The Voyage of Understanding (officially the Tour of the President to Alaska) was a trans-continental tour of the Western United States taken by President Warren G. Harding in the summer of 1923. It marked the first time a sitting president visited Alaska and Canada. The tour took place during the final weeks of Harding's life, as he fell ill during the tour and died.
 Harding and company on the presidential train in Alaska | |
| Date | June 20 – August 2, 1923 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 1 month and 13 days |
| Location | United States and Canada |
| Type | Speaking tour |
Harding wished to spend time outside of Washington, D.C. following a number of scandals that had begun to cast a shadow over his presidency, most notably the Teapot Dome scandal.[1] He chose to embark on a tour to improve public relations in anticipation of his reelection campaign in 1924.[2] President Harding, along with Florence Harding and a large company of officials, began the tour across the United States aboard the Superb.[1]
On July 5, Harding and his companions arrived in Tacoma, Washington, and boarded the USS Henderson on a voyage to Alaska.[3] During his time in Alaska, he visited Mount McKinley National Park and what is now the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He also attended the completion of the Alaska Railroad in Nenana, where he drove in the final spike.[2] As he concluded the Alaska portion of his tour in late July, Harding began to complain of cramps, indigestion, fever and shortness of breath. He died in San Francisco on August 2. The original cause of death was stated to be a stroke, but it is now believed that he died of a heart attack.[4]
The Harding Railroad Car was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, and the Superb was listed in 1998.
Itinerary
edit| Itinerary[3] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | City | Notes |
| June 20 | Washington, D.C. | |
| June 21 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| June 22 | Kansas City, Missouri | |
| June 23 | Hutchinson, Kansas | |
| June 24 | Denver, Colorado | |
| June 25 | Cheyenne, Wyoming | |
| June 26 | Salt Lake City, Utah | |
| June 27 | Cedar City, Utah | Visiting Zion National Park |
| June 28 | Pocatello, Idaho Idaho Falls, Idaho |
|
| June 29 | Butte, Montana Helena, Montana |
|
| June 30 | Gardiner, Montana | Visiting Yellowstone National Park |
| July 1 | Gardiner, Montana | |
| July 2 | Spokane, Washington | |
| July 3 | Meacham, Oregon | |
| July 4 | Portland, Oregon | |
| July 5 | Tacoma, Washington | Boarded the USS Henderson |
| July 6-25 | Alaska | Via the USS Henderson |
| July 26 | Vancouver, British Columbia | Via the USS Henderson |
| July 27 | Seattle, Washington | Via the USS Henderson |
| July 28 | Portland, Oregon | |
| July 29 | Merced, California | Visiting Yosemite National Park |
| July 30 | El Portal, California | |
| July 31 | San Francisco, California | |
| August 1 | Los Angeles, California | Canceled |
| August 2-3 | Santa Catalina Island | Canceled |
| August 4 | San Diego, California | Canceled |
References
edit- ^ a b "President Harding's Voyage of Understanding". White House Historical Association. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
- ^ a b Reamer, David (2021). "The history of presidential visits to Alaska, starting with Warren G. Harding's ill-fated 'Voyage of Understanding'". Anchorage Daily News.
- ^ a b Official Itinerary: The Tour of the President of Alaska. 1923.
- ^ Markel, Howard (2015-08-02). "The 'strange' death of Warren G. Harding". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved 2022-03-07.