We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.
― Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge Jr. (4 July 1872 - 5 January 1933) was an American politician who served as President of the United States of America from 1923 - 1929. He was elected as Vice President in 1920 while running alongside President Warren G. Harding, as his death in 1923 forced Coolidge to accept the position of President. He was properly elected as President the following year and served as President until his term ended in 1929 and he declined to seek re-election. Coolidge presided over a period of rapid economic growth known as the Roaring Twenties and signed the Indian Citizenship Act into law which granted US citizenship to Native Americans.
Although historians have generally given his presidency an average to low ranking, he is also known for his support towards civil rights, women's rights, and for presiding over the Roaring Twenties.
Heroism[]
- Before becoming president, Coolidge helped end the Boston police strike by sending in state guard to take a stand against striking officers.
- Despite not doing enough to stop the KKK, he did oppose and condemn the KKK.
- He granted citizenship to Native Americans by signing the Indian Citizenship Act.
- He helped improve the economy by lowering taxes which led to the Roaring Twenties.
- He helped clean up the corruption left by the Harding administration.
- When Germany had to pay a lot of money to European nations in regards to World War I reparations, Coolidge appointed Charles G. Dawes to reach an agreement with Germany. This effort resulted in transferring Germany's burdens of war reparations to America's bond investors
- He signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact to promote peaceful settlements to other nations like France and Germany, instead of using aggressive war actions. Although it technically didn’t prevent World War II from happening, this effort still serve as a legal basis to prosecute Nazi leadership for waging aggressive war during the Nuremberg trials.
- He appointed Dwight Morrow to keep America out of war with Mexico.
- He helped avoid wars with Latin America.
- He helped improve relations with Mexico by recognizing it’s new government.
- He supported the creation of Mount Rushmore as he view Gutzon Borglum’s masterpiece as a monument that would represent the "outstanding features" of four presidents, each representing a key period in American history and the nation's values (birth, growth, development, and preservation). Coolidge also claimed that the monument would influence patriotism and reinterpret the principles the presidents embodied.
- He helped extend the olive branch to embittered Latin American leaders over America’s interventionist policy in Central America and the Caribbean. As a result, this likely culminated later President Franklin Roosevelt to propose the Good Neighbor Policy towards Latin American leaders.
- He limited the powers of the presidency as he felt that the government gave them too much power to stick to the promise by George Washington.
- He supported and stood for women’s rights and civil rights.
- He supported anti-lynching laws.
- He released the remaining violators of the unconstitutional Sedition Act, which was signed by Woodrow Wilson.
Trivia[]
- He was the only US President to be born on the Fourth of July.
- His father swore him in as President.
- He was the first US President to give a broadcast radio from the White House.
- He was the first US President to be sworn in by a former president, William Howard Taft.
- He was the first US President to visit Cuba.
- He was Ronald Reagan’s favorite US President.