Warren G. Harding
Daniel Butchen
Essay # 8
The 1920’s were a time of prosperity in our country. War was over, businesses were booming, and everybody seemed to be having a good time. This was especially true for president Warren G. Harding. He was a man that enjoyed women, poker, and drinking during a time when alcohol was supposed to be illegal. “More controversial was his use of liquor. Throughout his adult life Harding drank and saw nothing wrong in it. He was never personally committed to Prohibition, even though he had voted for it and, like many Americans, pretended the law did not apply to him. He was careful to serve liquor only in his private rooms in the White House and would sometimes take visitors there for that purpose. It was later claimed that Harding was a heavy drinker, although no one ever reported seeing him drunk. Still, such "sneaking around" by the president to break the law, when added to smoking, chewing, and poker playing, raised in some minds the specter of low-life carousals.” (http://www.presidentprofiles.com/Grant-Eisenhower/Warren-G-Harding-Presidential-appointments-and-style.html). This was Harding, he did what he wanted to do, no matter how other people viewed him. He was a man who represented the time he was in office well. America was having a good time, so Harding made sure he was having a good one as well.
Harding physically embodied the American President. He was tall, dark, and was a good-looking man. It was once said of Harding that “He looked like a President.”(http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/warren Harding). And at the time, it seemed to be good enough. Harding didn’t have any grand plans. He didn’t want to change much, and after going through years of progressives, such as Roosevelt, and Wilson, the American people seemed content on electing a president who’s policy was “To return to normalcy.” America wanted a break from the chaos, and in Harding they saw a man who was content on letting the country run itself. “Less
Essay # 8
The 1920’s were a time of prosperity in our country. War was over, businesses were booming, and everybody seemed to be having a good time. This was especially true for president Warren G. Harding. He was a man that enjoyed women, poker, and drinking during a time when alcohol was supposed to be illegal. “More controversial was his use of liquor. Throughout his adult life Harding drank and saw nothing wrong in it. He was never personally committed to Prohibition, even though he had voted for it and, like many Americans, pretended the law did not apply to him. He was careful to serve liquor only in his private rooms in the White House and would sometimes take visitors there for that purpose. It was later claimed that Harding was a heavy drinker, although no one ever reported seeing him drunk. Still, such "sneaking around" by the president to break the law, when added to smoking, chewing, and poker playing, raised in some minds the specter of low-life carousals.” (http://www.presidentprofiles.com/Grant-Eisenhower/Warren-G-Harding-Presidential-appointments-and-style.html). This was Harding, he did what he wanted to do, no matter how other people viewed him. He was a man who represented the time he was in office well. America was having a good time, so Harding made sure he was having a good one as well.
Harding physically embodied the American President. He was tall, dark, and was a good-looking man. It was once said of Harding that “He looked like a President.”(http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/warren Harding). And at the time, it seemed to be good enough. Harding didn’t have any grand plans. He didn’t want to change much, and after going through years of progressives, such as Roosevelt, and Wilson, the American people seemed content on electing a president who’s policy was “To return to normalcy.” America wanted a break from the chaos, and in Harding they saw a man who was content on letting the country run itself. “Less