1872-1933
President of the United States, 1923-1929

Massachusetts Governor.

Over the course of a quarter-century Calvin Coolidge successfully climbed the political ladder. Beginning in 1898 as city councilman of Northampton, Massachusetts, he proceeded through local and state offices, finally reaching the White House in 1923. As governor of Massachusetts, Coolidge attracted national attention in 1919, when he called in the National Guard to end the Boston police strike, which had turned violent. Although it made him unpopular with Samuel Gompers and organized labor, Coolidge's strikebreaking endeared him to Americans who considered labor protests a radical threat to public safety.

Balancing the Ticket in 1920.

Coolidge's dramatic termination of the Boston police strike earned him national attention and sparked rumors about a presidential bid. He did not campaign vigorously in 1920, but his name was placed in nomination at the 1920 Republican National Convention that year, and he received thirty-four votes on the...