(Note: this program does not contain audio)

Florence Harding was the 29th First Lady of the United States. Her husband, Warren G. Harding, was the 8th President from Ohio, serving from 1921 to 1923.

These historic film clips feature The Hardings as they advocate for suffrage, ride the campaign trail, vote on election day, and greet many Americans.

After the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Mrs. Harding became the first woman eligible to vote for her husband in a presidential election.

Harding's efforts as First Lady to promote economic, political, & societal equity for women was unprecedented in her time. She invited countless women's groups to the White House and worked tirelessly to help the women of the country understand and participate in their government. However, her role in women's activism did not begin on the federal level.

Mrs. Harding was actively involved in her husband's political campaigns for Ohio Senate (1899-1903), Lieutenant Governor (1904-1908), United States Senate (1915-1921), and President of the United States. The New York Times reported that she was the first candidate's wife to speak to the press, and she often involved herself in her husband's political endeavors.

Florence studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and gave piano lessons in her hometown of Marion, Ohio, prior to meeting Warren G. Harding. After they married in 1891, Florence was the business manager of the Marion Daily Star, the newspaper that Mr. Harding owned and operated.

In addition to women's rights, Mrs. Harding was also passionate about caring for World War I Veterans.

Film Credit: Ohio Historical Society