United States presidential election, 1924
Encyclopedia
The United States presidential election of 1924 was won by incumbent President
Calvin Coolidge
, the Republican
candidate.
Coolidge was vice-president
under Warren G. Harding
and became president in 1923 when Harding died in office. Coolidge was given credit for a booming economy at home and no visible crises abroad. His candidacy was aided by a split within the Democratic Party. The regular Democratic candidate was John W. Davis
, a little-known former congressman
and diplomat
from West Virginia
. Since Davis was a conservative, many liberal Democrats bolted the party and backed the third-party
campaign of Senator Robert M. La Follette
of Wisconsin
, who ran as the candidate of the Progressive Party. This was the first presidential election in which all American Indians
were recognized as citizens
and allowed to vote. Coolidge's 25.2-point victory margin in the popular vote is one of the largest ever.
Garland S. Tucker, in a 2010 book, argues that the election marked the "high tide of American conservatism," as both major candidates campaigned for limited government, reduced taxes, and less regulation. The third place candidate, Robert La Follette, however, campaigned on a contrary platform.
The Republican Convention was held in Cleveland, Ohio from June 10 to June 12, with the easy choice of nominating incumbent President Coolidge for a full term of his own. Former Illinois Governor Frank Orren Lowden
was nominated as Coolidge's running mate, but he declined the honor. Charles G. Dawes
, a prominent Republican businessman, was nominated for vice-president instead.
The 1924 Democratic National Convention
was held in New York City
from June 24 to July 9. The two leading candidates were William Gibbs McAdoo
of California, former Secretary of the Treasury
and son-in-law of former President Woodrow Wilson
; and Governor Al Smith
of New York. The balloting revealed a clear geographic and cultural split in the party, as McAdoo was supported mostly by rural, Protestant
delegates from the South, West, and small-town Midwest who were supporters of Prohibition
(called "drys"). In some cases McAdoo's delegates were also supporters of the Ku Klux Klan
(KKK), which was at its peak of nationwide popularity in the 1920s, with chapters in all 48 states and 4 to 5 million members. Governor Smith was supported by the anti-Prohibition forces (called "wets"), many Roman Catholics and other ethnic minorities, big-city delegates in the Northeast and urban Midwest
, and by liberal delegates opposed to the influence of the Ku Klux Klan.
An example of the deep split within the party came in a brutal floor fight over a proposal to publicly condemn the Klan; most of McAdoo's delegates in the South and West opposed the motion, while most of Smith's big-city delegates supported it. In the end the motion failed to carry by a single vote. William Jennings Bryan
, the three-time Democratic presidential candidate, argued against condemning the Klan for fear that it would permanently split the party. Wendell Willkie
, who would go on to become the Republican Party's 1940 presidential candidate, was a Democratic delegate in 1924 and he supported the proposal to condemn the KKK. The bitter fight between the McAdoo and Smith delegates over the KKK set the stage for the nominating ballots to come.
Due to the two-thirds rule
governing nominations, neither McAdoo, who briefly got a majority of the votes halfway through the balloting, nor Smith, were able to get the two-thirds majority necessary to win. However, neither candidate would back down, and so the deadlock continued for days on end, as ballot after ballot was taken with neither McAdoo or Smith getting close to enough delegates to win the nomination. Eventually the convention would go to over 100 ballots, becoming the longest-running political convention in American history. Will Rogers
, a popular comedian
of the era, joked that New York had invited the Democratic delegates to visit the city, not to live there.
Due to the great divide in the Democratic Party, the convention could have gone on for a great deal longer. However, with some state delegations running low on money and unable to stay in the city any longer, on the 100th ballot both Smith and McAdoo mutually withdrew as candidates. This allowed the convention's delegates to search for a compromise candidate acceptable to both Smith and McAdoo supporters. Finally, on the 103rd ballot, the exhausted convention turned to John W. Davis
, an obscure former Congressman
from West Virginia
who later became a name partner at the firm Davis Polk & Wardwell
, as the presidential nominee. The Democrats' disarray prompted Will Rogers's famous quip: "I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat!"
