Description: This photographic reproduction of an engraving is a portrait of John A. Bingham, who served as a U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1855 to 1863 and again from 1865 to 1873. The image appears to be one of several portraits of government officials; portions of oval frames are visible to the lower right and left of Bingham’s portrait. Header text on the page reads: “Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District…” The caption underneath Bingham’s portrait identifies him as “Bingham, Ohio.” Likely the portraits are included in an official government directory or record. Bingham, an early advocate of emancipation, is credited with drafting the first section of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He also served as a prosecutor during the trial of the individuals charged with conspiring to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives chose Bingham as one of seven “managers” to lead impeachment proceedings against President Andrew Johnson in 1868. Bingham was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, the son of Hugh Bingham and Ester Bailey Bingham. The elder Bingham was a prosperous artisan who was active in local politics. When John Bingham was twelve years old, his mother died, and he went to live with his uncle, Thomas Bingham, in Cadiz, Ohio. He worked as a printer’s apprentice for two years, then attended Franklin College (New Athens, Ohio), studied law, and was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1840. He established a law practice in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, but later returned to Cadiz, where he married his first cousin, Amanda Bingham, in 1844. Active in local politics, Bingham originally was a member of the Whig Party. In 1846, Tuscarawas County voters elected him to the office of prosecuting attorney, a position he held until 1849. Five years later he won election to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Whig and was re-elected as a Republican for three more consecutive terms (serving from 1855 to 1863). He unsuccessfully ran for re-election to the House in 1862. In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln appointed him judge-advocate of the Union Army with the rank of major in 1864. That fall Bingham defeated incumbent U.S. Representative Joseph White, a Democrat, in the Congressional elections. Bingham began his second tenure in the House in March 1865, just weeks before Lincoln’s assassination. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton appointed Bingham to a three-member team that prosecuted the defendants on trial for conspiring to assassinate Lincoln. In December 1865, Republican leaders selected Bingham as one of nine congressmen to represent the House on the Joint Committee on Reconstruction. In January 1866, Bingham introduced a proposal that the United States Constitution be amended to establish that "The Congress shall have the power to make all laws necessary and proper to secure to all persons in every state within this Union equal protection in their rights of life, liberty and property." Bingham's proposal subsequently became the basis for the first section of the Fourteenth Amendment, which was approved by Congress in June 1866 and ratified by the states in July 1868. On March 2, 1868, House members selected Bingham as one of seven "managers to conduct the impeachment against Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, on the part of the House" Bingham chaired the committee of managers and presented the prosecution's closing, three-day summation in Johnson's trial before the Senate. In 1872 Bingham lost his bid for re-election to the House. In 1873, President Ulysses S. Grant appointed him as U.S. minister to Japan, a post he held until 1885. Bingham returned to Cadiz, Oho, where he was a vocal opponent of Jim Crow laws that were being enacted in the South. He died on March 19, 1900. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05833
Subjects: Bingham, John Armor, 1815-1900; United States--Politics and government--1861-1865; United States--Politics and government--1865-1883; United States--Foreign relations--Japan; Ohio History--Presidents and Politics
 

Description: Photograph showing Congressman Gilligan with Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey. The photograph includes an autograph. John Gilligan was born on March 22, 1921, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame in 1943, and he then enlisted in the United States Navy, serving for the duration of World War II. Upon returning to the United States, Gilligan enrolled at the University of Cincinnati, graduating in 1947. Upon graduating from the University of Cincinnati, Gilligan taught literature courses at Xavier University. In 1953, he embarked upon a career in politics, winning election to the Cincinnati City Council as a member of the Democratic Party. Gilligan served on the council from 1953 to 1963. In 1964, Gilligan won election to the United States House of Representatives, representing Ohio's 1st District. He only served one term (1965-1967). He lost his reelection bid because the Republican-controlled state legislature redrew his district, placing a much larger number of Republicans in it. In 1968, Gilligan unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate. Undaunted after these two defeats, Gilligan remained active in politics, winning election to the Ohio governor's office in 1970. During Gilligan's administration, Ohio adopted a graduated state income tax to overcome budget shortfalls. Gilligan also saw the implementation of the state lottery during his time in office, although he opposed this measure. In 1973, the state legislature and the governor concurred to lower the voting age to eighteen years, and Gilligan also secured funding to improve Ohio's transportation infrastructure. The governor sought reelection in 1974, but he lost to former governor James Rhodes. Upon leaving the governor's office, Gilligan served as the director of the United States Agency for International Development from 1977 to 1979. He also taught at several universities, including the University of Notre Dame. In 1999, he returned to politics, winning election to the Cincinnati, Ohio, School Board. Interestingly, Gilligan's daughter, Kathleen Sebelius, serves as the governor of Kansas. Gilligan and Sebelius are the only father and daughter to be elected as state governors. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08023
Subjects: Governors; Politicians; Ohio History--Presidents and Politics; Ohio History--State and Local Government; Gilligan, John Joyce, 1921-;
 

