Election of 1920

In the election of 1920 Warren G. Harding promised the American people a “return to normalcy.”  World War I was over and the economy was struggling.  Harding campaigned on higher tariffs, immigration controls, and isolationism.

The Democrats behind James Cox (and Franklin D. Roosevelt in the second spot) continued to push for progressive reforms and international involvement. The handsome senator from Ohio would be elected in this first election in which women across the country could vote.


Campaign Poster

Abraham Lincoln: “That a Government of the People Shall Not Perish From the Earth,” photograph, design for a campaign poster or button, c. 1920 (Library of Congress)

election of 1920 map

National Atlas


© Periodic Presidents, PJ and Jamie Creek