Governor of Nebraska
Charles W. Bryan
, William Jennings Bryan
's brother, was nominated for vice-president in order to gain the support of the party's rural voters, many of whom still saw Bryan as their leader.
Source: US President - D Convention. Our Campaigns. (March 10, 2011).
, who had left the Republican Party and formed his own political party, the Progressive Party, in Wisconsin, was so upset over both political parties choosing conservative candidates that he decided to run as a third-party candidate to give liberals from both parties an alternative. He thus accepted the presidential nomination of the Progressive Party
. A longtime champion of labor unions
, and an ardent foe of Big Business
, La Follette was a fiery orator
who had dominated Wisconsin's political scene for more than two decades. Backed by radical farmers, the American Federation of Labor
(AFL) labor unions, and Socialists
, La Follette ran on a platform of nationalizing cigarette
factories and other large industries. He also strongly supported increased taxation on the wealthy and the right of collective bargaining for factory workers. Despite a strong showing in labor strongholds and winning over 16% of the national popular vote, he carried only his home state of Wisconsin in the electoral college
.
and Oklahoma; due to liberal Democrats voting for La Follette, Davis lost the popular vote to Coolidge by 25 percentage points. The Republicans did so well that they carried New York City, a feat they have not repeated since then.
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
, the Republican
History of the United States Republican Party
The United States Republican Party is the second oldest currently existing political party in the United States after its great rival, the Democratic Party. It emerged in 1854 to combat the Kansas Nebraska Act which threatened to extend slavery into the territories, and to promote more vigorous...
candidate.
Coolidge was vice-president
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
under Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
and became president in 1923 when Harding died in office. Coolidge was given credit for a booming economy at home and no visible crises abroad. His candidacy was aided by a split within the Democratic Party. The regular Democratic candidate was John W. Davis
John W. Davis
John William Davis was an American politician, diplomat and lawyer. He served as a United States Representative from West Virginia , then as Solicitor General of the United States and US Ambassador to the UK under President Woodrow Wilson...
, a little-known former congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
from West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. Since Davis was a conservative, many liberal Democrats bolted the party and backed the third-party
Third party (politics)
In a two-party system of politics, the term third party is sometimes applied to a party other than the two dominant ones. While technically the term is limited to the third largest party or third oldest party, it is common, though innumerate, shorthand for any smaller party.For instance, in the...
campaign of Senator Robert M. La Follette
Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette, Sr. , was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and was also a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin...
of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, who ran as the candidate of the Progressive Party. This was the first presidential election in which all American Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
were recognized as citizens
Indian Citizenship Act of 1924
The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, also known as the Snyder Act, was proposed by Representative Homer P. Snyder of New York and granted full U.S. citizenship to America's indigenous peoples, called "Indians" in this Act...
and allowed to vote. Coolidge's 25.2-point victory margin in the popular vote is one of the largest ever.
Garland S. Tucker, in a 2010 book, argues that the election marked the "high tide of American conservatism," as both major candidates campaigned for limited government, reduced taxes, and less regulation. The third place candidate, Robert La Follette, however, campaigned on a contrary platform.
Republican Party nomination
Republican CandidatesThe Republican Convention was held in Cleveland, Ohio from June 10 to June 12, with the easy choice of nominating incumbent President Coolidge for a full term of his own. Former Illinois Governor Frank Orren Lowden
Frank Orren Lowden
Frank Orren Lowden was a Republican Party politician from Illinois, who served as the 25th Governor of Illinois and as a United States Representatives from Illinois...
was nominated as Coolidge's running mate, but he declined the honor. Charles G. Dawes
Charles G. Dawes
Charles Gates Dawes was an American banker and politician who was the 30th Vice President of the United States . For his work on the Dawes Plan for World War I reparations he was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served in the First World War, was U.S...