Description: George B. Cox (1853-1916) of Cincinnati was a delegate to the 1900 Republican National Convention from Ohio. He was indicted on corruption charges in 1906, but was never convicted. He served as a Cincinnati City Councilman in 1879, but continued to influence politics through money, gifts, and illegal voting practices. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL03892
Subjects: Ohio History--Presidents and Politics; Ohio--Politics and government; Political corruption; Cincinnati (Ohio)
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: President and Mrs. Harding traveled along the Alaskan coastline on board the U.S.S. Henderson in 1923. They began their cross-country journey from Washington, D. C. to Alaska on June 20, 1923, in spite of the president's failing health. Warren Gamaliel Harding (1865-1923) was born in Corsica (now called Blooming Grove), a small town in Morrow County, Ohio. Harding graduated from Ohio Central College in Iberia at the age of sixteen. His family moved to Marion, where Harding taught school and briefly studied law. He worked occasionally as a reporter for a local paper before buying the Marion Star in 1884. Within five years, the Star was one of the most successful small-town newspapers in the state. Harding became popular as the leader of the Citizen's Coronet Band, which played at political rallies, and for his skill as an orator. Willing to follow the lead of political bosses, Harding advanced rapidly in Ohio politics, serving as state senator and lieutenant governor. In 1914 Harding was elected to the U. S. Senate. He launched his famous "front porch" 1920 presidential campaign from the porch of his Victorian home in Marion, Ohio. He won the presidency with sixty percent of the popular vote, promising a "return to normalcy" following the wave of reforms begun during Theodore Roosevelt's administration. As President, Harding appointed several friends to federal office who proved untrustworthy. His administration was tainted by corruption, and the infamous "Teapot Dome" scandal (in which Harding's secretary of the interior leased a U.S. petroleum reserve to a private oil company) nearly destroyed his presidency. After he died in office in August 1923, countless scandals were uncovered tarnishing Harding's reputation. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om1441_1154065_001
Subjects: Presidents and Politics; Harding, Warren G. (Warren Gamaliel), 1865-1923; First ladies; Ohio History--Presidents and Politics
Places: Marion (Ohio); Marion County (Ohio); Washington (District of Columbia); Alaska
 

Description: The dining tent and its diners that was set up during a camping trip taken by rubber manufacturer Harvey Firestone, inventor Thomas Edison and automobile manufacturer Henry Ford in 1921. This trip was one of many that Ford, Firestone, and Edison took together between 1916 and 1924. Harding was invited to their camping trip in Maryland in July of 1921, which became known as "Camp Harding." The circular dining table was nine feet in diameter and had a Lazy Susan on the top so that diners could reach any of the dishes they wanted. It also folded so that it could be transported easily. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL03564
Subjects: Presidents--United States; Ohio History--Presidents and Politics; Industrialists--Ohio; Inventors
Places: Pecktonville (Maryland); Pecktonville (Maryland)
 

