. He also passed a campaign finance law and outlawed corporate contributions to political campaigns. This radical reform (in the eyes of the machine anyway) got the attention of the National Democratic Party and of William Jennings Bryan in particular. The 1912 Presidential campaign was off and running.


Summary of offices held:



1902-1910: President, Princeton University

1911-1913: Governor of New Jersey


What was going on: Women's Suffrage, Prohibition movement, World War I, Mexican Revolution, Russian Revolution

Scandals within the administration: The Newport sex scandal

Why he was a good President: Well, he was our last really progressive President. He really did go after monopolies. He was ultimately one of the great peace activists in American history and, even if he did do it while kicking and screaming, he ended up supporting women's suffrage.

Why he was a bad President: He was kicking and screaming while supporting women's suffrage. Also, he was a racist. He also had no taste for civil liberties when it was against his own interests, at least when it came to the world war anyway. The Espionage and Seditions Acts are probably the most Undemocratic bills to have ever plagued this nation. Even the Patriot Act didn't go that far.

Did I mention Woodrow Wilson was a racist?

What could have saved his Presidency: More sensitivity towards civil rights might have been enough to put him in my top five. Maybe if he had supported women's' rights from the outset. He also should have accepted he was done after his stroke and let Marshall be President, for good or bad. And, of course, maybe he should have chilled a little before possibly starting the great Red scare.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: World War I lasting longer than it did wouldn't have been good. Staying insensitive to women's' rights wouldn't have helped his legacy either.

[Rubber Soul]

Election of 1912: Wilson came into Baltimore as one of the two favorites at the Democratic Convention, the other being Champ Clark, the Speaker of the House. The machine politicians favored the moderate Judson Harmon of Ohio and it looked like a three-way race. The perennially popular Bryan was also a factor.

A two thirds majority was needed for nomination, and it promised to be a long convention. Clark was well ahead on the first fourteen ballots and the powerful Tammany Hall machine dropped Harmon to support Clark. This concerned Bryan, thinking that a deal had been cut with party bosses and Wall Street. As such, he threw his support to Wilson more or less thwarting a Clark nomination. As it turned out, Wilson wasn't immune to deal making either. Another candidate, Oscar Underwood of Alabama, was about to withdraw in favor of Clark, but Wilson's men convinced Underwood that he would get Wilson's support if he (Wilson) dropped out. Underwood stayed in and Wilson was finally nominated on the forty-sixth ballot.

Wilson campaigned on campaign reform, tariff reductions, stronger anti-trust laws, independence for the Philippines, and most important, a breakup of all monopolies. He counteracted Roosevelt's New Nationalism with what he called the New Freedom, which basically was a more extreme version of monopoly busting.

But realistically, Wilson could have ran on a platform of requiring all Americans to have their legs amputated, for the Republicans were spilt between President Taft and Roosevelt, who bolted to form the Bull Moose party. In the end, Wilson won with just 41% of the vote but with a large majority in the Electoral College.

First term: The first thing President Wilson did was to go after the tariffs. He believed that a lower tariff was necessary in order to narrow the disparities between rich and poor. This created a deficit in tax revenue so, after signing the Underwood-Simmons Act, which lowered the tariffs, he also implemented the income tax as the Constitution now allowed.

Next up was banking reform. Ever since Andrew Jackson torpedoed the Second National Bank, there wasn't a real system of banking that could stabilize the market and there were too many periods of recessions and depressions, the most recent being the Panic of 1907. And by now, these financial panics were not only affecting the average person, but the bankers and corporations as well. This gave Wilson the impetus to push through the Federal Reserve Act which established a board that could control interest rates and the money supply. It also created twelve regional reserve banks where money would be minted and printed. I actually got to visit the Federal Reserve in Philadelphia as a kid. It was neat to see how money was printed. They wouldn't give me any souvenirs though.

On the foreign front, Mexico became a hot issue. In 1913, Mexico was overthrown by the counterrevolutionary General Victoriano Huerta. Huerta was an authoritarian in the worst way and, while Europeans saw Huerta as a business opportunity, Wilson refused to recognize him calling his men a "government of butchers." The next year, a few American soldiers were arrested, and Wilson had his excuse to send in the Navy, who occupied the port of Vera Cruz. Huerta fled and Venustiano Carranza, Huerta's rival from the North, and supported by Wilson, took over Mexico.

The story wouldn't end there though because, by 1916, the rebellion led by Pancho Villa had begun and President Wilson would have his hands full with the popular revolutionary throughout his second term.

There were even bigger fish to fry in Europe. Because of what seemed like umpteen alliances in Europe not to mention a slew of near wars over the past ten years, it was inevitable that something would trigger a major war.

And, on June 28, 1914, the straw that broke the camel's back happened. On that day, the Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated by a Serbian National. This created tensions between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, who both had their allies that encompassed pretty much all of Europe. Within about six weeks, what became known as the Great War (later called World War I) would break out.

Both sides, now led by Germany and Britain, respectively, tried to draw the United States into the war but President Wilson agreed with the public outcry that the US should stay out of it only suggesting that both sides play nice when American shipping is involved.

A big controversy loomed in 1915 when the Germans sunk the luxury ship Lusitania, a British ship but not a military one by any means and also with Americans aboard. It was obvious now whose side the Americans would be on, and Germany appeased Wilson, knowing American involvement in the war would not be good for them. Wilson accepted the apology knowing the desire to go to war was small.

But Germany continued to push the envelope and began unrestricted submarine warfare. Their U-Boats would lead to the deaths of four American citizens. President Wilson protested again but this time Germany took a more arrogant stance. President Wilson ordered Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan to write a second note more or less threatening war against Germany. Bryan resigned instead feeling that there was no balance between the two major belligerents (Britain was pushing the envelope as well) and felt it would draw the US into the war. You see, besides being a creationist and an advocate for the poor (and maybe even a socialist), Bryan was also a pacifist.

Wilson drafted a third note, this time signed by the new Secretary of State, Robert Lansing, telling Germany that the sinking of another ship with American passengers would be an act of war. Things quieted down for a while after that.

There would be one more major act in Wilson's first term when he appointed the liberal Louis Brandeis to the Supreme Court. This is significant because Brandeis was Jewish and as such became the first Jewish member of the Supreme Court.

The Birth of a Nation Controversy:  Woodrow Wilson may have been fine with Jews and immigrants (he vetoed an anti-immigration act in 1915 but it was overridden).

But when it came to African Americans, he was definitely a product of the old South. He curried their favor in 1912 and rewarded them by segregating the Federal departments.

The biggest controversy surrounding Wilson's racism, however, came when famed movie director D.W. Griffith arranged a screening of A Birth of a Nation at the White House in 1915. Wilson was said to have praised the movie for its unflinching accuracy. This movie's so-called accuracy depicted blacks as basically evil lazy buffoons that ate fried chicken and watermelon at legislative sessions (never mind they were all played by white men in black face), and they also liked to rape white women on the side. And thank God for the Ku Klux Klan for saving the pure white people from the scourge of black dominance. Yes, President Wilson, said quote, "unfortunately, this is all so very true."

Of course, this was 1915, and even the Northerners weren't thinking much about racism and Jim Crow in the South, nor did they really care.

But historians certainly took a look and, while the webpage I'm reading about Wilson seems to have him in the top five, other historians have condemned him to the middle of the pack. Two historians who I have been watching on YouTube in fact have him down as one of the worst Presidents in history and one of them calls himself a Christian Conservative.

So, yeah, he may have been one of the most progressive Presidents in history and he was the one who planted the seed for what would eventually become the United Nations.

But, like it or not, Woodrow Wilson was an unabashed racist.

https://www.thirteen.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_birth.html

https://www.history.com/news/woodrow-wilson-racial-segregation-jim-crow-ku-klux-klan


Election of 1916: President Wilson came into the 1916 campaign looking fairly popular. His progressive agenda was certainly a hit with the public and, so far, we had stayed out of the conflict in Europe. The Women's Suffrage movement was taking off and there was some hope Wilson would support that cause as well.

But the Republicans had gotten their act together. Roosevelt style progressivism was dead at this point. Roosevelt himself was still active within the party but now he was advocating going to war against Germany. But there was an isolationist mood within the GOP and there was a lot of resentment toward Roosevelt for splitting the party in 1912.

So, they went with Charles Evans Hughes, a Moderate Republican, and a justice on the Supreme Court. Roosevelt derided Hughes as a bearded iceberg but Hughes would win on the third ballot anyway.

The platforms were not all that different when it came to the Great War. Wilson was pushing for military preparedness while stressing neutrality. Indeed, his slogan was "He kept us out of war." Hughes too advocated military preparedness which seemed less convoluted than Wilson's plan. Also, the public was beginning to tire of the progressive reforms by 1916 and wanted to go in a new direction. So, Hughes' chances looked fairly good.

Indeed, by the time Election Day rolled around, Hughes reportedly went to bed thinking he would win a close election. And it was a close election. Only problem was, the close election went to Wilson, with a plurality of 49% (Hughes pulled 46%) and a slim victory in a Electoral College.

So, Hughes went into obscurity until 1930 when he would succeed William Taft to become one of the best-known Chief Justices in history.

And the nation waited with bated breath to see if President Wilson would still keep us out of war.


Second Term: Before the second term even began, President Wilson tried in vain to suggest a peace without victory between the two belligerents. He also recalled General Pershing from Mexico after failing to capture Pancho Villa.

Germany notified the US that it would resume unrestricted submarine warfare and the US would sever diplomatic ties with Germany. The US was closer to war. A month later came the infamous Zimmerman telegram in which Germany was trying to persuade Mexico to war on the United States. Wilson had his smoking gun.

With the Zimmerman note released to the press, Americans were outraged, and Wilson was able to get Congress to declare war on Germany. The US was in the war. Laws were passed including the Selective Service Act that reinstituted the military draft, and the very controversial Espionage Act which limited the freedom of expression and called for a stiff fine and prison sentence for anyone who dared to criticize the military or the Government. It was far worse than Lincoln's lifting of Habeas Corpus and made Adams' Alien and Sedition Act look like the greatest Civil Rights act ever.

There was also an internal war against the International Workers' Union, or the Wobblies for short. The Wobblies were a radical Union that argued mainly for socialism. And, yes, sometimes they would react with violence.

Wilson was not a fan of this group, or of any socialist/communist group for that matter, so he approved the first of many raids on this group in particular. By 1919, the raids had spread to any group deemed anti-American. The raids were led by Attorney General Mitchell Palmer, and they would become known as the Palmer Raids.

Women's Suffrage was also on the table as was prohibition. Prohibition had been an issue for decades really and the push to make alcohol illegal in the United States was on the rise by 1917. Wilson himself never gave his opinion one way or the other, but Congress would submit the eighteenth Amendment for ratification by the end of 1917 that would prohibit the sale of alcohol.

As for women's suffrage, Wilson, at best was unmoved by the protests led by suffragette Alice Paul; in fact, he was even bemused. Later, he would become angry having more protests broken up. Things got more violent, and women were convicted and sentenced to sixty days in prison where they suffered some considerably cruel conditions such as beatings, forced feedings, and unsanitary conditions.

Wilson was repelled by these militant women but with the US now in the Great War and sentiment beginning to favor the right to vote for women, President Wilson, after a plea from the more moderate Carrie Chapman Catt, introduced the nineteenth Amendment, which would give women the right to vote. And although the Amendment would fail in the Senate twice, the third time would be a charm in 1920.

As the Great War winded down in 1918, President Wilson introduced what he called his fourteen points. It was yet another attempt to end the war in Europe and he again called for peace without victory (whatever you thought of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, or Serbia, there really was no good guy in all this mess). Despite the rejection by England and France, Wilson's document stands as one of the more historical and well-meaning documents of world history and it would be the blueprint in which the Armistice that ended the Great War would be drafted.