, a prominent Republican businessman, was nominated for vice-president instead.
| Presidential ballot | 1 | Vice-presidential ballot | 1 | 2 Before shifts | 2 After shifts | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state... | 1065 | Charles G. Dawes Charles G. Dawes Charles Gates Dawes was an American banker and politician who was the 30th Vice President of the United States . For his work on the Dawes Plan for World War I reparations he was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served in the First World War, was U.S... | 149 | 111 | 49 | 682.5 |
| Robert M. La Follette Robert M. La Follette, Sr. Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette, Sr. , was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and was also a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin... | 34 | Frank Orren Lowden Frank Orren Lowden Frank Orren Lowden was a Republican Party politician from Illinois, who served as the 25th Governor of Illinois and as a United States Representatives from Illinois... | 222 | 413 | 766 | 0 |
| Hiram Johnson Hiram Johnson Hiram Warren Johnson was a leading American progressive and later isolationist politician from California; he served as the 23rd Governor from 1911 to 1917, and as a United States Senator from 1917 to 1945.-Early life:... | 10 | Theodore E. Burton Theodore E. Burton Theodore Elijah Burton was a Republican politician from Ohio. He served in the United States House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.... | 139 | 288 | 94 | 0 |
| Herbert Hoover Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business... | 0 | 0 | 0 | 234.5 | ||
| William S. Kenyon | 172 | 95 | 68 | 75 | ||
| George Scott Graham George Scott Graham George Scott Graham was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.Graham was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the law department of the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia in 1870, and practiced law in Philadelphia... | 81 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| James Eli Watson James Eli Watson James Eli Watson was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Indiana. He was the Senate's second official majority leader. While an article published by the Senate gives his year of birth as 1862, this is most probably incorrect.He was born in Winchester, Indiana, one of six children... | 79 | 55 | 7 | 45 | ||
| Charles Curtis Charles Curtis Charles Curtis was a United States Representative, a longtime United States Senator from Kansas later chosen as Senate Majority Leader by his Republican colleagues, and the 31st Vice President of the United States... | 56 | 31 | 24 | 0 | ||
| Arthur M. Hyde Arthur M. Hyde Arthur Mastick Hyde was an American Republican politician who served as the 35th Governor of Missouri and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.-Biography:... | 55 | 36 | 36 | 0 | ||
| George W. Norris | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Smith W. Brookhart Smith W. Brookhart Smith Wildman Brookhart , was twice elected as a Republican to represent Iowa in the United States Senate. He was considered an "insurgent" within the Republican Party; his criticisms of the Harding and Coolidge Administrations and of business interests alienated others within the Republican... | 0 | 31 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Frank T. Hines | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Charles A. March | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| J. Will Taylor J. Will Taylor James Willis Taylor was a U.S. Representative from Tennessee.Born near Lead Mine Bend in Union County, Tennessee, Taylor attended the public schools, Holbrook Normal College, Fountain City, Tennessee, and the American Temperance University, Harriman, Tennessee.He taught school for several years.He... | 21 | 20 | 27 | 27 | ||
| William Purnell Jackson | 23 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||
| Charles B. Warren Charles B. Warren Charles Beecher Warren was an American diplomat and politician.Charles B. Warren was born in Bay City, Michigan. During World War I, He served in the U.S... | 10 | 1 | 23 | 14 | ||
| T. Coleman du Pont T. Coleman du Pont Thomas Coleman du Pont was an American engineer and politician, from Greenville, Delaware. He was President of the of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, and a member of the Republican Party who served parts of two terms as United States Senator from Delaware... | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | ||
| Joseph M. Dixon Joseph M. Dixon Joseph Moore Dixon was a Republican politician from Montana. He served as a Representative, Senator, and the seventh Governor of Montana. A businessman and a modernizer of Quaker heritage, Dixon was a leader of the Progressive Movement in Montana and nationally... | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| Everett Sanders Everett Sanders Jmes Everett Sanders was an American political figure. He was Presidential secretary to President Calvin Coolidge and chairman of the Republican National Committee.-Biography:... | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| James Harbord James Harbord James Guthrie Harbord was a Lieutenant General in the United States Army and President and Chairman of the Board of RCA.... | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| Albert J. Beveridge Albert J. Beveridge Albert Jeremiah Beveridge was an American historian and United States Senator from Indiana.-Early years:Albert J. Beveridge was born October 6, 1862 in Highland County, Ohio and his parents moved to Indiana soon after his birth, and his boyhood was one of hard work... | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| John L. Coulter | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| William Wrigley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| John J. Pershing John J. Pershing John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I... | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Democratic Party nomination
Democratic candidates:- John W. DavisJohn W. DavisJohn William Davis was an American politician, diplomat and lawyer. He served as a United States Representative from West Virginia , then as Solicitor General of the United States and US Ambassador to the UK under President Woodrow Wilson...