Description: These photographs show Warren Harding during his 1920 "front porch" campaign. The first image shows Harding with a small girl. The second and third images show Harding shaking hands with people in a crowd. Harding ran his 1920 presidential campaign from the front porch of his Victorian house in Marion, Ohio. People came from all over Ohio and the United States came to hear him speak. His speeches were often recorded on phonograph and printed in newspapers around the country. Warren Gamaliel Harding (1865-1923) was born in Corsica (now called Blooming Grove), a small town in Morrow County, Ohio. Harding graduated from Ohio Central College in Iberia at the age of sixteen. His family moved to Marion, where Harding taught school and briefly studied law. He worked occasionally as a reporter for a local paper before buying the Marion Star in 1884. Within five years, the Star was one of the most successful small-town newspapers in the state. Harding became popular as the leader of the Citizen's Coronet Band, which played at political rallies, and for his skill as an orator. Willing to follow the lead of political bosses, Harding advanced rapidly in Ohio politics, serving as state senator and lieutenant governor. In 1914 Harding was elected to the U. S. Senate. He won the presidency with sixty percent of the popular vote, promising a "return to normalcy" following the wave of reforms begun during Theodore Roosevelt's administration. As president, Harding appointed several friends to federal office who proved untrustworthy. His administration was tainted by corruption, and the infamous "Teapot Dome" scandal (in which Harding's Secretary of the Interior leased a U.S. petroleum reserve to a private oil company) nearly destroyed his presidency. After he died in office in August 1923, other scandals were uncovered, further tarnishing Harding's reputation. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Page1
Subjects: Presidents and Politics; Presidential elections; Harding, Warren G. (Warren Gamaliel), 1865-1923
Places: Marion (Ohio); Marion County (Ohio)
 

Description: Lithograph of Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893), Republican candidate for president in the 1876 election. Hayes was a successful governor of Ohio and went on to defeat Democrat Samuel Tilden of New York in a highly-contested election. Despite losing the popular vote, Hayes won the Electoral College and was granted the presidency by the Congress after agreements were made to end Reconstruction in the South, a deal that would be known as the Compromise of 1877. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: OVS3328
Subjects: Ohio History--Presidents and Politics; Candidates for president; Hayes, Rutherford Birchard, 1822-1893; Presidential campaigns; Ohio--Politics and government; Governors--Ohio
Places: Fremont (Ohio); Sandusky County (Ohio); Delaware (Ohio); Delaware County (Ohio)
 

Description: These two images show Warren G. and Florence Harding on their front porch in Marion, Ohio. The first image shows Warren G. Harding reading. The second image shows the couple on the front porch. Warren Harding ran his 1920 presidential campaign from the front porch of his Victorian house in Marion, Ohio. People came from all over Ohio and the United States came to hear him speak. His speeches were often recorded on phonograph and printed in newspapers around the country. Warren Gamaliel Harding (1865-1923) was born in Corsica (now called Blooming Grove), a small town in Morrow County, Ohio. Harding graduated from Ohio Central College in Iberia at the age of sixteen. His family moved to Marion, where Harding taught school and briefly studied law. He worked occasionally as a reporter for a local paper before buying the Marion Star in 1884. Within five years, the Star was one of the most successful small-town newspapers in the state. Harding became popular as the leader of the Citizen's Coronet Band, which played at political rallies, and for his skill as an orator. Willing to follow the lead of political bosses, Harding advanced rapidly in Ohio politics, serving as state senator and lieutenant governor. In 1914 Harding was elected to the U. S. Senate. He won the presidency with sixty percent of the popular vote, promising a "return to normalcy" following the wave of reforms begun during Theodore Roosevelt's administration. As president, Harding appointed several friends to federal office who proved untrustworthy. His administration was tainted by corruption, and the infamous "Teapot Dome" scandal (in which Harding's Secretary of the Interior leased a U.S. petroleum reserve to a private oil company) nearly destroyed his presidency. After he died in office in August 1923, other scandals were uncovered, further tarnishing Harding's reputation. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Page1
Subjects: Presidents and Politics; Presidential elections; Harding, Warren G. (Warren Gamaliel), 1865-1923; Harding, Florence Kling, 1860-1924; First ladies; Porches
Places: Marion (Ohio); Marion County (Ohio)
 

