Coolidge Takes the ‘20s

Jade Archambault

Mrs. Baker

Literary Analysis

28 February 2019
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Jade Archambault

Mrs. Baker

Literary Analysis

28 February 2019

Coolidge Takes the ‘20s

The 1920s were a very prosperous time in America. The wealth of the nation more than

doubled during the decade, and a mass of new dances, music, and slang came about at that time.

Many things changed in the ‘20s, and some people were thrilled about these things, while many

older people found them to be ridiculous. However, one thing that most Americans could agree

on, regardless of age, is that they had a booming economy. Calvin Coolidge was a key part of the

1920s by being a great president during that time, helping the economy prosper, and helping

Americans feel truly free.

Calvin Coolidge was important in the twenties because he was a pronounced president

during the decade. According to the article “Calvin Coolidge: Domestic Affairs,” “[Coolidge]

worked diligently, relying heavily on Cabinet, but devoting serious attention to issues that

crossed his desk. But his view of the presidency, like that of Harding immediately before him,

marked a departure from the activism of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Coolidge's

political philosophy and personal temperament conveniently aligned in his belief that the

President should not undertake sweeping new reforms to address the challenges of the modern,

industrial age” (Greenberg). The author is making it clear that Coolidge was considered a quality

president even though he took a separate approach from presidents before him. The way he led

the country was different than other presidents, however, it was important to the decade all the
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same. If he hadn’t led the way he did, it’s very possible that the twenties would never have been

as prosperous as they were.

Coolidge helped the economy to prosper in the 1920s, making him a key element in the

decade. As stated in a separate article, “President Calvin Coolidge, Overseer of Roaring ‘20s,”

“Coolidge's greatest success came while he was president. His policies turned the economy into a

buzz saw that grew at 7% a year, produced full employment, ignited the stock market and kept

the Treasury Department flush with cash. He was the author of the Roaring '20s. It wasn't a

matter of him forcing the government into the economy” (Jackson). Calvin Coolidge did a great

job improving the economy without forcing the government to change it. Many people in

America at that time considered him to be crucial then, simply because he was so proficient at

building up the economy.

Calvin Coolidge put himself in a spot of great importance in the 1920s by helping

Americans to feel truly free. An example of this in an article titled “A Biographical Sketch of

Calvin Coolidge” is stated as follows, “The Coolidge presidency, 1923-29, was a most successful

one. That was certainly the overwhelming judgment of most of Coolidge’s contemporaries. The

President was fortunate to preside over what was probably the most exciting, vital, and creative

decade of the XXth Century. It was a decade of youth. It was a decade when modern America

came alive. Not all was perfect by any means: There were pockets of unemployment; some

farmers were hard pressed; and most disturbing, intolerance manifested itself in the form of the

Ku Klux Klan. Yet, it was overall an era marked by peace and unprecedented prosperity. Most

Americans had never had it so good. And some would later argue that it was the last time the

American people were truly free” (Wallace). Most Americans alive during the time of Calvin
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Coolidge’s presidency thought that he was a great leader and that Coolidge gave them a simple,

yet important, sense of freedom. It was seen back then that even though there was plenty of bad

happening in the world at the time, Coolidge managed to make the Americans feel legitimately

free for what is considered the last time. That came to an end, however, when he announced in

1928 that he wouldn’t be running again. In “Calvin Coolidge” they state, “In 1928, announcing ‘I

do not choose to run,’ Coolidge turned his back on what surely would have been another election

victory and instead retired to Northampton” (“Coolidge”). This spurred plenty of discussion and

disappointment.

Calvin Coolidge’s presidency was a great and successful one, making him a key part of

the twenties. Proving this, most Americans were very discouraged when Coolidge proclaimed

that he wouldn’t be running again. This exemplifies what a positive light the American people

viewed him in. Calvin Coolidge left a legacy and, despite hard times, helped America prosper.
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Works Cited

“Calvin Coolidge.” ​The White House​,

https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/calvin-coolidge/​.

Greenburg, David. “Calvin Coolidge: Domestic Affairs.” ​Miller Center,​

https://millercenter.org/president/coolidge/domestic-affairs​.

Jackson, Kerry. “President Calvin Coolidge, Overseer of Roaring 20s.” ​Investor’s Business

Daily,​ 23 Jul. 2015,

https://www.investors.com/news/management/leaders-and-success/calvin-coolidge-was-f

orce-behind-1920s-economic-expansion/​.

Wallace, Jerry. “A Biographical Sketch of Calvin Coolidge.” ​Calvin Coolidge Presidential

Foundation,​

https://www.coolidgefoundation.org/presidency/a-biographical-sketch-of-calvin-coolidge

/​.