, U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom from West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east... - William Gibbs McAdooWilliam Gibbs McAdooWilliam Gibbs McAdoo, Jr. was an American lawyer and political leader who served as a U.S. Senator, United States Secretary of the Treasury and director of the United States Railroad Administration...
, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... - Al SmithAl SmithAlfred Emanuel Smith. , known in private and public life as Al Smith, was an American statesman who was elected the 42nd Governor of New York three times, and was the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 1928...
, governor of New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... - Oscar UnderwoodOscar UnderwoodOscar Wilder Underwood was an American politician.Underwood was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 6, 1862. He was the grandson of Joseph R. Underwood, a Kentucky Senator circa 1850. He attended the University of Virginia at Charlottesville...
, U.S. senator from AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
The 1924 Democratic National Convention
1924 Democratic National Convention
The 1924 Democratic National Convention, also called the Klanbake, held at the Madison Square Garden in New York City from June 24 to July 9, took a record 103 ballots to nominate a presidential candidate. It was the longest continuously running convention in United States political history...
was held in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
from June 24 to July 9. The two leading candidates were William Gibbs McAdoo
William Gibbs McAdoo
William Gibbs McAdoo, Jr. was an American lawyer and political leader who served as a U.S. Senator, United States Secretary of the Treasury and director of the United States Railroad Administration...
of California, former Secretary of the Treasury
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, which is concerned with financial and monetary matters, and, until 2003, also with some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United...
and son-in-law of former President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
; and Governor Al Smith
Al Smith
Alfred Emanuel Smith. , known in private and public life as Al Smith, was an American statesman who was elected the 42nd Governor of New York three times, and was the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 1928...
of New York. The balloting revealed a clear geographic and cultural split in the party, as McAdoo was supported mostly by rural, Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
delegates from the South, West, and small-town Midwest who were supporters of Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
(called "drys"). In some cases McAdoo's delegates were also supporters of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
(KKK), which was at its peak of nationwide popularity in the 1920s, with chapters in all 48 states and 4 to 5 million members. Governor Smith was supported by the anti-Prohibition forces (called "wets"), many Roman Catholics and other ethnic minorities, big-city delegates in the Northeast and urban Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, and by liberal delegates opposed to the influence of the Ku Klux Klan.
An example of the deep split within the party came in a brutal floor fight over a proposal to publicly condemn the Klan; most of McAdoo's delegates in the South and West opposed the motion, while most of Smith's big-city delegates supported it. In the end the motion failed to carry by a single vote. William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
, the three-time Democratic presidential candidate, argued against condemning the Klan for fear that it would permanently split the party. Wendell Willkie
Wendell Willkie
Wendell Lewis Willkie was a corporate lawyer in the United States and a dark horse who became the Republican Party nominee for the president in 1940. A member of the liberal wing of the GOP, he crusaded against those domestic policies of the New Deal that he thought were inefficient and...
, who would go on to become the Republican Party's 1940 presidential candidate, was a Democratic delegate in 1924 and he supported the proposal to condemn the KKK. The bitter fight between the McAdoo and Smith delegates over the KKK set the stage for the nominating ballots to come.
