John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States, serving between 1923 and 1929. He was born in Plymouth, Vermont, on July 4, 1872, the son of a village storekeeper. He graduated from AmherstCollege with honors, and entered law and politics in Massachusetts. Slowly, he went up the political ladder from councilman in Northampton to Governor of Massachusetts.
One of his first duties as Governor was to deal with the Boston police strike in 1919. He brought in the National Guard and fired all striking officers. Newspapers across the nation reported on his decisive action and gave him the reputation of a strong leader. He became Vice President in 1921 and attended many of President Warren Harding’s cabinet meetings – the first Vice President to do so.
On August 2, 1923, President Harding died suddenly. Coolidge was in Vermont visiting his family. He found out about the President’s death via messenger. He took the oath of office in his family’s home under thelight of a kerosene lamp, as they had no electricity. As President, Coolidge promised to preserve the traditional American ways amid the economic prosperity that many Americans were enjoying.
Coolidge was re-elected in 1924 because of what was known as "Coolidge prosperity." In his inaugural speech he stated that the country had achieved "a state of contentment seldom before seen." He spoke out in favor of the civil rights of African Americans. He became even more popular by lowering taxes. After he left office, he wrote his autobiography in 1929. He died of a heart attack in 1933.