1917 was also the year of the Russian Revolution and, by 1918, the first of many Red scares would plague the United States. Socialism remained popular in some circles and Wilson, through Attorney General Palmer, were wanting to discourage the movement, thus the infamous Palmer raids. There was also a companion to the Espionage Act called the Sedition Act which permitted the Postmaster general to ban the mailing of anything deemed subversive. It also called for heavy penalties when criticizing the government or the war effort. Eugene Debs would soon be sentenced to ten years for violating the Espionage Act (later commuted by President Harding).

As the Great War was ending, a new war was blooming, and this was a medical emergency. For this was also the era of the Spanish Flu pandemic. It would be nice to say that Wilson tried to do something but, given his soon to be zeal for his League of Nations and then his subsequent stroke, he would end up doing even less than Trump. By the time it was over, 600,000 American were dead (and 20 million worldwide).

The Great War ended in November 1918 and President Wilson attended the Paris Peace Conference making him the first US President on European soil. He arrived to a hero's welcome and became even more popular when he introduced his proposal for a League of Nations. The European nations liked the idea, and the Europeans would indeed form this organization, a precursor to what would become the United Nations.

But it didn't prove to be as popular at home. The Republican Congress were in something of an isolationist mood and would spend over a year arguing about ratifying either the League of Nation or even the Treaty at Versailles.

Thus, Wilson set out on a League of Nations tour in the fall of 1919. His health wasn't the greatest by then and doctors and some of his aides advised him against it, but he was determined to win public support. So, off he went, making forty addresses in twenty-nine cities. But he was unable to sway the likely indifferent public either. Suffering from exhaustion, he cut his tour short and a week later, on October 2, he suffered a debilitating stroke.

And Wilson would leave us with yet one more controversy. Since no one had any real faith in the Vice-President, Thomas Marshall, they kept the severity of Wilson's stroke secret to the public (and to Marshall and the Congress) and Wilson's wife, Edith Galt Wilson, more or less ran the White House, managing to get her husband to sign legislation as needed. She tried to stay as apolitical as possible but was influential in the firing of Robert Lansing when he held cabinet meetings behind the President's back and wouldn't accept a British ambassador's credentials until he fired an aide that made unflattering comments about her. She is sometimes referred to (usually affectionately) as the first woman President.

With President Wilson more or less sidelined, 1920 would prove to be a quiet year in the White House despite the new Prohibition and the new right to vote for women. The Treaty of Versailles ratification failed as had the League of Nations proposal.

The United States was about to enter a new era.




Post Presidency: Still ill from his stroke, the last few years of Wilson's life were rather quiet. He tried to form a law office with a partner but that fizzled when it was obvious Wilson was too ill. He fantasized about a third term in 1924 despite his paralysis and being nearly blind. He also still managed to publicly advocate for the League of Nations and managed a short Armistice Day address on a newfangled invention known as radio. This was in 1923.

Alas, Wilson would be unable to make a election bid as he died quietly on February 3, 1924.

Odd notes: Wilson kept a flock of sheep on the White House lawn (couldn't afford a lawnmower I guess)

His parents were Confederate sympathizers during the Civil War

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/553285/woodrow-wilson-facts

Final Summary: Needless to say, Woodrow Wilson is one of the most complicated men ever to hold the Oval Office. On one hand, he made great strides in progressivism. He formed the Federal Reserve, he obviously supported immigrants given his several vetoes on anti-immigration legislation, and, despite his walk back on keeping the US out of war, he was, ultimately, a man of peace as he tried desperately tried to push the League of Nations, an organization that was, sadly, destined for failure. He even won the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

But he also had such a dark side, arguably evil even. He betrayed the blacks when he segregated the various departments and even encouraged laws that set back rights for blacks, especially in the South. And of course, there was the Birth of a Nation episode when his real feelings for blacks came out. That alone is damning, but then with the Espionage and Sedition acts which curtailed civil liberties to no end (and it was even upheld by the Supreme Court), well, needless to say I'm no fan of Wilson.

Still, he is remembered by historians (or at least some historians) as a great President for the things he did accomplish and at least had the foresight on such as the League of Nations.

As for me, I look at it as two Woodrow Wilsons. The good Woodrow, the progressive who advocated world peace and, eventually, women's suffrage, I'd give an A to. But the bad Woodrow, the racist who didn't believe in civil liberties gets an F.

So, I guess I average the grades out.


Overall rating:  C

https://millercenter.org/president/wilson

[Rubber Soul]

29. WARREN HARDING (I'd do anything for love)




Born: November 2, 1865, Blooming Grove, Ohio
Died: August 2, 1923, San Francisco, California (died in office)

Term: March 4, 1921- August 2, 1923
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: Calvin Coolidge

First Lady: Florence Kling Harding

Before the Presidency: Warren Harding grew up in a family of six in rural Ohio. Both of his parents were doctors; his mother having gotten that distinction from being a midwife. It was a happy childhood.

Harding graduated from Ohio Central College. While there, he distinguished himself by editing the campus newspaper. Though he tried his hand at law and teaching, journalism was his calling, and he, along with some friends, purchased a small newspaper for $300. They would have some moderate success.

In 1891, Harding married a local divorcee, Flossie King DeWolfe, five years his senior. The wealthy woman pursued Warren and he would finally give in to her chagrin, more on that later. Anyway, her father objected to the relation because of a rumor that Harding had black ancestors. He reportedly even threatened to kill Harding.

Harding's Marion Star flourished during the 1890s partly due to Florence's business sense and Harding's own affability. He was known for his unbiased reporting and became popular with politicians of both parties. He made great pains not to run a critical story and had never fired an employee. It made Harding extremely well liked.

So, he was a natural when it came to politics. He became a Republican and was elected to the Ohio State Senate in 1899. He served as Majority Leader before a run for Lieutenant Governor, which he also won. He held that position for one term.  He left that position to return to the newspaper in 1905. Five years later, he would make an unsuccessful run for Governor.

Harding became popular with the National GOP and won the honor of formally nominating President Taft for his re-election in 1912. He made a run for US Senator in 1914. It wasn't the most pleasant of campaigns as Harding's backers smeared his opponent for being Catholic (you think Americans are a bunch of bigots now? Let's go back to a time when even having brown eyes was a cardinal sin). Harding won the election, but he was somewhat embarrassed by his supporters.

Harding's six years in the Senate were undistinguished for the most part though he did oppose President Wilson's League of Nations pitch. Considered a good fellow, Harding missed more sessions than he attended and missed key debates on the two major amendments of the day, women's suffrage, and prohibition. He did serve as keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention in 1916 though.

And it set up what would be an interesting 1920 convention indeed.

Summary of offices held:

1900-1904: Ohio State Senate

1904-1906: Lieutenant Governor of Ohio

1915-1921: US Senator, Ohio


What was going on: League of Nations backlash, Economic boom, Teapot Dome scandal, prohibition

Scandals within the administration: Can you say Teapot Dome?

Why he was a good President: He did pass some reforms, especially when it came to women and children. He also was involved in the Washington Naval Treaty. And he was the first President to make use of the new media form called radio.

Why he was a bad President: he was one of the most scandalous Presidents in history. His economic policies would inevitably lead to the disaster known as the Great Depression. But, ultimately, for every decent person he appointed (he also was the first President to appoint women to key positions), he would appoint about three really bad eggs, Albert Fall only being the tip of the iceberg. Also, he didn't really respect the White House all that much.

What could have saved his Presidency: Cleaning house before and during the Teapot Dome scandal became apparent would have been huge.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: After Teapot Dome, it already was.

Election of 1920: There was no indication Harding would be nominated, but he had a campaign manager, Harry Daugherty. There was no clear front runner, so he began talking Harding up to party leaders. Harding himself was proving to be affable and non-offensive as always, chumming it up at poker games, not seeming to take any positions on anything. To some Republicans, he was perfect and ended up getting nominated on the tenth ballot. To compliment Harding, they went with the popular Governor of Massachusetts, Calvin Coolidge, as his running mate.

As for the Democrats, they were pretty much tired from eight years of Woodrow Wilson and were looking to change courses. It was a disheveled convention to say the least. They also went with an Ohio newspaperman, James Cox of Ohio, a former Governor and a liberal. He too would have a big name running mate, President Wilson's former Secretary of the Navy, Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The platforms were fairly predictable. The Republicans criticized Wilson's handling of the World War and railed against the League of Nations. They also pushed for a return to tariffs and went with the slogan of a Return to Normalcy. Celebrities of the day began to get involved and popular jazz singer (and embarrassing blackface actor) Al Jolson, stumped for Harding, singing songs that compared Harding to Lincoln (If Lincoln had seen the Jazz Singer, he would have puked).

The Democrats campaigned on continuing Wilson's policies for the most part (luckily, D.W. Griffith stayed away). That proved to be unpopular among the public though and they would pay the price come November.

The Socialist Party had a candidate in 1920 also. He was the well-known Eugene Debs who campaigned from prison. He had been convicted under Wilson's Sedition Act (he opposed the draft). This probably didn't help Cox' chances wither.

So, Harding won the election by a landslide for the most part and a very interesting decade in American history (at least culturally) was about to unfold.

First term: One of the first things President Harding did was to sign bills enforcing higher tariffs. He also signed the Budget and Accounting Act which consolidated the budget requests into one large request. Probably one of Harding's better bills.

He also made some fairly solid appointments in his first year of office, tabbing Charles Evans Hughes for Secretary of State and Herbert Hoover for Secretary of Commerce. Of course, he struck out on a few others, but we'll get to that later. His most significant appointment, however, was for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. For that, he picked former President William Howard Taft.

During Harding's term, Washington D.C. hosted the Washington Naval Armament Conference designed to limit naval strength throughout the world. It kept the world at peace for about a decade but, sadly, thanks to Japan initially, and Germany and Italy even more aggressively, it would be doomed to failure.

Though a staunch conservative, especially in economic matters, Harding could also have a heart. He pardoned Eugene Debs in late 1921 and he made some speeches condemning the treatment of African Americans by the previous administration. He also signed an act over the protests of the American Medical Association who called federal involvement in medical affairs, Socialist (in other words, Harding was costing them their mansions). He signed the Maternity and Infancy Protection Act which contributed matching funds to states that established prenatal and child health centers. This too, would also be temporary, however, as a Republican led Congress would let it lapse in 1929.

Like other Presidents before him (and Coolidge and Hoover afterwards), Harding wasn't friendly when it came to Veterans' pensions. He vetoed a bonus bill saying a balanced budget came first.

By 1923, President Harding was indeed a popular man and there was no doubt he would have been re-elected in 1924 had he not died.

Or would have he? Because, just weeks after he died, the biggest political scandal in United States history to date broke out. Remember I said he struck out with some of his cabinet appointments? Well, his Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall, was a doozer. In January 1923, he resigned after being implicated in a scandal where he took bribes from private oil companies so they could tap the Teapot Dome reserves in Wyoming.  Meanwhile, Harding's former campaign manager and now Attorney General, Harry Daugherty, survived two impeachment attempts as two indictments accusing him of defrauding the government hung over his head. Harding himself, was part of a nefarious bunch of political crooks known as the Ohio gang, known for late night poker games at the White House where Harding once gambled away the White House China. And on top of all that, Harding was known as a notorious womanizer and had a long affair with one Nan Britton, and it's the affair with her that will start a conspiracy theory surrounding Harding's death.

But it was the Teapot Dome Scandal that would tarnish Harding's legacy ultimately. While Harding himself was never implicated in the scandal, it did expose both his desire to please everybody (His father once told him if he were a girl, he'd be in the family way all the time, because he couldn't say no) and his propensity to pick his cronies for important positions, no matter his character.

Death: President Harding had been shaken by the looming scandals surrounding him and he embarked on a trip to Alaska and the West with Florence. Though his health wasn't the best, he was in his element as went out to shake hands and greet people. Whatever was going on in Washington, he was certainly well liked in Alaska.

On July 28, 1923, on the return journey, Harding fell ill with what was thought to be ptomaine poisoning and the train made an emergency stop in San Francisco. He lingered for several days and died five days later, on August 2.