Due to the two-thirds rule
Supermajority
A supermajority or a qualified majority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level or type of support which exceeds a simple majority . In some jurisdictions, for example, parliamentary procedure requires that any action that may alter the rights of the minority has a supermajority...
governing nominations, neither McAdoo, who briefly got a majority of the votes halfway through the balloting, nor Smith, were able to get the two-thirds majority necessary to win. However, neither candidate would back down, and so the deadlock continued for days on end, as ballot after ballot was taken with neither McAdoo or Smith getting close to enough delegates to win the nomination. Eventually the convention would go to over 100 ballots, becoming the longest-running political convention in American history. Will Rogers
Will Rogers
William "Will" Penn Adair Rogers was an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, film actor, and one of the world's best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s....
, a popular comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
of the era, joked that New York had invited the Democratic delegates to visit the city, not to live there.
Due to the great divide in the Democratic Party, the convention could have gone on for a great deal longer. However, with some state delegations running low on money and unable to stay in the city any longer, on the 100th ballot both Smith and McAdoo mutually withdrew as candidates. This allowed the convention's delegates to search for a compromise candidate acceptable to both Smith and McAdoo supporters. Finally, on the 103rd ballot, the exhausted convention turned to John W. Davis
John W. Davis
John William Davis was an American politician, diplomat and lawyer. He served as a United States Representative from West Virginia , then as Solicitor General of the United States and US Ambassador to the UK under President Woodrow Wilson...
, an obscure former Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
who later became a name partner at the firm Davis Polk & Wardwell
Davis Polk & Wardwell
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is an international law firm. The firm employs more than 800 attorneys worldwide and is headquartered in New York City. The firm represents many of the world's largest companies and leading financial institutions, and is best known for its corporate and litigation...
, as the presidential nominee. The Democrats' disarray prompted Will Rogers's famous quip: "I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat!"
Governor of Nebraska
Governor of Nebraska
The Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the State of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Nebraska Constitution. The current Governor is Dave Heineman, a Republican, who assumed office on January 20, 2005 upon the resignation of Mike Johanns . He won a full...
Charles W. Bryan
Charles W. Bryan
Charles Wayland Bryan was the younger brother of perennial U.S. Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan, with whom he shares the distinction of being the only set of brothers to be nominated for national office by a major party.-Biography:Born in 1867 in Salem, Illinois, Bryan...
, William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
's brother, was nominated for vice-president in order to gain the support of the party's rural voters, many of whom still saw Bryan as their leader.
| Presidential vote | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot | 1 | 15 | 100 | Ballot | 1 | 15 | 100 | ||||
| John W. Davis John W. Davis John William Davis was an American politician, diplomat and lawyer. He served as a United States Representative from West Virginia , then as Solicitor General of the United States and US Ambassador to the UK under President Woodrow Wilson... | 31 | 61 | 203.5 | Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state... | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| William Gibbs Mcadoo William Gibbs McAdoo William Gibbs McAdoo, Jr. was an American lawyer and political leader who served as a U.S. Senator, United States Secretary of the Treasury and director of the United States Railroad Administration... | 431.5 | 479 | 190 | Henry T. Allen | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Al Smith Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith. , known in private and public life as Al Smith, was an American statesman who was elected the 42nd Governor of New York three times, and was the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 1928... | 241 | 305.5 | 351.5 | John T. Barnett | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| James M. Cox James M. Cox James Middleton Cox was the 46th and 48th Governor of Ohio, U.S. Representative from Ohio and Democratic candidate for President of the United States in the election of 1920.... | 59 | 60 | 0 | William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States... | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| John W. Davis John W. Davis John William Davis was an American politician, diplomat and lawyer. He served as a United States Representative from West Virginia , then