This is an excerpt from my latest post over at American Presidents Blog. For the full posting click on over.Georgia will be implementing new standards in social studies soon. One of the new standards requires students to name positive character traits of key historic figures and government leaders (honesty, patriotism, courage, trustworthiness).
While doing some research this week on Warren G. Harding I raised a question for myself. Can teachers, especially at the elementary level teach anything positive about Harding?
Hmmmm….let’s look at the facts.
Harding had at least two verified mistresses. He met with one in the Oval office and was alleged to have a child with her.
During Harding’s presidency he kept the White House stocked with bootleg whiskey even though Prohibition was in effect. Harding and his cronies spent a lot of time in the White House playing poker where he once gambled away the White House china.
Go on now....click on over. I'll be here when you get back.
So, how do you go about teaching his positive traits?
ReplyDeleteHe looked presidential?
He WAS elected President of the U.S. He has been on several US Postage stamps. Alice Roosevelt once commented about Harding, saying "He was not a bad man, he was just a slob." He held a disarminent conference in Washington which regulated the US Military to a second rate power (which we sadly paid for at the beginning of WWII.) Former President William Howard Taft was named Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. Harding commutes Eugene Debs ten year prison sentence. The US government did not have a deficit. He is one of the few US Presidents to die in office, thrusting his VP Calvin Cooledge into the Oval Office, nthus setting the stage for Hoover and FD Roosevelt. NOT one of our more noteworthy or distinguished Presidents. But then again, not all of England's kings were too noteworthy or distinguished either.
ReplyDeletegood luck with that, lol
ReplyDelete