Doctors would later rule his death as from a heart attack, but suspicion surrounded around the President's wife. She certainly knew of Harding's philandering, and she was worried he would be taken down by scandal as the Teapot Dome affair, while not yet public, was certainly well known in political circles. More telling, she refused to have an autopsy done on him, having him embalmed within the hour.

So, for the longest time, there was speculation that she had poisoned him. History Daily  even goes as far to say she was behaving erratically on the day he died, accusing the hotel of poisoning him and threatening lawsuits until an employee wanted to test a glass that smelled odd.

https://historydaily.org/warren-harding-death-conspiracy-wife-poison

An administration official, Gaston Means, published a book called the Strange Death of President Harding in 1930. He was hardly a dependable source, however, as he had served time for, guess what? Political corruption. Doctors later cleared Mrs. Harding long after her death.



Odd notes: Al Jolson endorsed Harding for President

Harding named his penis, "Jerry."

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/552068/warren-g-harding-facts

Final Summary: Warren Harding really wasn't cut out for the White House. He wasn't really known as a hard worker though he did accomplish some things in his first year. But basically, he delegated authority to his cabinet members, a couple were successful such as Secretary of State Hughes and Secretary of Commerce Hoover (who incidentally was with Harding when he died).

But he had a long list of neer do wells starting with his own campaign manager/Attorney General and Albert Fall. Others in his administration would wind up behind bars as well. Basically, Harding was not a good judge of character. He treated the White House like a bachelor's apartment to the point where the ghost of Dolley Madison would have been appalled. Though likable certainly, maybe too likable, he was also lacking moral character and not just from his womanizing.

So, in the end, Warren Harding on the surface was a pretty nice guy who would do anything to be liked, but it also made him something of a pushover, something you never want in a President.

And that was, in a nutshell, his downfall.

Overall rating: D

https://millercenter.org/president/harding

[Rubber Soul]

30. CALVIN COOLIDGE (Silence is Golden)



Born: July 4, 1872, Plymouth, Vermont
Died: January 5, 1933, Northampton, Massachusetts

Term: August 2, 1923- March 4, 1929
Political Party: Republican

Vice President:  Charles Dawes

First Lady: Grace Goodhue Coolidge

Before the Presidency: John Calvin Coolidge was born in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. He had no major ambitions growing up, just wanting to follow in his father's footsteps as an honest small-town merchant. He was an average student in school until he blossomed at Amherst College where he graduated with honors in 1895. A member of the Republican Club, Coolidge was known for his wit and his public speaking skills. On his oratory skills, he was chosen to deliver the Grove Oration, a send up on his Senior Class at graduation. He also won a national essay contest for "The Principles Fought for in the American Revolution." He also relied on other Amherst Graduates such as his future Attorney General, Harlan Stone.

Coolidge passed the Massachusetts Bar in 1897 and began his law practice in Northampton. He also starting to get involved in Republican politics.

Coolidge suffered personal losses in his youth with the death of his mother and younger sister. He would form a bond with his stepmother, however. His father, meanwhile, was a pillar of his community and had a political career of his own. Along with being a storekeeper, he served in the Vermont House of Representatives as well as a term in the State Senate. That along with his prudence with money, would be a big influence on Calvin.

His political career started with a seat on the Northampton City Council. His star rose steadily as he was appointed the city solicitor a year later. After a stint as a county clerk, he ran for the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1906. Four years later, he was elected Mayor of Northampton followed by three years in the Massachusetts State Senate where he would preside as President. In 1916, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts and was off to Boston.

It was Coolidge's election as Governor of Massachusetts where he gained National prominence. In 1919, the Boston Police went on strike. Governor Coolidge sent the Massachusetts State Guard to restore order by force and to break the strike. He faced up to AFL Union leader Samuel Gompers and won. The militia, meanwhile, policed the streets of Boston until the now fired strikers could be replaced. Coolidge was seen as a national hero even being praised by President Wilson.

Coolidge's term as Governor was fairly progressive by his standards. He supported pay increases for public employees, limited the workweek for women and children to 48 hours (the child labor laws in the early twentieth century were pretty abysmal), and placed limits on outdoor advertising. He also consolidated the state government.

So, as 1920 rolled around, he was being touted as the favorite son candidate for the Presidential nomination.

Summary of offices held:

1899: Northampton City Council

1900-1903: Northampton City Solicitor

1903-1904: County Clerk, Hampshire County, Massachusetts

1907-1909: Massachusetts House of Representatives

1910-1912: Mayor of Northampton, Massachusetts

1912-1915: Massachusetts Senate

1914-1915: President, Massachusetts Senate

1916-1919: Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts

1919-1921: Governor of Massachusetts

1921-1923: Vice President of the United States


What was going on: Prohibition, the Roaring Twenties, the Ku Klux Klan, The Scopes Monkey Trial, Teapot Dome scandal

Scandals within the administration: none major

Why he was a good President: Well, he kept his cool, didn't he? Seriously though, he never wavered from his political philosophy (which, admittedly, isn't mine). He did cut taxes to the point where few Americans paid any. He balanced the budget, and he took advantage of the media at the time becoming the first real radio President. Most importantly, he wasn't Warren Harding and brought back integrity to the office.

Why he was a bad President: His economic policies, which seemed great at the time, directly led to what would become the Great Depression. He also wasn't the most socially activist President, even to the point of tolerating (though not necessarily approving) the Ku Klux Klan.

What could have saved his Presidency: he should have had more foresight in economic matters. He missed the Wall Street crash by about seven months.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Had the stock market crash happened a year sooner or if the KKK had been ultimately successful.


How he became Vice President: As mentioned, Governor Coolidge, came into Chicago as a favorite son candidate and he received 34 votes on the first ballot. Of course, he had absolutely no chance of winning.

He wasn't discussed in the smoke-filled room where deals were made. It was there where Warren Harding was decided on for President. However, they initially wanted Senator Irving Lenroot of Wisconsin for the running mate.

But there was a groundswell for Coolidge on the floor and, after a push by some rebellious delegates, Coolidge was nominated as Vice-President.

Coolidge did his part in the campaign as well, stumping in the South mostly, though in vain. The South was still largely Democratic (or Dixiecratic really). Nevertheless, it as an easy win overall in November and Coolidge was the Vice President of the United States.

As, Vice President, Coolidge would keep a low profile until, on August 2, 1923, while vacationing at his father's home in Vermont, he was awakened with the news that President Harding had died. Coolidge's father, a justice of the peace, swore Coolidge in at 2:24 AM.

And the new President coolly went back to bed.

First term: President Coolidge served out the rest of Harding's term with little fanfare. There were some things brewing such as the Ku Klux Klan more or less taking over Oklahoma. Coolidge himself would let his goals be known in a State of the Union Address supporting prohibition and U.S. involvement in the World Court. He, like Harding before him, vetoed the bonus bill, although his would be overridden later. The Congress passed an even more restrictive immigration law banning the Japanese entirely and severely limiting everyone else outside of Canada and Mexico. He also oversaw the signing of the Dawes plan which was to solve the German reparation problem. It wouldn't be enough to save the world from Hitler, however.

Election of 1924: President Coolidge, already popular in his own right, was ready for a try of a term of his own. He was unscathed from the Teapot Dome Scandal and was indeed praised for his honesty and decency at a time when it was so sorely needed by the President. So, despite the challenges from the likes of everyone's favorite anti-Semite, Henry Ford, Coolidge would win the nomination fairly easily. He was known as Silent Cal by then, known for his disdain for small talk. He had hoped to peg Senator William Borah as his running mate, but he turned the offer down. So, they ended up going with the colorful Charles Dawes of Illinois.

The Democrats were, at the very least, a little more entertaining. For they had no clear front runner to challenge Coolidge. Not that they didn't have their own stable of candidates who wanted a shot at him., indeed, there were several solid contenders such as Governor Al Smith of New York, touted by the returning Franklin Roosevelt (he had just recovered from polio) as the "Happy Warrior." He was challenged by Wilson's former Treasury Secretary, William McAdoo. McAdoo was supported by William Jennings Bryan due to his positive stance on prohibition (this was the year before the Scopes trial that would tarnish Bryan's reputation somewhat). Prohibition, by now, had become something of a divisive issue within the Democratic party. In the end, the Democrats went with John Davis, a former ambassador to the United Kingdom. 

The general campaign got off to a tragic start as President Coolidge's son died of an infection during the Democratic Convention (they suspended out of respect). Once everything got rolling, however, it was more or less a repeat of the 1920 campaign. "Keep Cool With Coolidge" was the campaign slogan for the Republicans as they held the line on tariffs and stayed mum on just about everything else including prohibition and the KKK. Davis, on the other hand, openly condemned the Ku Klux Klan and, as such, made open the rift among the Democrats between the Jim Crow South and the Civil Rights advocacy that was gaining with the Northern Democrats.

Thanks to a progressive third-party campaign led by Robert LaFollette, Coolidge all but destroyed Davis in the popular vote and easily won his chance at his own term.

Second Term: President Coolidge certainly wasn't what you would call an activist President. The Congress passed the Revenue Act which lowered government spending and cut income taxes considerably. The economy was booming and President Coolidge was content with letting the good times roll.

He was a little more active on the foreign front. Though opposed to joining the League of Nations, he favored joining the World Court (which Congress would also reject). He also participated, through Secretary of State Kellogg, in the Kellogg- Briand pact, a resolution that more or less outlawed war (I know, seems pretty naïve now, doesn't it?). He also took an economic interest in Latin America, sometimes with the Monroe Doctrine in mind. Meanwhile, the more militaristic Roosevelt Corollary was all but abandoned.

Despite Coolidge's reputation as the quiet type, he was quite available to the public, holding two news conferences a week and becoming well known on the radio. He was known for his sense of humor and once even wore an Indian headdress given to him by Yellow Robe's daughter (Lakota tribe).

There were other things going on that Coolidge more or less ignored such as a major Ku Klux Klan demonstration in Washington in 1925. It was all but ignored except for a passing critical comment, hardly the outrage John Davis had vocalized the year before.

It was also the era of the Scopes evolution trial in Tennessee (will have to write about that someday) and Lindbergh's cross-Atlantic flight. It was a quite exciting time in the mid to late twenties.

President Coolidge was as popular as any President has ever been, and he would have been re-elected easily in 1928. But he chose not to run, citing the two term rule (though, in Coolidge's case, that might have been a little iffy).

Post Presidency: Coolidge announced he wasn't running in 1928 with little fanfare. Even his wife was to quip, "What announcement?"

In truth, he had never really gotten over the death of his son in 1924 from a blister infection. Penicillin wasn't around in those days so if you got an infection, you could very well be toast. In any event, he returned to Northampton where he worked on his autobiography and wrote a newspaper column. He traveled the country with his wife and even dined with Huey Long, the Governor of Louisiana. He would also speak infrequently on behalf of President Hoover, besieged from the ills of the Great Depression, an economic crisis in which the seeds were, unfortunately, due to the Coolidge policies.

On January 5, 1933, Coolidge, after having eaten lunch, collapsed and died of a heart attack.

Odd notes: A dinner companion reportedly bet Coolidge she couldn't extract three words from him. He answered, "You lose."

Coolidge once pardoned a raccoon.

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/551904/calvin-coolidge-facts

Final Summary: Well, whether you liked his policies or not, you have to admit Calvin Coolidge was a pretty cool dude. And, really, he wasn't all that terrible a President. As noted before, he certainly brought trust and integrity back to the White House (Whether he was able to recover the White House China Harding gambled away, we don't know). He also was an advocate for world peace and, with the help of radio, he made the Presidency more accessible.

But he'll also have to bear the cross with his economic policy. Yes, things were booming during his tenure, but the signs of a market crash were already there. There were absolutely no regulations then and speculators were running amok. Coolidge couldn't see the writing on the wall, maybe no one could. I also wish he had taken a tougher stand against the Ku Klux Klan. Oklahoma's Governor did, in fact, and got rewarded by being thrown out of office. Somehow, I don't think that would have happened to Coolidge, not in the 1920s anyway.

But overall, yeah, he was a much better President than Harding had been for sure. Now would he have handled the Depression better than Hoover had? Honestly, I doubt it.