as Solicitor General of the United States and US Ambassador to the UK under President Woodrow Wilson... | 31 | 61 | 203.5 | John M. Callahan | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| Pat Harrison Pat Harrison Byron Patton "Pat" Harrison was a Mississippi politician who served as a Democrat in the United States House of Representatives from 1911 to 1919 and in the United States Senate from 1919 until his death.... | 43.5 | 20.5 | 0 | William Coyne | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| Oscar Underwood Oscar Underwood Oscar Wilder Underwood was an American politician.Underwood was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 6, 1862. He was the grandson of Joseph R. Underwood, a Kentucky Senator circa 1850. He attended the University of Virginia at Charlottesville... | 42.5 | 39.5 | 41.5 | William Emmett Dever William Emmett Dever William Emmett Dever served as the Democratic mayor of Chicago, Illinois, U.S. from 1923 to 1927.-Biography:... | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| George Sebastian Silzer George Sebastian Silzer George Sebastian Silzer served as the 38th Governor of New Jersey.-Biography:He was born on April 14, 1870 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Silzer was a member of the New Brunswick board of aldermen from 1892 to 1896. He was a member of the New Jersey Senate from Middlesex County from 1907 to 1912.... | 38 | 0 | 0 | Edward L. Dohney | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Samuel M. Ralston Samuel M. Ralston Samuel Moffett Ralston was Democratic politician, the 28th Governor of and a United States Senator from the U.S. state of Indiana. Born into a large impoverished family, he took many jobs as a child including working in a coal mine... | 30 | 31 | 0 | Edward I. Edwards | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Woodbridge Nathan Ferris Woodbridge Nathan Ferris Woodbridge Nathan Ferris was an educator from New York, Illinois and Michigan, as well as Democratic statesman and the 28th Governor of Michigan .-Early life in New York, Michigan and Illinois:... | 30 | 0 | 0 | William A. Gaston | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Carter Glass Carter Glass Carter Glass was a newspaper publisher and politician from Lynchburg, Virginia. He served many years in Congress as a member of the Democratic Party. As House co-sponsor, he played a central role in the development of the 1913 Glass-Owen Act that created the Federal Reserve System. Glass... | 25 | 25 | 35 | Gilbert Hitchcock Gilbert Hitchcock Gilbert Monell Hitchcock was a Representative and a Senator from Nebraska, and the founder of the Omaha World-Herald.-Biography:... | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Albert Ritchie Albert Ritchie Albert Cabell Ritchie , a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the 49th Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1920 to 1935... | 22.5 | 17.5 | 17.5 | J. Holmes Jackson | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| Joseph Taylor Robinson Joseph Taylor Robinson Joseph Taylor Robinson was an American politician from Arkansas, of the Democratic Party. He was a state representative, U.S. Representative, 23rd Governor of Arkansas, U.S... | 21 | 20.5 | 46 | J. Richard Kevin | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Martin Behrman Martin Behrman Martin Behrman , an American Democratic politician, was the longest-serving mayor in New Orleans history.-Biography:... | 20 | 18 | 5 | Rowland Kreds | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Jonathan M. Davis Jonathan M. Davis Jonathan McMillan Davis was the 22nd Governor of Kansas.Davis was born in Bourbon County, Kansas to Jonathan McMillan and Eve Davis.... | 20 | 11 | 0 | William Maloney William Maloney Dr William Robert Nuttal Maloney was a long serving Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives for 36 years from 1904 to 1940.... | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Charles W. Bryan Charles W. Bryan Charles Wayland Bryan was the younger brother of perennial U.S. Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan, with whom he shares the distinction of being the only set of brothers to be nominated for national office by a major party.-Biography:Born in 1867 in Salem, Illinois, Bryan... | 18 | 11 | 2 | Fred Martin | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Fred H. Brown Fred H. Brown Fred Herbert Brown was an American lawyer and Democratic politician from Somersworth, New Hampshire. He served as mayor of Somersworth and as United States Attorney for New Hampshire before his term as Governor of New Hampshire from 1923 to 1925, and later served in the United States Senate.Brown... | 17 | 9 | 0 | Belle Miller | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Royal S. Copeland Royal S. Copeland Royal Samuel Copeland was an American academic, homeopathic physician, and politician who held elected offices in both Michigan and New York . He represented New York in the United States Senate from 1923 until 1938.-Early life and medical career:Born in Dexter, Michigan to parents Roscoe P.... | 17 | 12 | 0 | Atlee Pomerene Atlee Pomerene Atlee Pomerene was a Democratic Party politician from Ohio. He represented Ohio in the United States Senate from 1911 until 1923.-Early life and career:... | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Cordell Hull Cordell Hull Cordell Hull was an American politician from the U.S. state of Tennessee. He is best known as the longest-serving Secretary of State, holding the position for 11 years in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt during much of World War II... | 13 | 18 | 20 | Will Rogers Will Rogers William "Will" Penn Adair Rogers was an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, film actor, and one of the world's best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s.... | 1 | 0 | |||||
