Throughout the American political history, many Presidents are remembered for their silence in various instances in history, but Calvin Coolidge was very notorious of being silent. He lacked any political dialogue. Calvin Coolidge was famously known as the “Silent Cal”. He was America’s 30th President. Coolidge held the President office for 6 long years but he always stayed very quiet and silent about his official matters and duties as the leader of the free world. He may have not spoken much but his actions were very loud and clear for everyone to see.
Early Life and Career
Calvin Coolidge was born in Vermont, on 4th of July, 1872. From a young age, Coolidge had interest in academia and was a very bright student. He acquired early education from Amherst College and later on studied law after his graduation. After becoming a lawyer, Coolidge served his own state by holding various state government positions. In 1918, he entered the world of politics when he was elected as the Governor of Massachusetts. He became very famous because of his outstanding government reforms and charismatic leadership.
Presidency
In 1923, President Warren G. Harding held the office at White house and Coolidge served as his VP. The President tragically passed away in 1923 and Coolidge had to overtake the President’s office and became the President of America. The general public and the political elite respected Coolidge. He was very honest and had outstanding work ethics. During his campaign, Coolidge emphasized on promoting small businesses, cutting down of taxes, and prioritizing fight against corruption. His era of Presidency marked thrive in economy and prosperity. In 1924, Coolidge came back with an overwhelming majority for a full term.
The Silence
Apart from all his qualities as human and as a brave Leader, Coolidge was known more for his silence than for his success in running America. By nature, he was introvert and spoke very little. Even the instances where he spoke, his conversations were very small with only a few short sentences keeping everything to the point only. He famously said, “I have never been hurt by what I have not said.” This quotation along with many others painted him as the “silent” American President. Many people did not see his silence as a very positive personality trait. They called it lack of leadership and authority. To many people giving words to thoughts was as important as actions.
Foreign Policy
The foreign policy took a back seat to domestic affairs in his era. Being a staunch nationalist, Coolidge believed in promoting and safeguarding the interests of the American nation from any external interference whatsoever. Many of his views about collaborating with other nations and various treaties were thought to be very skeptical. The Dawes Plan was a very notable foreign affair in his time at the office. This plan allowed Germany to pay war reimbursements during a struggling economy after World War I. This plan bore fruit very soon and stabilized the German economy which eventually contributed a lot to the Europe’s economic development.
Final Verdict
The introvert nature of Calvin Coolidge remains a popular aspect of his presidency. Having a very unorthodox style of Presidency, he was very effective as a President. He may have spoken less but his actions outweighed many American Presidents. Thriving economy, stability and prosperity marked his time at the office. Many regarded his silent nature as lack of leadership but this isn’t true. He was more focused on achieving his goals than announcing them beforehand. It is evident till day that a man’s success is measured by his actions and not by his words.
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