But for the time period that he served; Coolidge was certainly the right President for the times. Just don't ask him how the weather is.

Overall rating: C+

https://millercenter.org/president/coolidge

[Rubber Soul]

31. HERBERT HOOVER (Brother can you spare a dime)



Born: August 10, 1874, West Branch, Iowa
Died: October 20, 1964, New York, New York

Term: March 4, 1929- March 4, 1933
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: Charles Curtis

First Lady: Lou Henry Hoover

Before the Presidency: Herbert Hoover was born to Quaker parents in rural Iowa. By the time he was nine, both of his parents had died, and he and his siblings were passed around to relatives. Herbert ended up with his uncle in Oregon. Herbert was somewhat introverted, and he struggled in school for a bit, excelling in only math. But he studied hard and got into Stanford University. It was there where he showed his entrepreneur skills when he started a student laundry service.

After Hoover graduated in 1895, he tried to find work as a surveyor and ended up working at a gold mine in California. It was hard work; Hoover worked seventy hours a week. Luck came his way when he found a job in San Francisco. This put him in connection to a company that needed a mine inspector. He worked as a mining engineer in Australia and China from 1897 to 1902. In fact, Hoover and his young wife, Lou, were in China during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900.

In 1908, Hoover opened his own mining consulting business and was independently wealthy as of 1914. He had identified himself as a Progressive Republican and was concerned about humanitarian needs. In that sense, Hoover was an idealist. He supported Roosevelt's third party bid in 1912.

Hoover's foray into politics, or at least the administrative end of it, started in 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War. That year, he was asked by the US consul to help evacuate over a hundred thousand Americans trapped in London. After Germany invaded Belgium, he organized the Commission for Relief in Belgium with some wealthy friends. Through the commission, Hoover was able to raise millions of dollars for food and medicine for the besieged Belgians.

Hoover had become nationally known for his humanitarian skills and President Wilson asked him to run the US Food and Drug Administration. By now, the US was on a war footing, having entered the World War and Hoover was advocating the conservation of food. Hooverizing became another word for rationing and Americans were all in as they were supporting the troops in Europe. After the war ended, President Wilson appointed Hoover as head of the European Relief and Rehabilitation Administration where he directed 34 million tons of food, clothing, and supplies to war-torn Europe. He would also attend the Versailles Peace Conference with President Wilson and ran Wilson's economic council as well. After leaving the administration, he founded what would later be called the Hoover Institution, at Stanford. And, though a Republican, he supported US involvement in the League of Nations, something his party was vehemently opposing.

Of course, Hoover was a Republican and was considered a candidate in 1920 but his support of the League of Nations more or less ended a chance at the White House that year. Instead, he ended up being appointed Secretary of Commerce by President Harding, a position he would keep through both the Harding and Coolidge administrations.

As Secretary of Commerce, Hoover supported regulation of new industries such as aviation and radio. He also was aggressive in pursuing trade opportunities for American businesses. Under Hoover as Commerce Secretary things were booming indeed.

In 1922, Hoover wrote a book called American Individualism. In it, he rejected the laissez-faire capitalism of the right while also being critical of the socialist policies of the left. Hoover was clearly a Capitalist, but he was looking for a more reasonable middle ground.

As Secretary of Commerce, Hoover was seen as a Progressive and was even being considered as a running mate for Coolidge in 1924. Of course, that was not to happen. But a major flood on the Mississippi River in 1927 but him back in the National spotlight as he took charge in the relief effort. By 1928, Hoover had a reputation as a humanitarian and as someone who could get things done. He was certainly going to be a front runner in 1928 to be sure.

Summary of offices held:

1914-1917: Chair of the Commission For Relief in Belgium

1917-1918: Director, United States Food Administration

1918-1919: Chair, European Relief and Rehabilitation Administration

1921-1928: Secretary of Commerce

What was going on: The Wall Street crash, The Great Depression, the Bonus Army,

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of

Why he was a good President: Despite not being the right President for the times, Hoover did try to do his best and he was certainly an idealist when it came to advocating world peace.

Why he was a bad President: Well, it was the Great Depression, wasn't it?  His political philosophy of not using Federal funds to help the people in need was disastrous to say the least and probably left his successor to deal with an even deeper crisis than necessary

What could have saved his Presidency: A more activist role in making the Great Depression a little less severe would have done wonders.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Between the Great Depression and Emperor General MacArthur, the poor guy had no chance.

Election of 1928: Hoover came into the Republican Convention not very enamored by the party regulars who, no doubt, found Hoover as too progressive, but he had swept the primaries and was endorsed by powerful Andrew Mellon of Pennsylvania. He also happened to be the Treasury Secretary. Hoover won on the first ballot and was teamed with Majority leader Charles Curtis of Kansas. The Republicans ran on a fairly conservative platform with lower taxes, a protective tariff, and strong support of prohibition among other things. Plus, they had the wave of prosperity under their watch to run on.

The Democrats, on the other hands, needed someone to shake things up on their end. They went with Governor Al Smith of New York. He took a different stance on prohibition. By 1928, you were either a "wet" (for the repeal of prohibition) or a "dry" (a supporter of prohibition). Smith was, unmistakably, a wet, though the party made great pains in promising prohibition supporters they wouldn't try to repeal the amendment. For proof, they nominated, for Vice-President, the pro- prohibitionist, Joseph Robinson of Arkansas.

Hoover had the upper hand throughout the campaign, and he campaigned cautiously making seven carefully worded radio message without even mentioning Al Smith. He also coined the slogan, 'a chicken in every pot." And "a car in every garage." There was also another issue that hurt Smith. He was the first Catholic to have ever been nominated by a major party and the Anti-Catholic fervor remained strong in the United States. As such, Smith would have to endure some indignities in the South especially as he spoke to a jeering crowd in Oklahoma City while the KKK (still in power in Oklahoma) burned a cross within his sight. The religious intolerance was pretty ugly for Smith to say the least.

And it would show up in the vote in November as well as Hoover won in yet another landslide for the Republicans. The haters of anything non-white Anglo-Saxon protestant won yet again.

And, within a year, they were about to get their just rewards.

First term: President Hoover's administration started quietly enough. The economy seemed to be flowing smoothly. He organized a strong cabinet and there was no reason to believe the government was in any way unstable. Yes, there were some tensions on the World front, both in Europe and Asia, but nothing that seemed as if a new world war was imminent. It seemed like a happy time.

But October 29, 1929, would change everything. While one can look back and see the tea leaves, no one thought about the warnings then as investors were speculating like it was the 1849 Gold Rush all over again. So, imagine their surprise when the stock market began to crash that previous Thursday, and now, on Tuesday, finished the free-fall that sparked the Great Depression.

It especially affected farmers, initially, but it also trigged a worldwide depression, one that especially affected Germany as they would make their slow descent into Nazism.

On the foreign front, Hoover did have some temporary successes at least, notably with the London Naval Treaty which limited the size of the navies. The US, Britain, and Japan signed the treaty while France and Italy didn't. Italy, of course, had been led by the Fascist Benito Mussolini for years at this point. Japan would also, thanks to a couple of assassinations, go militaristic in late 1930. The Hoover Administration did get to celebrate a Nobel Peace Prize as a result of the Kellogg-Briand pact of 1928 (really a Coolidge victory but, well, you know).

But on the domestic front, it was all about the Great Depression. Within a year, banks began to fail, and, by the end of 1930, more than 1300 banks had shut its doors. Unemployment rates were skyrocketing and there were no safety nets of which to speak of. Basically, it was every man for himself.

President Hoover, needless to say was way in over his head as he didn't know what to do, no one did to be fair. But it would take a while for him to even attempt anything.  He finally did when he funded a public works project, but it would pale in comparison to the long reaching programs FDR would implement a few years later and the depression only got worse.

By 1931, there was a clamor within the Democratic Party as well as some Progressive Republicans from the Midwest for economic relief for farmers and others affected severely by the Depression. Hoover responded by vetoing at least two relief bills that would be overridden. He had believed that the worst had passed, and that the economy would work itself out. Of course, it didn't, and it not only had a devastating effect on Americans, but it also had an effect on the World stage as well. Italy was full blown Fascist; Germany was well on its way as Hitler was rising from the ashes, and Japan was about to wage its expansionist war starting with Manchuria. The early 1930s was not a good time to be alive.

Perhaps the final nail on Hoover's coffin though had to have been the advent of the Bonus Army. A large contingent of World War I veterans, many of whom were affected by the Great Depression, camped out near the White House with demands to receive their bonus pensions early. Hoover, as well as Congress, rejected their demands while supporting their right to demonstrate and even provided them shelter and supplies. So far, so good, right?

Enter Douglas A. MacArthur, General and would be Emperor of the United States Army. By now, most of the protestors had gone home and only a handful remained in the abandoned buildings. Hoover wanted them relocated, peacefully mind you, and ordered the Secretary of War to move them to nearby camps. But the Secretary of War feared riots and ordered General McArthur to relocate the stragglers to the Anacostia River Flats.

But General MacArthur, that great lover of peace who would one day want to nuke China, had other ideas. He decided to drive the Bonus Army out of Washington altogether and burned the camp area down with the use of tear gas, bayonets, tanks, and guns. He probably would have used a nuclear weapon if it had existed then. One Bonus Army member was killed, and the incident horrified the public.

MacArthur and Hurley weren't willing to stand up for their horrific error and denied responsibility, so President Hoover took the heat for them. Good for him, but maybe he should have done a Truman and, you know, fire their asses? Guess the buck didn't stop with Hoover though.

Anyway, things were not looking good for Hoover come re-election time.

Election of 1932: No one really expected Hoover to be re-elected after the Bonus Army debacle. Now the word Hooverize stood for something else. Now people were living in Hoover Hotels (cardboard boxes) or in Hoovervilles (enclaves of makeshift shacks). People showed off their Hoover flags (pulled out empty pockets) while they stood in breadlines. This was not a man that was ripe for re-election.

Still, the defeated Republicans nominated Hoover and Curtis on the first ballot, and they took their chances, dim as they seemed. The platform changed though as had the times. Now they were supporting the repeal of Prohibition as they were feeling the political tide turn that way. It was about the only issue they were on the right side of.

The Democrats, on the other hand, were quite giddy at the chance of gaining the White House after twelve years, the only question on being who would be the candidate. It wasn't as cut and dried as you would think given how the tide had turned, but we'll get into that more on the next chapter.

For, in the end, Hoover had to deal with the charismatic Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the differing platforms wouldn't really make a difference. Hoover was toast and he knew it. FDR was cautious in his campaigning, mentioning the New Deal but not really explaining what it meant. What it did mean though was a landslide loss for Hoover in the election, however.

Post Presidency: Herbert Hoover left a failed President but, like Jimmy Carter later, he would have an extraordinary post- Presidency. He was all but rejected by the Republican party and he was more or less demonized by the Democrats, his stinging criticisms of FDR's New Deal not doing much to help. As such, he actively supported Alf Landon in the 1936 campaign.

Hoover's post-Presidency really started at the onset of World War Two. He met with Adolf Hitler in Germany to give him a good dressing down basically. As someone who truly opposed war, he was against US involvement until the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. President Roosevelt dropped his less than enamored feelings for Hoover and appointed him to chair an international relief organization to help nations that had been overrun by Hitler. Unfortunately, thanks to the cruelty of the Nazis, he was unable to get food to the people that needed it most.

He fared better in the post war atmosphere, serving as coordinator of the Food Supply for World Famine. In 1947, the Republican controlled Congress appointed Hoover as chairman of what would become known as the Hoover Commission. This was done in hopes he could somehow dismantle the New Deal that he had been so critical of. Imagine their disappointment when he did anything but. Instead, he advocated reforms to strengthen the Executive Branch, some of his proposals even making their way into the Executive Reorganization Act in 1949. He returned in 1955 to suggest more reforms, though he would prove not to have been as successful as he had been in 1949.

On the international front, however, was where Hoover would flourish. He opposed the use of the Atomic Bomb on Japan and opposed American intervention in wars overseas, notably in Korea, preferring a stronger military stateside instead.