| William Ellery Sweet William Ellery Sweet William Ellery Sweet was the 23rd Governor of Colorado from 1923-1925.- Early life and career :William was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 27, 1869 to Channing and Emeroy Sweet. His family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1872 when William was two. He attended school there, and... | 12 | 0 | 0 | Thomas J. Spellacy Thomas J. Spellacy Thomas Joseph Spellacy was an American political leader and lawyer. He is best remembered for his years as the mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, but held several other offices and was one of Connecticut's most prominent Democrats over a period of more than 50 years.- Early life and career :Spellacy... | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Homer Stille Cummings Homer Stille Cummings Homer Stille Cummings was a U.S. political figure who was United States Attorney General from 1933 to 1939. He also was elected mayor of Stamford, Connecticut, three times before, founding the legal firm of Cummings & Lockwood in 1909... | 9 | 0 | 0 | Cora Wilson Stewart | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| David Franklin Houston | 9 | 5 | 2 | George L. Berry George L. Berry George Leonard Berry was president of the International Pressmen and Assistants' Union of North America from 1907 to 1948 and a Democratic United States Senator from Tennessee from 1937 to 1938.-Early life:... | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| Willard Saulsbury, Jr. Willard Saulsbury, Jr. Willard Saulsbury, Jr. was an American lawyer and politician from Wilmington, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party who served as U.S. Senator from Delaware and President pro tempore of the U.S... | 7 | 6 | 6 | Newton D. Baker Newton D. Baker Newton Diehl Baker, Jr. was an American politician who belonged to the Democratic Party. He served as the 37th mayor of Cleveland, Ohio from 1912 to 1915 and as U.S. Secretary of War from 1916 to 1921.-Early years:... | 1 | 28 | 58 | ||||
| John B. Kendrick John B. Kendrick John Benjamin Kendrick was an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Wyoming.Kendrick was born near Rusk, Texas, where he attended the public schools, and then moved to Wyoming in 1879 and settled on a ranch near Sheridan, where he raised cattle.He was a member of the State... | 6 | 0 | 0 | David Franklin Houston | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||||
| Albert A. Murphree Albert A. Murphree Albert Alexander Murphree was an American college professor and university president. Murphree was a native of Alabama, and became a mathematics instructor after earning his bachelor's degree... | 4 | 6 | 2 | James W. Gerard James W. Gerard James Watson Gerard was a U.S. lawyer and diplomat.-Biography:Gerard was born in Geneseo, N. Y. He graduated from Columbia in 1890 and from New York Law School. He was chairman of the Democratic campaign committee of New York County for four years, and served as major of the National Guard of the... | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||||
| John S. Battle John S. Battle John Stewart Battle was an American politician and the 56th Governor of Virginia from 1950 to 1954.Battle was born in 1890 in New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina. He earned an associate's degree from Mars Hill College , in North Carolina... | 3 | 7 | 20 | Robert Latham Owen | 0 | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Thomas R. Marshall Thomas R. Marshall Thomas Riley Marshall was an American Democratic politician who served as the 28th Vice President of the United States under Woodrow Wilson... | 3 | 0 | 0 | Thomas J. Walsh Thomas J. Walsh Thomas James Walsh was a lawyer and Democratic Party politician from Helena, Montana, in the United States.-Background:... | 33 | 50 | 123 | ||||
| David I. Walsh David I. Walsh David Ignatius Walsh was a United States politician from Massachusetts. As a member of the Democratic Party, he served in the state legislature and then as Lieutenant Governor and then as the 46th Governor . His first term in the U.S... | 3 | 5 | 0 | Houston Thompson | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war... | 2 | 5 | 1 | Burton K. Wheeler Burton K. Wheeler Burton Kendall Wheeler was an American politician of the Democratic Party and a United States Senator from 1923 until 1947.-Early life:... | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Source: US President - D Convention. Our Campaigns. (March 10, 2011).
