Potus Geeks Summer Reruns: Calvin Coolidge and Equality
In my humble opinion, Calvin Coolidge was under-rated as a President. He gets a lot of marks from me for his principled position on racial equality and expansion of civil rights (especially for his time). A pretty good example of this can be found on June 2, 1924 when Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act into law, granting citizenship to all Native Americans born within the territorial limits of the United States.
Under this law, America's indigenous people did not have to apply for citizenship, nor did they have to give up their tribal citizenship to become a U.S. citizen. Most tribes had communal property and in order to have a right to the land, persons had to belong to the tribe. Recognizing this issue, the new law allowed dual citizenship. The law still required state approval before First Nations people could acquire voting rights, and it took 24 years for all the states to comply. (Arizona and New Mexico were the last to do so).
Coolidge was also very progressive for his time in recognizing the rights of African-Americans and in combating racism. He spoke out in favor of the civil rights of African Americans and Catholics and refused to appoint known members of the Ku Klux Klan to any office. Any political influence that the Klan had declined significantly under Coolidge.
In 1924, some narrow-minded person wrote to Coolidge claiming that the United States was a "white man's country". This upset Coolidge. In response, he wrote:
"I was amazed to receive such a letter. During the war 500,000 colored men and boys were called up under the draft, not one of whom sought to evade it. As President, I am one who feels a responsibility for living up to the traditions and maintaining the principles of the Republican Party. Our Constitution guarantees equal rights to all our citizens, without discrimination on account of race or color. I have taken my oath to support that Constitution."
Coolidge repeatedly called for anti-lynching laws to be enacted, but Congressional attempts to pass such legislation were filibustered by Southern Democrats. He also appointed a number of African Americans to federal government jobs. Walter L. Cohen of New Orleans, Louisiana, an African American, had been appointed as the comptroller of customs under Warren Harding. Coolidge kept Cohen in the post, and later offered to appoint Cohen as Ambassador to Liberia, a position that Cohen declined.
From the study of Coolidge's life, including his autobiography, it is most unlikely that his enlightened attitude on equality was mere political posturing. Whether or not one agrees with Coolidge's economic philosophies or his opinion about the role of government, it seems clear that his political beliefs were honestly held. They were the product of his natural integrity and not the product of perceived political expedience or spin.
For me, one of the most telling excerpts about Coolidge's character and humanity comes from his own autobiography. In an out-of-character passage, the shy, close-mouthed president speaks from the heart when writing about the death of his 16 year old son Calvin Jr., giving readers a rare glimpse into his feelings. (Calvin Jr. died suddenly when a blister he had gotten from playing tennis became infected, leading to blood poisoning.) Coolidge writes about his son:
"He was a boy of much promise, proficient in his studies, with a scholarly mind, who had just turned sixteen. He had a remarkable insight into things. The day I became president he had just started to work in a tobacco field. When one of his fellow laborers said to him 'If my father was President I would not work in a tobacco field', Calvin replied 'If my father were your father you would'... If I had not been President, he would not have raised a blister on his toe, which resulted in blood poisoning, playing tennis in the south grounds. In his suffering he was asking me to make him well. I could not. When he went, the power and the glory of the Presidency went with him. The ways of Providence are often beyond our understanding. It seemed to me that the world had need of the work that it was probable he could do. I do not know why such a price was exacted for occupying the White House... It costs a great deal to be President."
For all of these reasons, I like Calvin Coolidge and I believe that he's a very under-rated and under-appreciated President.
Under this law, America's indigenous people did not have to apply for citizenship, nor did they have to give up their tribal citizenship to become a U.S. citizen. Most tribes had communal property and in order to have a right to the land, persons had to belong to the tribe. Recognizing this issue, the new law allowed dual citizenship. The law still required state approval before First Nations people could acquire voting rights, and it took 24 years for all the states to comply. (Arizona and New Mexico were the last to do so).
Coolidge was also very progressive for his time in recognizing the rights of African-Americans and in combating racism. He spoke out in favor of the civil rights of African Americans and Catholics and refused to appoint known members of the Ku Klux Klan to any office. Any political influence that the Klan had declined significantly under Coolidge.
In 1924, some narrow-minded person wrote to Coolidge claiming that the United States was a "white man's country". This upset Coolidge. In response, he wrote:
"I was amazed to receive such a letter. During the war 500,000 colored men and boys were called up under the draft, not one of whom sought to evade it. As President, I am one who feels a responsibility for living up to the traditions and maintaining the principles of the Republican Party. Our Constitution guarantees equal rights to all our citizens, without discrimination on account of race or color. I have taken my oath to support that Constitution."
Coolidge repeatedly called for anti-lynching laws to be enacted, but Congressional attempts to pass such legislation were filibustered by Southern Democrats. He also appointed a number of African Americans to federal government jobs. Walter L. Cohen of New Orleans, Louisiana, an African American, had been appointed as the comptroller of customs under Warren Harding. Coolidge kept Cohen in the post, and later offered to appoint Cohen as Ambassador to Liberia, a position that Cohen declined.
From the study of Coolidge's life, including his autobiography, it is most unlikely that his enlightened attitude on equality was mere political posturing. Whether or not one agrees with Coolidge's economic philosophies or his opinion about the role of government, it seems clear that his political beliefs were honestly held. They were the product of his natural integrity and not the product of perceived political expedience or spin.
For me, one of the most telling excerpts about Coolidge's character and humanity comes from his own autobiography. In an out-of-character passage, the shy, close-mouthed president speaks from the heart when writing about the death of his 16 year old son Calvin Jr., giving readers a rare glimpse into his feelings. (Calvin Jr. died suddenly when a blister he had gotten from playing tennis became infected, leading to blood poisoning.) Coolidge writes about his son:
"He was a boy of much promise, proficient in his studies, with a scholarly mind, who had just turned sixteen. He had a remarkable insight into things. The day I became president he had just started to work in a tobacco field. When one of his fellow laborers said to him 'If my father was President I would not work in a tobacco field', Calvin replied 'If my father were your father you would'... If I had not been President, he would not have raised a blister on his toe, which resulted in blood poisoning, playing tennis in the south grounds. In his suffering he was asking me to make him well. I could not. When he went, the power and the glory of the Presidency went with him. The ways of Providence are often beyond our understanding. It seemed to me that the world had need of the work that it was probable he could do. I do not know why such a price was exacted for occupying the White House... It costs a great deal to be President."
For all of these reasons, I like Calvin Coolidge and I believe that he's a very under-rated and under-appreciated President.