He remained active in Republican Party politics as well, supporting Robert Taft in 1948 and 1952 and Eisenhower in 1956. He was not a fan of Nixon in 1960 however and supported Goldwater just before Hoover's death in 1964 as he shared many of Goldwater's Libertarian views.

Herbert Hoover died of colon cancer in 1964 and is remembered for his activism in the humanitarian field post-presidency.

Odd notes: President Hoover donated his salary to charity

His son had two pet crocodiles

(https://www.ducksters.com/biography/uspresidents/herberthoover.php)

Final Summary: The only thing that really saves Herbert Hoover from being listed among the very worst Presidents in history was that at least he wasn't corrupt. He really did try his best in his own way.

But ultimately, he was an abject failure. As someone who basically held Libertarian views, he did almost nothing to alleviate the pain of the average person. He did pass a bill to help the farmers but that was before the Wall Street crash, and he would make some halfway measures in attempts to boost the economy. But he seemed indifferent and even cold from a public standpoint at the plight of the people in need.

He did have a sense of idealism when it came to world events. He supported Kellogg-Briand and was disappointed when Japan broke the treaty. He also backed the London Naval Treaty.

But ultimately, he'll always be remembered for the Great Depression and all the humanitarian efforts he made after his Presidency can never erase that. If I were rating Herbert Hoover as a man, I'd probably give him at least a solid B.

But as President, well...


Overall rating: D+

https://millercenter.org/president/hoover

[Rubber Soul]

32 FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT (Happy days are here again)



Born: January 30, 1882, Hyde Park, New York
Died: April 12, 1945, Warm Springs, Georgia (died in office)

Term: March 4, 1933- April 12, 1945
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President(s): John Nance Garner, Henry Wallace, Harry Truman

First Lady: Eleanor Roosevelt

Before the Presidency: Franklin Delano Roosevelt grew up as an only child of fairly wealthy parents in upstate New York. He was isolated on a large farm growing up for the most part and was schooled at home by tutors. He did have loving parents, especially his mother, who was devoted to him throughout her life.

At age fourteen, Franklin's parents sent him to the Groton school where he was miserable. There was something of a pecking order at the private school that favored athletes and rebels; Franklin was neither. He did become familiar with his distant cousin, Theodore, however, and became something of an admirer of him.

Franklin entered Harvard in 1900. There he became very active in extracurricular activities, sometimes at the expense of his grades. Still, his grades were average, and he graduated in 1903. He continued on through graduate school where he became editor of the Harvard Crimson. It was during this period when Roosevelt declared himself a Democrat even though he remained an admirer of his Republican and now President cousin.

The love bug bit Franklin as well and, after being rejected by one prospect, he became involved with a distant cousin, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt. They would develop a romantic as well as a professional relationship, and anyone who knows American History knows who Eleanor Roosevelt is.

Franklin and Eleanor were married in 1905. She was given away by Theodore.

About the time he was married, Roosevelt entered law school. It wasn't really his passion, however, and he never graduated. Nevertheless, he passed the bar.

He worked for a law firm for a time until he was approached by upstate Democrats to run for political office. Roosevelt ran for the State Senate in 1910 and won his first election. Roosevelt was an attractive candidate party due to his name, but also because he seemed to have an endless reservoir of energy. He was clearly a people person, and voters especially then responded very positively to that.

Roosevelt proved to be a different kind of Democrat as he railed against the Tammany Hall machine while defending the farmers in his district. He also shared the belief his cousin had that government should play a role in a fair and equitable society and didn't think people should be controlled by an economic or political power. In other words, Franklin Roosevelt was a diehard progressive.

After he was re-elected in 1912, he formed a friendship with Louis Howe, a journalist who would become FDR's chief adviser for two decades. FDR wouldn't finish out his second term, though, as President Wilson came calling. Roosevelt had supported the New Jersey Governor through his Presidential run and Wilson asked him to be Assistant Secretary of the Navy, a position he held for almost all of Wilson's two terms. It was a position that his cousin Theodore once had under President McKinley.

As Assistant Secretary, Roosevelt thrived on the ceremonial gatherings he was called to attend, but more important, he worked to reshape the Navy in some ways, acting more as the top dog than as an assistant. He advocated a larger Navy, particularly during the World War, which often put him at odds with the Wilson Administration. Nevertheless, it was Roosevelt that took charge of the Navy's contribution to the American effort in the war.

Roosevelt, by now, was a politician's politician, and he would take steps to make sure his political career wouldn't end, even with his flaws. When he lost a bid for the Senate in 1914, he realized he had to play ball with Tammany Hall. He also had an eye for the women and, when caught, Eleanor offered to divorce him. He turned her down and promised to be faithful from then on (he would break that promise on numerous occasions). He did it more for political reasons than anything else. Eleanor was also the shrewd type (though she has nothing on Hillary Clinton) and decided she would live her own life as well, thus, the marriage was one of a political partnership than of a romantic one.

Despite the personal issues, FDR's star was rising within the Democratic Party, and he was nominated to run with James Cox as Vice President in 1920. Of course, Harding would win the election in a landslide, but FDR came out of the election as one of the party's bright stars. He retired to the private world after the election and seemed ready for a political comeback. Then tragedy hit.

In the summer of 1921, Roosevelt was vacationing at Campobello Island when he was stricken with polio. He survived but would be partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. He did manage, through rehabilitation, to be able to stand and walk as necessary, but he would be doing it in constant pain. Eleanor and Louis Howe encouraged him (Eleanor probably still loved Franklin in her own way) and were drawn in by FDR's own optimism. Franklin expected a full recovery that never came, and yet, he never lost his will to live and, in fact, seemed to be strengthened by his circumstances. In that sense, he was an extraordinary man.

FDR got back into politics in 1922 when he backed Al Smith for Governor of New York. Smith won and FDR would back him for President two years later. Alas, it wasn't Smith's time, but 1928 would be, at least in the Democratic Party, and he persuaded Roosevelt to run for the Governor's seat. Smith had hoped that an FDR gubernatorial run would help his chances in the North. Alas, it didn't but Smith at least had his man in the Governor's mansion; FDR narrowly won and was destined to become a fairly popular Governor. At first, a lot of it was smoke and mirrors as Governor Roosevelt proved successful at hiding his affliction with the help of Howe, thus dispelling rumors that polio had made him more or less disabled (which he technically was).

The moment for Governor Roosevelt to shine, though, would come in the form of the Great Depression. Like President Hoover, Governor Roosevelt did nothing in hopes that the economy would take care of itself. However, Unlike President Hoover when it became obvious the market wouldn't recover, the Governor took action by getting the state to pass a public works program to aid the unemployed and to lower taxes for farmers. He also granted relief to the needy and developed a reputation nationally as a liberal reformer.

As such, Roosevelt won re-election in 1930 and seemed poised as a major Presidential candidate in 1932.



Summary of offices held:

1911-1913: New York State Senate

1913-1920: Assistant Secretary of the Navy

1929-1933: Governor of New York


What was going on: The Great Depression, The New Deal, Hitler and Mussolini, Hindenburg disaster, Golden age of Hollywood, World War II

Scandals within the administration:  The Air Mail scandal

Why he was a good President: His New Deal economic policies are with us to this day, even as there are still some who would like to destroy them, even Social Security, which may be FDR's biggest domestic legacy. It took a while, but he got us out of the Great Depression and kept the nation calm with his numerous fireside chats. And he masterfully guided us through the crisis that was World War II. He is perhaps the only President in history that was able to steer us through two major crises.

Why he was a bad President: Well, he really fumbled the ball when it came to the Japanese- Americans, something even I can't forgive him for. His quixotic attempt to pack the Supreme Court didn't look well on him either.

What could have saved his Presidency: If he had followed his advice about falling into fear and not gotten xenophobic on the Japanese in the US, he probably would have scored an A

What could have destroyed his Presidency: If the Depression had actually gotten worse for starters. I won't mention losing World War II because if he had tanked with the New Deal, he never would have been President for World War II; they would have sent him out on a rail.

Election of 1932: Roosevelt came into the convention in Chicago as the front runner. Still, it wouldn't be as easy to get the nomination as one would think. For one thing, Al Smith was giving it another shot. They seemed to agree on just about everything, including the repeal of prohibition, but Roosevelt wasn't as keen on making it a campaign issue as Smith was. And, because Smith was running, Catholicism was again an issue (People actually feared a Catholic President would take his orders from the Pope). John Nance Garner was also running, and he was popular in the West.

Of course, the issue on everyone's minds was the Great Depression, which had all but peaked by 1932. No one initially had the two thirds majority until Roosevelt promised to put Garner on the ticket, giving him enough votes to be nominated on the fourth ballot.

Roosevelt went against possibly the most unpopular President in recent history in Herbert Hoover and it wouldn't take much to win in the largest landslide in history up to that point. Still, Roosevelt played up his platform of a "New Deal,", emphasizing the need for people to work together as opposed to the individualism Hoover spoke of. Otherwise, Roosevelt played the rope-a dope knowing it was Hoover, not he, that had to prove his adeptness at being President, something he (Hoover) seemed to be failing miserably at.

And as such, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was elected in the biggest landslide until, well, the next election.

First term: As it was, FDR was lucky to even make it to inauguration. At a rally in Miami in February 1933, Roosevelt was sitting in the back seat of a car when shots rang out. Four people were wounded, and Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak was killed. FDR, fortunately, escaped the incident shaken, but unscathed.

So, Roosevelt became the last President to be sworn in on March 4. From 1936 onwards, the President would be inaugurated on January 20 since it was now easier to travel to Washington.

Not that he took much time to enjoy his victory. The United States still was in the worst economic crisis in its history, and it actually took a World War to finally get us out of it. Roosevelt made great pains to ease the impact as much as he possibly could, however, as his New Deal turned out to be much more than a campaign slogan. Within a day of his inauguration, he declared a four-day bank holiday in an effort to stop the run on banks. Days later, Congress would meet, and it started a tradition of the first hundred days or, in other words, the first hundred day period of a Presidential Administration when most of his work would be accomplished. That isn't necessarily true, of course; Obamacare wasn't passed until his second year for example, but it is true that FDR accomplished more in his first hundred days than any President before or since.

And the country badly needed someone that could accomplish much. President Roosevelt did just that starting with the Emergency Banking Act. He then convinced Congress to let him organize work programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Tennessee Valley Authority. More jobs were created with the Federal Emergency Relief Act and, on the hundredth day, the National Recovery Administration, and the Public Works Administration. The NRA (not the National Rifle Association) was especially notable since their stamp seemed to be on everything from newspapers to shop windows to consumer packaging. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court ruled that apparently helping the less fortunate was somehow unconstitutional and President Roosevelt would have to take another tactic.

Luckily, I'm exaggerating the cruelty of the court circa 1935 a little as many of FDR's programs did pass muster with them, one of them being the National Labor Board which established the government as a pro-labor entity. He continued to create jobs with Federal Funds with organizations like the Civil Works Administration. He also took the US off the Gold Standard and established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which guaranteed depositors their money wouldn't suddenly disappear into the night. FDIC exists to this day.

Of course, Roosevelt and his New Deal had its enemies, mainly virtually the entire Republican Party. The Progressive idealism once prominent in the GOP was all but disappearing and only a strongly Democratic congress enabled the President to get his programs through. He also had detractors within his own party for not doing enough, notably, Senator Huey Long of Louisiana, a populist to a fault and even a potential dictator in Louisiana. The people loved him, especially the blacks and the poor and in some ways, was a liberal version of Donald Trump, albeit a bit smarter. He had plans to run against FDR in 1936 but he would be cut down by an assassin's bullet in 1935.

World events were also becoming grimmer as Japan was hell bent on expanding its empire and was at war with China. Germany was now controlled by Hitler and his oppression of the Jews was already headline news. Roosevelt was, of course, cognizant of all this, but his priorities in this first term was to get as many Americans off the breadlines as he possibly could. Thus, all he could do was to pray for Europe.

