wife
convinced him that he should have higher goals for himself.(Sullivan, George. Unsolved! II pg.
Harding was soon nominated to be the Republican Party's presidential nominee. Then in
November of that year, Harding easily defeated James Cox, the Democrats candidate. All was
going well for the new president, he cut high taxes and removed controls that had been place on
some business that had been in effect since World War I.(Ferrell, Robert H. The Strange
Deaths pg. 36) His campaign headed by his "Back to Normalcy" slogan was soon in danger
after some of his "Ohio Gang" betrayed the president in their quest for money and position.
Fear and suspicion spread like an epidemic.
Two words will be forever linked to Harding's administration : Teapot Dome, the name
of the Wyoming naval oil reserve that secretary of Interior Albert Fall secretly leased to the oil
tycoons Edward Doheny and Harry Sinclair in return for more than 400,000$ in bribes. When
Harding learned of the influence peddling, bootlegging, and other nefarious activities of Jess
Smith the Attorney General and Harry Daugherty, he immediately removed smith from his inner
circle. The most damaging scandal of all, though a less colorful one, involved the exorbitant,
profiteering of Charlie Forbes, the head of the Veterans Bureau. He had resold medical supplies
and hospital building site contracts.(Ferrell, Robert H. The Strange Deaths pg. 78)
Fearing that word of these scandals would get out, he started out on the "Voyage of
Understanding"(), where he would travel across the United States, into Canada, and to the
territory of Alaska. He stopped to talk to them for support and about trying to gain a new state,
Alaska. His theory was why would they impeach someone who had all of them supporting him.
About a week after his visit to Alaska he suddenly died. " stroke of apoplexy" was given ...