Progressive Party
Senator Robert M. La FolletteRobert M. La Follette, Sr.
Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette, Sr. , was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and was also a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin...
, who had left the Republican Party and formed his own political party, the Progressive Party, in Wisconsin, was so upset over both political parties choosing conservative candidates that he decided to run as a third-party candidate to give liberals from both parties an alternative. He thus accepted the presidential nomination of the Progressive Party
Progressive Party (United States, 1924)
The Progressive Party of 1924 was a new party created as a vehicle for Robert M. La Follette, Sr. to run for president in the 1924 election. It did not run candidates for other offices, and it disappeared after the election except in Wisconsin. Its name resembles the 1912 Progressive Party, which...
. A longtime champion of labor unions
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
, and an ardent foe of Big Business
Big Business
Big business is a term used to describe large corporations, in either an individual or collective sense. The term first came into use in a symbolic sense subsequent to the American Civil War, particularly after 1880, in connection with the combination movement that began in American business at...
, La Follette was a fiery orator
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
who had dominated Wisconsin's political scene for more than two decades. Backed by radical farmers, the American Federation of Labor
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
(AFL) labor unions, and Socialists
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
, La Follette ran on a platform of nationalizing cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
factories and other large industries. He also strongly supported increased taxation on the wealthy and the right of collective bargaining for factory workers. Despite a strong showing in labor strongholds and winning over 16% of the national popular vote, he carried only his home state of Wisconsin in the electoral college
Electoral college
An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. Often these represent different organizations or entities, with each organization or entity represented by a particular number of electors or with votes weighted in a particular way...
.
The Fall Campaign
With the disastrous Democratic Convention having badly divided the Democrats, and with the economy booming, there was little doubt that Coolidge would win the election. His campaign slogan, "Keep Cool with Coolidge", was highly popular. Davis carried only the traditionally Democratic Solid SouthSolid South
Solid South is the electoral support of the Southern United States for the Democratic Party candidates for nearly a century from 1877, the end of Reconstruction, to 1964, during the middle of the Civil Rights era....
and Oklahoma; due to liberal Democrats voting for La Follette, Davis lost the popular vote to Coolidge by 25 percentage points. The Republicans did so well that they carried New York City, a feat they have not repeated since then.
Results
Source (Popular Vote): Source (Electoral Vote):See also
- United States Senate election, 1924United States Senate election, 1924The U.S. Senate election, 1924 was an election for the United States Senate which coincided with the re-election of Republican President Calvin Coolidge...
- United States House of Representatives elections, 1924
- History of the United States (1918-1945)
- Progressive EraProgressive EraThe Progressive Era in the United States was a period of social activism and political reform that flourished from the 1890s to the 1920s. One main goal of the Progressive movement was purification of government, as Progressives tried to eliminate corruption by exposing and undercutting political...
Further reading
- Ranson, Edward. The Role of Radio in the American Presidential Election of 1924: How a New Communications Technology Shapes the Political Process (Edwin Mellen Press; 2010) 165 pages. Looks at Coolidge as a radio personality, and how radio figured in the campaign, the national conventions, and the election result.
External links
- 1924 popular vote by counties
- How close was the 1924 election? — Michael Sheppard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology