Warren G. Harding

President Warren G. Harding faced a wrecked economy in the after­math of World War I and a period of intense fear and suspicion of foreign threats. Despite a Supreme Court that continued to countenance the sup­pression of citizens’ speech under the First Amendment, Harding bucked his advisers and commuted the sentence of Socialist activist Eugene V. Debs, eventually freeing numerous other political prisoners to repair the nation’s commitment to the Bill of Rights after the horrors of war had receded. Although his administration was later tainted by the Tea­pot Dome scandal, Harding’s personal role in the misadventure remains unclear. His legacy was more positive than negative: Harding’s use of the presidential pardon practice helped undo the damage done by a war-frenzied Congress, paved the way for a “return to normalcy,” and helped restore core freedoms under the Constitution.

©2016 New York University (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

short but informative

a short book but well read and anyone looking for a synopsis of president Harding I recommend a listen