This conservative Republican of respectable character and few words sought to restore dignity to the presidency.

CALVIN Coolidge was born in Plymouth, Vt., on July 4, 1872. He undertook a law career and eventually a political career after graduating with honors from Amherst College.

His foray into politics began when he became a councilman in Northampton, Mass., and he later became governor of Massachusetts.

Coolidge gained national attention after he ended the Boston police strike in 1919.

Two-thirds of the force walked off the job, resulting in two nights of massive looting. Coolidge called in the state’s militia to restore order and break the will of the strikers. It was then that Coolidge made his famous statement, “There is no right to strike against the public safety by anybody, anywhere, anytime.” The conservative Republican Coolidge served as President Warren Harding’s vice president. He did little more than attend Cabinet meetings, but Coolidge assumed the presidency in 1923 after Harding suffered a fatal heart attack. His father, a notary public, administered the oath of office on the family Bible.

Coolidge was known for his distinguished character and was seen as someone who would restore dignity to the office after the scandalplagued Harding administration.

There were no scandals, but there was not much of anything else either. The Coolidge administration was alarmingly inactive. Coolidge was determined to maintain the status quo. His genius, said journalist and political commentator Walter Lippman, was his talent for doing nothing.

Coolidge’s popularity was fueled by the fact that most of the country was enjoying a period of prosperity.

He refused to use government intervention to check the monopolies that were controlling certain industries, nor would he offer aid to farmers who were in economic depression.

He called for tax cuts.

Coolidge sought to improve foreign relations outside of the League of Nations. The highlight of this effort was the Dawes Plan, which averted a possible international crisis.

Germany was ordered by the International Reparations Committee to pay $33 billion as a result of damages caused by World War I. The nation was under economic duress and could not repay the debt. France invaded Germany’s Ruhr Valley in hopes of hastening the payment. The Coolidge administration was called in to resolve the crisis. The result was the Dawes Plan.

Named for financier Charles Dawes, it called for a series of financial reforms in Germany; new taxes; an annual installment plan; a series of loans extended to Germany; and for France to evacuate its forces from German soil.

Coolidge was known for his dry wit and as a man of few words. His nickname was “Silent Cal.” He usually answered just “yes” or “no” during interviews. His wife, Grace, recalled an incident in which a young woman at a dinner party told him of a bet to get him to say more than three words. Coolidge replied without looking up, “You lose.” Several key events took place during the Coolidge administration:

The Immigration Act of 1924 was passed, making it more difficult for immigrants to come to the United States.

1925 – Teacher John Scopes was brought to trial for teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution in his Dayton, Tenn. classroom.

The Ku Klux Klan attracted more than 40,000 to the largest parade in its history, down Pennsylvania Avenue. in Washington, D.C.

1926 – Coolidge signed the Revenue Act, reducing income tax and weakening an already deteriorating national economy.

1927 – Aviator Charles Lindbergh made the first solo, non-stop flight over the Atlantic Ocean.

The first talking film “The Jazz Singer” was released.

The United States and Canada established diplomatic relations, independent of Great Britain.

1928 – The Pact of Paris was signed.

Coolidge decided not to seek reelection.

The great stock market crash of 1929 brought him great sadness, as he thought he did not do enough while in office to prevent it from happening.

The Coolidge presidency was looked upon favorably because of his moral character and his policies, which were in line with the era of prosperity he fought to maintain.

Calvin Coolidge died on Jan. 5, 1933 in Northampton, Mass.

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USE the Internet or reference book to learn more about the life and presidency of Calvin Coolidge.

* RATE the presidency.

Write an essay on how you view the Coolidge administration.

* CHOOSE a key event that occurred during the Coolidge presidency.

Have a class discussion on how that event changed the country.

Standards: ELA: 1c, 3c, 3d, 4a, 4b, 5a; Social Studies Standards 1 and 2.