Fun Facts About Calvin Coolidge: Why Was He Called The Silent President?

Rajnandini Roychoudhury
Sep 08, 2022 By Rajnandini Roychoudhury
Originally Published on Dec 15, 2021
Edited by Lara Simpson
Fact-checked by Niyati Parab
Fun facts about Calvin Coolidge talks about his presidency and political career in Massachusetts.

Calvin Coolidge was the 30th president of the United States, and his political journey has been riddled with several challenges.

Calvin Coolidge was elected as the president of the United States following the sudden demise of Warren G. Harding. He was a member of the Republican Party and took a conservative approach to uplift the American economy during his tenure.

John Calvin Coolidge was the 30th president of the United States and practiced as a commercial lawyer before getting into politics. He was called the silent president of the United States for his quiet demeanor. His tenure brought in the era of roaring twenties, where the country's economy reached great heights.

You need to continue reading to learn more about the silent president Calvin Coolidge of the United States! Do check out information on Barack Obama and the 26th president of the USA if you liked reading this article!

Fun Facts About Calvin Coolidge

Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, and he is famous for being the only American president born on the same date as American Independence Day. He was born John Calvin Coolidge but always preferred using his middle name, Calvin.

His father instilled puritan values of honesty and piety in his son. He also happens to be the only U.S. president sworn into the presidency by his own father.

Calvin Coolidge took pride in his reputation of being a man of few words and was nicknamed 'Silent Cal.' He was also featured in a sound film that was a revolutionary phenomenon in the film industry.

His hobbies included riding an electric horse as he was fond of exercising. He also happens to be a U.S. President whose portrait was once imprinted on the currency while still alive.

President Coolidge believed in the idea of renting instead of buying houses as it was far more economical. He also reduced Federal Government spending and prevented the Federal Government's interference in the country's economic matters. Additionally, Calvin Coolidge died in 1933 at the age of 60.

Facts About Calvin Coolidge's Presidency

Calvin Coolidge served as the U.S. president from 1923 to 1929. His journey from a respectable attorney to the 30th president of the U.S. is not one to be missed!

Coolidge was elected as a mayor of Northampton in Massachusetts and was a prominent face in local and state politics. He was the elected governor before serving as the senate president.

He ran the election as the vice president under the leadership of Warren G. Harding in 1920. The duo won in a landslide victory by securing more than 60% of the votes in their favor.

The Boston Police Strike took place during his tenure as the lieutenant governor.

Coolidge vehemently opposed the demands of the police department for bonuses and appointed war veterans to replace the policemen who went on strike. His strict stances against the disruption of law and order in the state gained him enough praise as a governor.

He served as the vice president from the year 1920 and soon became the country's president due to the sudden demise of then-president Harding in 1923. He ran for the presidency after completing Harding's term and ended up winning the election.

His famous campaign slogan was ''Keep Cool and Keep Coolidge''. He ensured to clean the White House by firing corrupt officials from the Oval Office.

His contribution to strengthening the country's economy had ushered in the roaring twenties era. A decade of widespread economic growth was a recovery from the devastation caused by the Second World War.

President Coolidge also allowed businesses to thrive, lowered taxes and tariffs on imported goods which aided the economic boost. He did not allow the interference of the Federal Government in the country's economy.

It is said that his policy decisions brought in the Great Depression after his tenure. Coolidge believed it was due to his negligence in addressing more significant problems that crippled the nation.

His supporters firmly believed he could have won in the next election. However, Coolidge turned his back on re-election and returned to his hometown after his presidential term ended in 1929.

Facts About Calvin Coolidge's Education

Calvin Coolidge was an Amherst graduate and later went to study law. However, he never received any formal education to become a lawyer but practiced in a local law firm at the beginning of his career.

Calvin Coolidge attended the prestigious Amherst College in Massachusetts, where he took a keen interest in debate and philosophy. He won several awards for essay-writing and debates during his college years. He graduated from Amherst College in the year 1895.

After completing his graduation, Coolidge was encouraged to become a lawyer by his father and cleared the bar exam to continue higher studies. Instead of enrolling himself in a law school, he went to a local firm named Hammond & Field in Northampton.

He later practiced as a county lawyer in the Massachusetts Bar. Eventually, he had set up his own law office and established himself as a reputed attorney within a short time.

Facts About Calvin Coolidge's Personality

Evident from the title 'Silent President,' Coolidge was known for his succinct replies. His sincere attempts to free the nation from corruption had reinstalled the faith of his citizens in the system.

President Coolidge happened to be a man of few words, which earned him the nickname 'Silent Cal.' However, he held regular press conferences to keep the citizen of his country updated.

His responses to the queries addressed to him have always been very brief. It is said that even his last will was a concise testament of just 23 words.

This great man possessed Puritan values and was admired for his moral earnestness. He ensured that his cabinet in the White House was free of corruption and fired officials accused of dishonesty.

By understanding the plight of the common people, his actions towards restoring the economy fetched him plenty of admirers. The contributions of President Coolidge in bringing racial equality and the passing of the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924 talk highly of his benevolent personality.

The act granted citizenship and voting rights to the Native Americans. He strictly opposed the action of the police department in the Boston Police Strike in 1919, which made him popular among the conservatives.

 

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly factsfor everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for fun facts about Calvin Coolidge: why was he called the silent president,then why not take a look at interesting facts about Teddy Roosevelt or about Abraham Lincoln.

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Written by Rajnandini Roychoudhury

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English

Rajnandini Roychoudhury picture

Rajnandini RoychoudhuryBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English

With a Master of Arts in English, Rajnandini has pursued her passion for the arts and has become an experienced content writer. She has worked with companies such as Writer's Zone and has had her writing skills recognized by publications such as The Telegraph. Rajnandini is also trilingual and enjoys various hobbies such as music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading classic British literature. 

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Fact-checked by Niyati Parab

Bachelor of Commerce

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Niyati ParabBachelor of Commerce

With a background in digital marketing, Niyati brings her expertise to ensure accuracy and authenticity in every piece of content. She has previously written articles for MuseumFacts, a history web magazine, while also handling its digital marketing. In addition to her marketing skills, Niyati is fluent in six languages and has a Commerce degree from Savitribai Phule Pune University. She has also been recognized for her public speaking abilities, holding the position of Vice President of Education at the Toastmasters Club of Pune, where she won several awards and represented the club in writing and speech contests at the area level.

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