Calvin Coolidge Biography

Calvin Coolidge was a Republican lawyer and one of the presidents of the United State. This biography will provide insight into his profile, childhood, life and timeline. Scroll further.

Quick Facts

Also known as: John Calvin (English)

Gender: Male

Birthday: 04 July 1872

Died: 05 January 1933

Nationality: American

Sun Sign: Cancer

Spouse/Ex-: Grace Coolidge

Father: John Calvin Coolidge, Sr.

Children: John Coolidge, Calvin Coolidge, Jr.

Education: Amherst College

Calvin Coolidge was the only American President in history to be born on the Fourth of July and was the 30th Head of State. He was also a lieutenant governor before he was elected as governor. He earned national fame and reputation after his demeanor was put in the national spotlight during the Boston Police Strike, one of the largest police protests in the United States. It was during this time that Governor Calvin Coolidge, sent in the state paramilitaries, which gave him a reputation as a strong advocator of law and order. This became his ticket to his nomination as vice president and finally, as President of the country. Coolidge can be distinguished from his other predecessors and successors due to his cool and standoffish personality. As a President, he demonstrated his determination to preserve the old ethical and monetary percepts amid the material wealth which many Americans were relishing. He was responsible for the calls he took in the matters of isolation in foreign policy, tax cuts and limited aid to farmers. He rapidly ascended in the political hierarchy and polled more than 54 per cent of the popular vote, however, he is still believed to have been the most negative, yet the most accessible presidents. A vicious detractor of Reformism, Coolidge is now considered the political forefather of modern American opposition.

Childhood & Early Life

Calvin Coolidge was born to John Calvin Coolidge Sr. and Victoria Josephine Moore on July 4, 1872.

He attended the Black River Academy and Amherst College for his education.

He was later apprenticed at a law firm in Northampton. He was finally admitted to a bar and opened his own law office in 1898.

Career

In 1896, Calvin Coolidge campaigned for Wiliam McKinley, a local Republican presidential candidate.

In 1898, he won election to the Northampton City Council, followed by the offices of city solicitor and clerk of courts.

Calvin Coolidge was admitted as a Progressive Republican to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1906.

He served as mayor of Northampton before returning to the state legislature, for which he served the senate.

During the 1914 election, Coolidge delivered a very popular speech titled, ‘Have Faith’, which summarized his viewpoint of the administration. His reputation slowly began to grow with his speeches and he was eventually elected as lieutenant governor and finally as governor in 1918.

The Boston Police Strike in 1919 put Calvin Coolidge on a pedestal and brought him national attention. During this time, many policemen went on a strike after the city’s police commissioner tried to block their unionization with the American Federation of Labor.

Coolidge took control of the situation and immediately involved the militia and brought back stability, which made him a favorite among the nation’s Conservatives and eventually laid the foundations for his presidential run in 1920.

Calvin Coolidge was nominated vice president in 1920, beating opponents James M. Cox and Franklin D. Roosevelt in a landslide.

Coolidge became the first vice president to attend cabinet meetings and official cotillions. He slowly earned the nickname, ‘Silent Cal’, because of his cool demeanor in public events.

In 1923, President Harding passed away during a summer trip to California after which, Coolidge was expected to address the Congress. He was sworn in as President on August 2, 1923 and gave his first presidential speech, which was broadcasted on the nation’s radio. His presidential agenda mirrored Harding’s schemas to a large extent and he even insisted that he should carry Harding’s presidency, at least until the next election.

While finishing Harding’s term, Coolidge signed the Immigration Act restricting immigration from many European countries.

Coolidge was nominated for presidency in 1924, but a personal tragedy which struck his family, made him too depressed for a full-fledge presidential campaign. However, he won the popular majority and was sworn in as President again.

Under his presidency, the country went through periods of rapid economic growth although many contemporaries criticized Coolidge and his laissez-faire ideology for the Great Depression. Even though he was a Conservative, he spoke in favor of civil rights such as the appointment of African-Americans to government positions and even supported anti-lynching laws. He was also responsible in granting full citizenship to all Native Americans.

In the summer of 1927, Coolidge issued a statement during a vacation saying that he did not want to return for a second term as President in the following year.

One of his best-known mechanisms was the initiation of the Kellogg-Briand Pact, which was an instrument of international policy. Even though it failed to achieve the intended result, it proved to be the founding norm for international laws post- World War II.