And, domestically, the United States was about to get hit with a new crisis. For, the plains states were in a severe drought, and it set off the Great Dust Bowl of 1934.

His biggest enemy though proved to be the Supreme Court which found many of his New Deal programs unconstitutional. Most of these were Republican appointees of course which didn't help. As such, Americans remained nervous about their futures and wondered if a second FDR term would really do any good.

Election of 1936: World and National events were not the best to say the least. Europe was getting darker by the day as Berlin held the Summer Olympics as Hitler's paeon to Aryan superiority. Needless to say, he wasn't thrilled when African- American Jesse Owens all but dominated the Olympics. Meanwhile Spain was in the throes of its own Revolution with Franco's fascists getting help from Mussolini and Hitler, who were more or less allied these days.

At home, meanwhile, the Supreme Court seemed to have put the brakes on Roosevelt's New Deal and the economy had faltered into what was now called the Roosevelt Recession. Yes, things were a lot better than it had been in 1932, but people were still struggling to make ends meet in general. So, Roosevelt's re-election, at least at the start, wasn't a done deal. He lost the support of the business community after supporting the Social Security Act (screw the elderly the rich men said).

With his likely biggest obstacle gone in Huey Long, however, there was no doubt as to his re-nomination, the only question being who the Republicans would put up against him.

As it was, there really was no strong Republican to put up against Roosevelt; that would have to wait four years. They ended up going with moderate Governor Alf Landon of Kansas, certainly a likable sort, but not much of an orator. Even worse, while Landon himself was more of a Centrist, the more conservative voices, most notably, his running mate, Frank Knox, were louder and that tended to turn the public off.

So, Roosevelt was able to form his coalition of what was called the New Deal Coalition, a group of Southern Democrats, minorities, particularly blacks, Northern Jews, Catholics, labor, and farmers. It was a coalition that would keep the Democrats in power until the seventies with some exceptions (Truman's Republican Congress, Eisenhower, even Nixon).

And Roosevelt won in the biggest landslide in history- period.

[Rubber Soul]

Second Term: As casually mentioned, President Roosevelt had signed the Social Security Act into law and, as we know, that gives Senior Citizens some financial security, or at least until they vote for the morons that have always wanted to take it away from them.

The second term started with a bit of controversy as FDR made an attempt to pack the court with justices that would support his New Deal policies. The idea didn't float well with Congress, however, and they ended up just passing a bill that gave justices over 70 full retirement benefits. No retirements were forthcoming however, and Roosevelt would take a pretty big political hit. However, some justices received the message and voted the National Labor Relations Act and the Social Security Act constitutional, and Roosevelt could breathe a bit of a sigh of relief.

By 1937, the situation in Europe was getting more tense as Hitler was beginning to flex his military muscles. In response and, knowing the Americans' reluctance to fight another war in Europe, FDR signed the third neutrality act of his presidency which prohibited the shipping of arms and munitions to belligerents. He did approve of non-miliary sales to belligerents  in something called Cash and Carry. This was an underhanded way to help Britain and France mostly as Roosevelt was clearly appalled by the human rights violations and warmongering going on in Germany in particular.

There was finally a judicial retirement and FDR made one of the most famous appointments in history in the liberal Hugo Black. Black supported Roosevelt's New Deal policies but he was also controversial for being a member of the Ku Klux Klan in his youth.

The economy still continued to sputter despite the first term efforts. Roosevelt had taken a more conservative approach in an attempt to balance the budget, but it was obvious more relief was needed. He was talked into a five billion dollar relief bill to create more jobs, but unemployment still stagnated at a whopping 19%. It didn't seem like anything more could possibly be done to end this depression. President Roosevelt did get one more thing passed on his domestic agenda however as the government established the minimum wage and the 40 hour work week.

Ironically, Adolf Hitler, inadvertently, would come to the rescue though not in the way anyone would have wanted. In 1938 he invaded and took over Austria. Later in the year he made a deal with "Peace in Our Time" Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister of Britain, and quickly rolled over Czechoslovakia. Now, the United States was beginning to take notice. By the end of the year, Roosevelt had recalled the American ambassador to Germany over the anti-Jewish activities there.

In 1939, everything went full blown as Italy, having already conquered Ethiopia, was now invading Albania. Germany, meanwhile, after conquering Czechoslovakia, was threatening to invade Poland even as England and France vowed to defend Poland in that situation. President Roosevelt too was concerned, and he sought to cement the alliance with Britain. The US wouldn't enter the war, of course; public sentiment would have had FDR's head on a silver platter. But he could help in economic ways. He dropped the arms embargo while revising the neutrality law. Relations with Japan were also in tatters so the trade agreement with the military aggressor was terminated.

On September 1, 1939, the inevitable happened; Germany invaded Poland. France and Britain declared war two days later but the US, thanks to public pressure, declared neutrality.

The truth is, though, Roosevelt wasn't comfortable with abandoning his European friends in time of need, so he was able to pass Lend and Lease laws in 1940. Germany, by now, was invading practically all of Europe and even had an Axis pact with Italy and Japan. Mussolini was trying to conquer Africa while Japan wanted all of Asia. That left Europe at the mercy of Hitler and by the summer of 1940, he had conquered Norway, Denmark, Holland, and worse of all, France. On top of that, the Luftwaffe was bombing London on a daily basis. This, needless to say, was upsetting the American public though not enough to enter the war themselves. This brought Roosevelt to declare non-belligerency as opposed to neutrality, essentially giving moral and economic support to Britain and France.

Most Americans approved of this happy medium but there was a group known as America First that wanted to stay out of the war altogether. One of its most prominent spokespeople happened to be Charles Lindbergh who must have thought people would reject the call to defend the rest of Europe from Germany. Instead, it would backfire in his face.

As for Roosevelt, he made what would be a controversial decision of his own. With the prospect of the US eventually entering the war (he would implement a peacetime draft just for that inevitability), he announced that he would seek an unprecedented third term.

Election of 1940: FDR has stated that he would only run for a third term if the situation in Europe deteriorated and if there was a draft movement for him. With Nazi Germany running amok all over Europe by the Spring of 1940, the first condition had been met. The only question now was if there would be a draft Roosevelt movement. The second condition was met, sort of, and Chicago Ed Kelly organized his own Draft Roosevelt movement, but others in his party, including Vice President Garner (who wasn't going to run with FDR this time around), disagreed with Roosevelt breaking the two term limit tradition, never a law, but always assumed.

He also had some resistance from Southern Democrats (or the Dixiecrats) when he chose ultra-liberal Henry Wallace to be his running mate. Nevertheless, Roosevelt had no problem getting a third nomination.

As for the Republicans, they were considerably more organized than they had been in 1936 and went with Wendell Willkie of Indiana. A former Democrat, he actually supported FDR for much of the New Deal and, in some aspects, the platforms, at least economically, seemed fairly similar.

The gloves came off near election time, however, as Willkie railed at FDR's quest for a third term while indicating that a third FDR term would mean the US would be at war. Roosevelt denied the accusation pledging that the US would not get involved in any foreign war. Sort of like the Woodrow Wilson pledge, "He kept us out of war."

Though the candidates themselves were rather civil (they basically liked each other personally), the campaigns began to get down and dirty. In the end, it didn't matter, however; Roosevelt again won by a comfortable margin though the Republicans did fare a bit better than they had in 1936.

Third Term: 1941 would prove to be arguably the most eventful year in American history. America was finally beginning to see the Great Depression in their rear view mirror since Roosevelt had more or less put America on a war footing. No, the United States wasn't physically in the war, but with Cash and Carry and Lend-Lease bills supporting the Allies in Europe, war production was on all cylinders, meaning jobs were now becoming plenty.

Of course, the World War was the first thing on everyone's mind and there was still a very vocal isolationist movement, some of whom were actually German (though not necessarily Nazi) sympathizers. One wonders if Lindbergh (who actually did meet Hitler) fell into the sympathizer category.

There was a problem on two fronts globally of course, while the American public was more transfixed on what was happening in Europe (Edward R. Murrow's news reports during the bombings of London were listened to by millions), they were less aware of the threat in the Pacific. Militaristic Japan was set on conquering virtually all of Asia and even had eyes on Australia. All of this was affecting American interests obviously and relations between the two nations were near the breaking point. As such, Japan sent an envoy to negotiate a peace settlement with the US.

Of course, as we now know, and probably unknown to the Japanese envoy, it was all a ruse. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United States territory. The isolationist movement fizzled in a matter of hours and the United States was at war.

And President Roosevelt was ready. He had anticipated the inevitability of war, possibly with Japan for certain, and he had implemented a peace draft the year before while setting aside more funds for defense. In some ways the Lend-Lease program had been a stalling tactic, so the US had time to prepare for its inevitable involvement in the war.

And, after the United States and Japan formally declared war on each other, Germany and Italy gave Europe an inadvertent gift when they declared war on the United States. The United States was in the European war as well and, basically, the Americans and British would be major factors in both Europe and Asia.

Of course, the three axis powers were constantly shooting themselves in the foot by 1942. Italy was beginning to bite off more than they could chew in Africa. Germany was in Africa too and they were faring better under Rommel, but Hitler miscalculated when he thought he could bomb England to submission as some guy named Winston Churchill had something to say about that. An even bigger, and probably fatal, faux pas, was the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. Things were going swimmingly for a while and they were within miles of Moscow, then the Russian winter set in and the Germans were not prepared. Instead, the tide turned, and Russia began their slow methodical advance to drive the Germans all the way back to Berlin.

Meanwhile, in the United States, as men left for the front lines, women began to take over the jobs in the factories, all with the support of the President. President Roosevelt also took advantage of the war situation by passing some legislation that helped minorities get fair and equal treatment at the workplace. Rationing became a way of life, victory gardens were planted, women sacrificed their nylons for the war cause. And Unions pledged not to strike, and, with a couple of exceptions, they didn't.  Everyone seemed to work together for the most part and, indeed, they had to. A world under Hitler or Tojo was definitely not something that was wanted.

The war also caused a lot of xenophobia in the nation too, sadly, and while Life was briefly a little easier for African-Americans at least (many of whom were fighting bravely in the war), it would be hell for Japanese-Americans. Because of public paranoia, all aliens were forced to register with the government. Germans, Italians, and Japanese were especially singled out, but it was the Japanese who would receive the brunt of the racism. President Roosevelt ordered all Japanese, including American citizens, to live in internment camps during the course of the war. The conditions were mediocre at best and barely livable in some instances. It is the one major flaw in an otherwise solid presidency.

The war effort was slowly turning the Allies way by 1943. The US scored some major naval victories against Japan to the point where Japan would never really recover. Europe was a tougher nut to crack, primarily with Germany, but even there, things were looking up. The Russians now had their counter-offensive going and the best Germany could do on the Western front was settle for the occasional stalemate. They still occupied much of Europe, notably France, Holland, Norway, and some other countries. But there was a sense that the tide was ready to turn, especially after Mussolini fell from power in Italy and the Italians switched sides.

And, in 1944, the tide did turn in the form of what is now known as D-Day. On June 6, 1944, an Allied invasion, coordinated by General Dwight Eisenhower, stormed the beaches at Normandy, overwhelming the Germans. Within weeks, the Allies liberated Paris and now had their own counteroffensive that would end in victory in Berlin.

And President Roosevelt, in between his frequent meetings with Churchill and Stalin to discuss the war effort, was already in motion to establish relief for Europe once the war was over. The groundwork for what would become the United Nations would also be underway in 1944.

The war was going well, and the end looked as if it was in sight. The economy was never better. And, despite the ill thought out imprisonment of innocent Japanese Americans (FDR apparently forgot his own message of the only thing to fear is fear itself), civil rights had taken a tentative step forward as had the rights of women in the workplace (though just as tentative).

But Roosevelt's health was fading by 1944 and one would think he would have wanted to retire. But he wanted to see the war to its conclusion (and the Pacific theatre still had no end in sight at this point).

So, he announced his bid for a fourth term.