Description: Three photographs document the construction of the Harding Tomb, a circular monument of white Georgia marble containing the remains of President Warren G. Harding and his wife Florence Kling Harding. It was completed in 1927, and the Hardings' bodies were moved to the tomb in December of that year. The monument, surrounded by ten acres of landscaped grounds, is similar in appearance to a round Greek temple. The site is managed by the Ohio Historical Society. The photographs measure 8" x 10" (20.32 x 25.4 cm). Warren Gamaliel Harding (1865-1923) was born in Corsica (now called Blooming Grove), a small town in Morrow County, Ohio. Harding graduated from Ohio Central College in Iberia at the age of sixteen. His family moved to Marion, where Harding taught school and briefly studied law. He worked occasionally as a reporter for a local paper before buying the Marion Star in 1884. Within five years, the Star was one of the most successful small-town newspapers in the state. Harding became popular as the leader of the Citizen's Coronet Band, which played at political rallies, and for his skill as an orator. Willing to follow the lead of political bosses, Harding advanced rapidly in Ohio politics, serving as state senator and lieutenant governor. In 1914 Harding was elected to the U. S. Senate. He launched his famous "front porch" 1920 presidential campaign from the porch of his Victorian home in Marion. He won the presidency with sixty percent of the popular vote, promising a "return to normalcy" following the wave of reforms begun during Theodore Roosevelt's administration. As president, Harding appointed several friends to federal office who proved untrustworthy. His administration was tainted by corruption, and the infamous "Teapot Dome" scandal (in which Harding's secretary of the interior leased a government petroleum reserve to a private oil company) nearly destroyed his presidency. After he died in office in August 1923, other scandals were uncovered, further tarnishing Harding's reputation. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Page1
Subjects: Presidents and Politics; Architecture; Harding, Warren G. (Warren Gamaliel), 1865-1923; Presidents; First ladies; Tombs & sepulchral monuments; Monuments & memorials
Places: Marion (Ohio); Marion County (Ohio)
 

Description: Two 8" by 10" (20.32 by 25.4 cm) photographs dating from the 1940s depict Harrison's tomb and monument on Mt. Nebo in North Bend, Ohio. The tomb contains the remains of William Henry Harrison, 9th president of the United States. The monument is an obelisk of Bedford limestone, with marble entranceway, which rises 60 feet above the tomb. From the terrace visitors have a spectacular panorama of the Ohio River valley visible in the second image. The memorial is part of the Ohio Historical Society's network of historical, archaeological and natural history sites. A member of a prominent Virginia family, Harrison (1773-1841) served as aide-de-camp to General Anthony Wayne during the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. After moving to the Ohio country, he became secretary of the Northwest Territory and served as the territory's first representative to Congress. In 1801, Harrison became governor of the Indiana Territory and served in that position for 12 years. He achieved his greatest fame during the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. During the War of 1812, Harrison commanded the Army of the Northwest and attained the rank of brigadier general. In 1813, he defeated the combined forces of the British and American Indians at the Battle of the Thames, where chief Tecumseh was killed. Harrison resigned his commission in 1814 and returned to Ohio. He entered politics and served in both houses of the U.S. Congress and the state senate. Harrison ran unsuccessfully for president in 1836, and announced his candidacy again in 1840. Historians have described the 1840 election as the first modern political campaign. Harrison broke with tradition and campaigned actively for president on the Whig ticket. The log cabin became the symbol of Harrison's campaign when his Democratic opponents ridiculed him, saying he would be content to spend his days in a log cabin drinking hard cider. Harrison's supporters turned this insult around to portray him as a man of the people. Harrison contacted pneumonia and died after only one month in office. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3202_3806470_001
Subjects: Architecture; Arts and Entertainment; Presidents and Politics; Tombs & sepulchral monuments; Monuments & memorials; Presidents
Places: North Bend (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of Harry E. Davis (1882-1955), a Republican representative from Cuyahoga County who served in the Ohio House of Representatives during the 84th session (1921-1922) and 85th session (1923-1924) , 86th session (1925-1926) and 87th session (1927-1928) of the General Assembly. He was later elected as a senator to the Ohio Legislature in 1947. Davis, a Cleveland native, graduated from Western Reserve University's law school in 1908, and was an early member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In his time in politics, he worked to fight discriminatory legislation and to advance civil rights in Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: P206_B20_Davis
Subjects: African American Ohioans; Ohio House of Representatives; Ohio--Politics and government; Elected officials; Civil rights; Lawyers--Ohio; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Places: Cleveland (Ohio); Cuyahoga County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of Samuel B. Hill, a representative from Hamilton County who served in the Ohio House of Representatives during the 71st session (1894-1895) of the General Assembly. Born in Xenia, Ohio, Hill grew up to become an educator before moving into politics. Some of his notable legislative efforts while serving in the Ohio House include support for public education in Ohio and for the Blind Asylum and Working Home for the Blind. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: P206_B07_Hill
Subjects: African American Ohioans; Ohio House of Representatives; Ohio--Politics and government; Elected officials; Educators; People with disabilities
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)