Election of 1944: Despite obviously suffering from poor health, Roosevelt made it be known he was willing to run for a fourth term. This time, and likely smelling an easy victory, there was little opposition in the party as President Roosevelt was as popular as ever. Thus, it was a near unanimous vote on the first ballot.

The Vice Presidency was another matter. There was a feeling within the party that FDR wouldn't survive a fourth term and they really didn't want the liberal Henry Wallace in the White House (he was even accused, erroneously, by some as a Communist). So, they went for the relatively unknown Senator from Missouri, Harry Truman. A strange pick for someone they thought might replace Roosevelt, but sometimes you get lucky.

The Republicans were also fairly united as they went with the liberal Republican, Thomas Dewey, the Governor of New York. Like Willkie, he didn't differ that much from Roosevelt. Like Roosevelt, he supported the concept of a United Nations. He basically also supported the New Deal only criticizing that it needed to be more efficient. He did note that FDR himself was an old man (He was actually 62 but he no doubt looked older).

But Roosevelt was still able to muster up his old energy noting that one shouldn't change horses in mid-stream. Even better, he deflected some of the more ridiculous criticisms raised against him with his own brand of humor, at one point nothing that he doesn't resent the personal attacks, nor his wife, but his dog on the other hand...

In the end, the election was a foregone conclusion. While not quite a landslide, Roosevelt nonetheless would win by a comfortable margin. Dewey would have to wait another four years to make history (though probably not quite in the way he wanted).

Fourth Term: President Roosevelt, though ailing, still managed one more trip to the Yalta Conference to discuss the final assault on Germany and how they would be treated after the war. By now, both the Russians and Allies were driving deep into Germany, and it was a foregone conclusion that Berlin would fall within a matter of months. The war in the Pacific was also going well as the US recaptured Manila and scored a decisive victory at Iwo Jima too. It only seemed like a matter of time that Japan would also lose though, as per their tradition, surrender was something that was foreign to them.

With the war effort in hand and in need of a break, President Roosevelt decided to go on vacation at his favorite retreat in Warm Springs, Georgia.


Death: As noted, FDR's health had deteriorated a lot more than the public could have guessed. He had been quite adept, with some help from sympathetic aides, to hide the impact of his polio from the public. He was equally adept with hiding his more recent health ailments.

And it was a laundry list that included various heart ailments, high blood pressure, bronchitis and, of course, the always lingering effects of polio.

On April 12, 1945, President Roosevelt was sitting for a portrait when he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. He would never regain consciousness and died three hours later.

This, of course, sent shockwaves in Washington as Harry Truman was sworn in as soon as he heard the news. He famously asked the now widowed Eleanor if there was anything he could do for her and she replied, "No, Harry, it's what we can do for you: you're the one in trouble now."

Odd notes: FDR established the White House's first movie theatre.

When the King and Queen of England visited the United States, President Roosevelt took them on a picnic and served them hot dogs. (ids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/franklin-roosevelt)

After FDR's presidency, the Republicans managed to pass an Amendment that from then on limited the President to two terms.

Final Summary: Franklin D Roosevelt rates as perhaps the most activist President in our history. He certainly took the initiative as soon as he took office and never seemed to waver, even as his health was declining.  He created programs to put people to work and the Social Security program is today the nest egg that the elderly and disabled depend on. He also was a very forward looking President who saw the war signals much sooner than the rest of us did. On top of that, he had an extraordinary First Lady in Eleanor Roosevelt. She was destined to stay in the political arena and served in the United Nations General Assembly. She is the benchmark for the more politically minded First Ladies that we have today.

The one big flaw in Roosevelt's resume, of course, is the internment of the Japanese-Americans. I'd like to say that was the last atrocity heaped upon a group of people in America but, sadly, I'd be wrong. It wasn't even the worst atrocity since that time. But it is, nevertheless, a stain on what was otherwise a nearly flawless twelve years.

So, yes, I'm taking points off for that while noting that he did do things to improve life for minorities though not quite to the point where he alienated the South. We'll save that for his successor. By the way, he was one of the first Presidents to have women in his Administration as well.

Anyway, given the times he lived in, and despite the brief xenophobia, he still has to rate as one of the best five Presidents in history.

I'll still take Teddy though.


Overall rating: A-

https://millercenter.org/president/fdroosevelt

[Rubber Soul]

33. HARRY S. TRUMAN (America needs you, Harry Truman)




Born: May 8, 1884, Lamar, Missouri
Died: December 26, 1972, Independence, Missouri

Term: April 12, 1945- January 20, 1953
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President: Alben Barkley

First Lady: Bess Wallace Truman

Before the Presidency: Harry Truman grew up in a modest family of four. The family settled in Independence Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City, when he was six. Harry was something of a nerd as his mother didn't allow him to rough house. He also wore glasses, and he grew up a rather awkward boy. As such, he spent much of his free time reading and playing the piano. At one point he even dreamed of becoming a concert pianist. And, like most boys, he fantasized about being a soldier.

Truman worked hard at school and wanted to join West Point after graduating high school in 1901, but his poor eyesight nixed that idea. His father also had financial problems, so a major college was out as well. Instead, Truman attended a business school for a year before dropping out and finding work in construction, and then as a bank clerk.

In 1906, Truman left the bank to work on the family farm for close to a decade. It wasn't his favorite profession, and he found an escape when he joined the National Guard in 1905. During this period, he courted a young woman named Bess Wallace and while she didn't want to marry him initially, they continued with a romantic relationship. They would finally marry in 1919.

In 1914, Truman's father died. Though he was heartbroken, this did give him the opportunity to wean himself away from the farm. He tried his hand as a small mining owner as an investor in the oil business but found little success in either.

The United States entered World War I in 1917 and Truman rejoined the National Guard. Soon, his unit was federalized, and he ended up fighting in France. Truman rose up in the ranks, making it all the way to Captain. He proved to be a solid leader, earning the respect of his men. His self-confidence bloomed and Truman would come home a surprisingly popular man in the Kansas City area.

His political career had started once he got home in 1919, unbeknownst to Truman at the time, who only wanted to be successful in a small business. Indeed, a clothing store he opened with his war buddy, Eddie Jacobson, ultimately would fail as Kansas City was apparently immune from the national economic boom of the early 1920s.

But Truman was not the awkward little kid anymore. The war had made him more confident, and he became active as a respected businessman, joining several civic and Veterans groups.

One of his war buddies happened to be Boss Thomas Pendergast of the Kansas City Democratic Party. Pendergast, though, wasn't your typical political boss; he actually admired Truman for his honesty and hard work ethic. He convinced Truman to run for a local judgeship in Jackson County and, after a tight primary, won the general election easily.

As the local judge, Truman also served as County Commissioner and handled the county's budget and roads while also awarding patronage to Pendergast supporters. He would lose re-election after a rift in the Democratic Party, but Pendergast got him elected again in 1926 and 1930.  He proved to be a very good county commissioner as he oversaw a major road project and helped to guide the county through the worst of the Great Depression. And though he was part of the Pendergast machine, and even though Pendergast had some corruption in him, Truman himself was admired for his integrity and honesty. As such, he walked a fine line between making the Pendergast machine happy so he could continue to make improvements to the county. Truman's integrity even benefited Pendergast as he could point to Truman as someone in his machine with integrity. Truman also had very much a bi-racial coalition which didn't hurt matters much either.

By 1934, Truman decided he wanted to move up in the world. He asked Pendergast to support him for a run at the House. At first Pendergast agreed, but then changed his mind- he wanted Truman to run for the Senate instead. It was a bruising primary campaign, but Truman ended up with the Democratic nomination, and rolled on to an easy victory in November. Harry Truman was going to Washington.

Truman's first term in the Senate was somewhat unremarkable. He enjoyed the camaraderie with his fellow Senators and was a reliable supporter of President Roosevelt's New Deal policies, but he wasn't known to take the lead on very many bills. He did have strong ties with the Labor Unions and was a factor on transportation issues on the two committees he served on. He even co-wrote the Transportation Act of 1940 which was an attempt to make the regulations a little less bureaucratic.

Truman's re-election bid would not be as easy as the first. Pendergast was ill and now in prison as his wheeling and dealing had caught up with him. Still, he had the power of incumbency and was considered the liberal candidate in the Democratic primary. As such, he managed to eke out a close victory after doing well in the big cities of Kansas City and St. Louis. Again, he won in the general election, and he was ready for a second term.

By now, it was inevitable that the US would be involved in World War II and Truman was able to convince the Senate leadership and Roosevelt Administration to let him run his own committee to monitor what he saw as wasteful defense spending. No, he wasn't one of those deficit hawks that wanted to eliminate the budget, more to the point, he didn't want the Pentagon to be purchasing those popular hundred dollar toilets.

So, he chaired what was known as the Truman committee, the intent being to protect the little man's interests from the likes of big business and labor union predators. It met with some moderate success and Senator Truman was now becoming nationally known.

The war also changed Truman's convictions a bit. He supported the Neutrality acts in the 1930s knowing his constituents were a bit isolationist. But privately, he had grave concerns about Germany and Japan and advocated for a stronger military. When war did break out in Europe in 1939, Truman supported the Cash and Carry laws as well as Lend-Lease. He also supported the peacetime draft that was implemented in 1940. He explained his views to a Missouri voter in a letter stating, "We are facing a bunch of thugs, and the only theory a thug understands is a gun and a bayonet." It was Harry Truman at his blunt best.

And so, Harry Truman seemed comfortably happy doing his best as a United States Senator. He had no real Presidential ambitions.

But fate has a strange way of behaving.

Summary of offices held:

1905-1911: National Guard

1917-1919: United States Army (World War I)

1920-1953: Army reserve (Colonel)

1923-1925: Judge, Jackson County, Missouri, Eastern District

1927-1935: Presiding Judge, Jackson County, Missouri

1935-1945: US Senator, Missouri

1945: Vice President of the United States


What was going on: The Cold War, the Atomic bomb, The Red Scare, Post war boom, the Nuremberg trials, the Korean War

Scandals within the administration: IRS scandal

Why he was a good President: Accountability mostly. When he said the Buck stops here, he meant it. He took responsibility for his faux pas such as the Korean War. He also made executive decisions knowing they'd be unpopular but was best for the country. He strived to make life better for the Average American and he did more for civil rights than anyone had before him, including Lincoln.

Why he was a bad President: Well, he did get us into Korea. Also, it's questionable whether he should have dropped the atomic bomb. Yes, the intentions were good (If dropping an A-Bomb is ever good) but it also began the Cold War and we're certainly living in fear of a nuclear holocaust at this writing (thanks, Vladdie Putin).

What could have saved his Presidency: Maybe more success with his Fair Deal agenda could have helped him at the time. His legacy is rather solid, though.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: If he really was Woodrow Wilson, Jr. and went with his prejudices instead of his heart. And, of course, there was Korea.

How he became Vice President: President Roosevelt decided to dump Vice President Henry Wallace for the 1944 election. The Democrats had seen him as too liberal (read: Communist) and a bit wacky as well. The powers that be, then, congregated in one of their smoke filled rooms and came up with the consensus pick of- Harry Truman.

Truman accepted the nomination with a little reluctance, but he proved to be a good campaigner and seemed ready to accept the duties once FDR was re-elected.

As Vice-President, he didn't have a lot of contact with the President though there was certainly no animosity between them. He was critical as a tie breaking vote on a couple occasions, notably in getting Henry Wallace approved for Secretary of Commerce.

Of course, we'll never know how effective Vice President Truman would be because, after only eighty-two days, he was summoned to the White House to be told by Eleanor Roosevelt that the President was dead. The first thing Truman asked was if there was anything he could do for her.

Eleanor answered, "Is there anything we can do for you? You're the one in trouble now."

And indeed, he was.

First term: World War II was literally about to end in Europe when Truman became President. Mussolini, already thrown out of power and being hidden by the Nazis, had been captured and publicly executed. Hitler, meanwhile, was stuck in his bunker as the Russians roared into Berlin with the Allies coming from the other direction. Hitler, of course, did what any Fascist hero would do, he killed himself.

So, the war in Europe was over but the US still had to deal with Japan in the Pacific arena. American planes were bombing Tokyo on what seemed like a daily basis, but the Japanese military refused to give in, even as it was obvious the war was lost for them.

Meanwhile, there was a secret program known as the Manhattan project and they had, by 1945, developed the first atomic bomb. President Truman was made aware of this new invention that could wipe out entire cities. After some consultation and some heart wrenching, it was decided that the use of the atomic bomb would likely save more lives than the constant bombings of Japanese cities. This was assuming, of course, that Japan would come to their senses and surrender.

So, President Truman made the fateful decision and okayed the bombing of Hiroshima. The effects of the atomic bomb were devastating. As many as 125,000 civilians were killed, many more suffered severe health problems for the rest of their lives and the city itself was reduced to rubble, all with one bomb.

It was hoped that Japan would surrender right then and there. They didn't, so an atomic bomb was also dropped on Nagasaki; another 80,000 civilians were killed. This time, the powers that be in Japan realized their nation was in trouble, especially after it was implied that Tokyo would be next.

So, Japan unconditionally surrendered. World War II was over at last.

With the war now over, President Truman could now concern himself with domestic concerns. He had been a fan of the New Deal and he continued Roosevelt's policies for the most part.

Europe was another matter. With the war over, Truman had to deal with two problems. The most obvious issue was on what to do to help Europe recover from the immense damage the war had caused. The even more serious problem, though, dealt with a new foe, for the Soviet Union was now free to spread its interesting brand of Communism and they were set on pushing their will not only on Eastern Europe, but on East Germany, including Berlin, as well. This would set off some confrontations between East and West starting with the Truman administration. The Cold War had begun.

1946 was not a good year for President Truman, at least on the domestic front. He had hopes to expand the New Deal even further, but Congress didn't seem so keen, even with a now booming post-war economy. It didn't help that inflation was getting out of control and there were a wave of Union strikes throughout the country.

So, despite the booming economy, Truman's polling numbers sank like a lead balloon and the Republicans took both houses in the November election. It didn't look like Truman was going to accomplish much in the two years he had left.

The Republicans were giddy at having control of Congress and would pass the Taft-Hartley Bill over Truman's veto in 1947. This bill limited union participation in politics, approved right to work laws in states that wanted them (Right to work was actually a euphemism for anti-union and anti-minimum wage). It also gave the President the right to block strikes with an eighty day cooling off period. Truman didn't like the measure, but he would find himself invoking Taft-Hartley on several occasions.

Truman fared better when it came to foreign policy. He came up with what was known as the Truman Doctrine. This Doctrine basically supported free European Countries in the war against Communism though it wasn't formally worded that way. It also called for economic assistance for Greece and Turkey. The extremes of both parties were against the bill from leftist Henry Wallace to majority Leader and isolationist Robert Taft, who would be a constant pain in the side for Truman. Still, it did appeal to the moderates on both sides, and it passed easily.

The other major accomplishment was a humanitarian one. Secretary of State George Marshall suggested an economic aid package to Europe to help them recover from the ravages of war. Officially called the European Recovery Plan, it would be better known as the Marshall Plan.

President Truman supported this plan as he hoped it would make Communism less attractive to the suffering Europeans and would produce economic and political stability on the continent.

Of course, it did much more than that as many Western Europeans (The Soviets and their satellites refused to participate) benefited from the humanitarian aid. Western Europe did indeed stabilize politically and economically, and the United States was widely seen as a force for good.

Of course, the Soviet menace wasn't going away anytime soon. Stalin decided he wanted all of Berlin (It had been partitioned by the four powers after the war). Since Berlin was actually deep inside East Germany, Stalin ordered a blockade of the entire city so no food could get in. Truman was in a dilemma as advisers suggested he send in the military. He had a better idea.

Instead of sending in the Marines, the United States began air drops of essential supplies to the beleaguered city. Skeptics didn't think it would work and, it is a bit surprising that the Soviets didn't try to shoot the airlifts down (which would have caused a war anyway). But it did work, and the Soviets would eventually give in. West Berlin would be free, surviving another blockade in 1961, until the Berlin Wall finally came down in 1989 and Germany was reunited as a free country.

President Truman did one last act in his term as he was now running for re-election. He advanced civil rights farther than any President had before him when he desegregated the Armed Forces. Though Truman personally had his prejudices, having grown up in segregated Missouri, even using language that would have gotten him almost executed today, he also had an innate sense of fairness and decency. In other words, he was no Woodrow Wilson.

The order was met with resistance from the armed forces and wouldn't be fully implemented until the start of the Korean War and not truly finalized until the Eisenhower administration, but it was an important step in not only acknowledging that all of us are all indeed equal, but it also began a wave of African-American voters into the Democratic Party.

Of, course, with the Dixiecrats in control in the South, it would also cause a major rift in the Democratic Party that would never be repaired, but progress does have to take its lumps, sadly.

Election of 1948: Truman's prospects of winning re-election were mediocre at best and almost non-existent at worse. Yes, he won back the support of the labor unions and was popular with African Americans, but it was assumed he couldn't even get elected dog catcher in the South and the Republicans still had a decent hold on the North.

Because of Truman's liberal policies, there were some major rifts within the party to the point where The Mississippi and part of the Alabama delegations walked out. Truman accepted the socially liberal plank of Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota and at least one Dixiecrat, Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, formed his own party and ran against Truman in the General election.

Yet despite all the rancor, Truman would be nominated for a term in his own right, but he would not have an easy road of it. Besides having to deal with Thurmond, he had a fourth candidate likely to take away votes. Henry Wallace was running as the Progressive Party candidate. Thus, Truman had competition from both the right and left wings of his party.

The Republicans, therefore, must have been salivating when they re-nominated Thomas Dewey paired with California Governor Earl Warren. With the acrimony surrounding the Democrats, the GOP, no doubt, saw an easy win with their two strong candidates. Dewey pushed some of the right buttons as he remained a progressive on some issues (though he now had some criticisms of the New Deal). He was also a staunch anti-Communist, definitely a winning issue in the Red Scare days of 1948.

But Dewey did have at least one drawback. While his policies seemed sound, he wasn't the most exciting candidate in the world. Truman wasn't known for his brilliant oratory either, at least when compared to FDR, but compared to Dewey, he was an absolute firebrand. He campaigned hard and seemed to expect a miracle to come through in the end. He also quietly had his collation of labor, minorities, and liberals, so it wasn't going to be a slam dunk for Dewey.

Or would it be? Thurmond was making waves in the South, and he would ultimately take four states plus an elector from Tennessee. And Wallace was siphoning votes from Truman as well.

So, on election day, the Chicago Tribune made the important announcement, DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN. Thomas Dewey was going to be the next President of the United States.

Only he wasn't. It appears that the pro-Republican paper was just a little premature. In fact, Truman won the election, and it wasn't even all that close. It was a plurality, but it was a large one, about three and half percentage points better than Dewey. More importantly, he scored a solid win in the Electoral College.

So, America would have four more years of Harry giving em' hell.

[Rubber Soul]

Second Term: Before he was even sworn in for his full term, President Truman introduced a series of bills that he called the Fair Deal as a compliment to FDR's New Deal programs. He wouldn't have the same success getting them passed, however, as the still Republican controlled congress would be much less responsive. He did get three of the bills passed, one with the help of Robert Taft of all people.

But most of his bills, including a proposal for national Health Insurance, fell to deaf conservative ears. Still, it was Truman who first pushed the idea of health insurance and future Presidents, notably Lyndon Johnson and Barack Obama, would get improvements in National health plans.

Truman had bigger problems to face in this term and it went beyond the Cold War. Actually, the Cold War had a very sinister effect at home thanks to an opportunistic, and possibly even evil, Senator named Joseph McCarthy. While there already was something of a Red Scare that actually dated back to Woodrow Wilson, McCarthy would make it full blown after he accused the State Department of harboring Communists. This hysteria spread to practically all professions and nearly devastated the movie industry. If you were called to testify at one of McCarthy's hearings, you could be sure you would be labeled a Communist, especially if you were asked the damning question, "Are you or have you ever been a member of the Communist party." Thanks to the shenanigans of not only McCarthy, but of J. Edgar Hoover and his FBI, the late forties and much of the fifties would go down as one of the darkest periods in American History.

And who was a Communist exactly? Well, of course, anyone who was to the left of, well, Joseph McCarthy of course. President Truman would later condemn the House Un-American Committee in particular by calling it the most Un-American thing in the country.

Truman's biggest Achilles heel though would be the Korean War, which broke out in 1950. By now, the US was in a full-fledged war against Communism in general. Korea was in the throes of a civil war between the Communist North and the non- Communist South (South Korea wasn't exactly Democratic in those days either). The United Nations got involved and sent a multi-national force, led by the US, to battle the invading North Koreans, erroneously thought to be backed by Stalin.

As it turned out, and as we know now, North Korea was led by the wacky authoritarian Kim-Il Sung family and it was Kim Il Sung that initiated the invasion.

Since the US thought they were actually fighting the Soviets, they went all in. Meanwhile, the Soviets announced that they had the bomb, sparking the US to develop an even more powerful Hydrogen Bomb. The arms race was getting hot.

Douglas MacArthur, the scourge of the Bonus Army but the hero of the Philippines during World War II, was appointed to lead the troops in the Korean theatre. He, no doubt too, though he was fighting the Soviets.

But it was Communist China that would get into the act. With the war itself not going well for either side, MacArthur made a suggestion that the United States nuke China. That and some other ill thought out ideas irked Truman to the point that he fired MacArthur. Yes, he was right to do so, but it all but sealed his presidency to doom.

And, with his popularity at an all-time low, Truman decided not to run for a full second term in 1952. He would spend that year attempting, and failing, to negotiate a way out of the Korean War. He also famously seized the Steel Industry in an attempt to avert a strike. That also proved unpopular, and the Supreme Court even ruled it unconstitutional.

So, Truman left the White House an unpopular man. It would take the retrospective lens of history to redeem, perhaps, one of the most accountable Presidents in our history.

Post Presidency: Truman's post presidency proved to be much more popular than his presidency had been.  He was very vocal in his opinions on Presidential decisions in particular. He was not a fan of President Eisenhower and actively campaigned against him. He was also a booster of Adlai Stevenson who would run against Eisenhower twice. He wasn't really that big a fan of Kennedy either though he did support him in the 1960 election. He had a warmer relationship with Lyndon Johnson, however. And, of course, he absolutely hated Nixon.

Truman's last years, and he had many, were fairly comfortable for the most part. His standing in the history books was on the upswing and there was even a play about him called, Give Em' Hell Harry. The Buck Stops Here was a Truman slogan that now was standing the test of time. And, though he lived a quiet life for the most part, he no doubt reveled in the fact that his noted cantankerousness was making him more popular than ever.

Truman passed away right after Christmas 1972, at the ripe old age of 88.



Odd notes: Truman's middle name was S. The S stood for nothing.

His daughter, Margaret, was notorious for playing the piano- badly.

Final Summary: Okay, first the bad news. Harry Truman was definitely a flawed man.

Now the good news; he was the first person that would admit he was a flawed man. Yes, he was honest to a fault and, while he had his personal peeves, obviously, he didn't let that control his decisions. He had a knack for doing the right thing even if it meant losing the Presidency. It's why his legacy is so strong today.

He looks pretty good in my eyes too, especially when it comes to civil rights. Yes, I know, Lincoln freed the slaves and LBJ signed the Civil Rights Bill among other things, but Truman is right up there with them and, in some ways, even superior to Lincoln. I mean, Lincoln freed the slaves, but what else did he do? Truman forced white America to see blacks as equals, at least in the Armed Forces anyway.

Of course, he did make his mistakes, notably with Korea, but also with a few moments that could be construed as anti-union, probably not his intent, but certainly not popular.

But he was possibly the most stand-up President we ever had, and he also was one of the few who dared to stand up the scourge of McCarthyism when it was not very wise to do so. And why not? He was already unpopular in 1952 anyway.

So, what did he have to lose?



Overall rating: B+

https://millercenter.org/president/truman