The President's Daughter
"The President's Daughter" is a significant political autobiography that presents claims surrounding President Warren G. Harding's alleged affair with Nan Britton, who asserts that Harding fathered her child in 1919 while he was a U.S. senator. The book generated considerable debate regarding its credibility, as no definitive proof of Harding's paternity was ever provided. Britton's motivations for writing the memoir appear intertwined with her desire to provide for her daughter, Elizabeth Ann, whom she claimed Harding fathered. Their relationship is framed against the backdrop of Britton's upbringing in proximity to Harding and her professional interactions with him, which she interpreted as romantic interest.
The narrative suggests a contrast between Britton, who purportedly fulfilled Harding's emotional needs, and his wife, Florence, who was unable to bear children. Britton recounts various encounters with Harding, including allegations of clandestine meetings during his presidency. Despite the sensational nature of her claims, the absence of corroborative evidence led to skepticism among contemporaries and ultimately contributed to Harding's tarnished reputation. The book shifted public focus from Harding's political legacy to personal scandal, affecting how historians and the public perceive his presidency, often ranking him among the least effective U.S. presidents.
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The President's Daughter
Identification: Memoir alleging President Warren G. Harding fathered an illegitimate child
Author: Nan Britton
Date: 1927
The President’s Daughter is noteworthy as the first sensational, tell-all political autobiography in the United States, claiming that Harding fathered a child in 1919 with author Nan Britton (1896–1991) while he was a U.S. senator. In the immediate wake of the book’s publication, commentators focused on whether they could believe Britton. While no conclusive evidence of Harding’s paternity was ever established, the story further tarnished Harding’s reputation, already beset by talk of extramarital affairs and the corruption scandals of his presidency.
It is believed that Britton wrote her memoir to provide money for her child, Elizabeth Ann, whom she alleged Harding had fathered. Britton had long-standing ties to Harding: She grew up near Harding’s hometown of Marion, Ohio, and attended school with his sister Abigail. Britton’s father occasionally wrote articles for the newspaper Harding owned. Upon moving to New York City and training to be a secretary, Britton contacted Harding, then the U.S. senator from Ohio, for help in finding a job. As the two corresponded, Britton claimed to see romantic interest. Biographers have noted that Harding’s letters seemed friendly yet professional.
Britton was in many ways a contrast to Harding’s wife, Florence, an older woman who had been unable to produce a child with Harding. Throughout the book, Britton claims that she was better able to meet Harding’s needs and thus served as a better partner. According to Britton, she and Harding had their first tryst in a New York hotel room. Harding then gradually became a patron of the Britton family. Britton claims that Harding fathered her daughter in his Senate office. She defends the absence of love letters from Harding by writing that she and Harding agreed to destroy such letters. She claims to have gone through a ceremony with a ring, similar to a marriage ceremony, and alleges that Harding provided for the child. However, since Britton struggled financially to keep the child, arrangements were made for Britton’s sister and her husband to adopt the girl.
After Harding entered the White House in 1921, Britton visited him several times. She wrote that they had an encounter in a closet on one occasion to avoid being discovered by Florence. The president sent Britton to Europe, where she learned of Harding’s death. His will did not mention Britton or Elizabeth Ann. When she proved unable to produce any evidence supporting her claims of an affair, Harding’s circle refused to give her any aid.
Impact
The President’s Daughter dealt a further blow to Harding’s already wobbling reputation. For a time after the release of the book, Harding’s legacy was dominated by questions of whether he produced an illegitimate child rather than his impact on political matters. While Harding’s relationship with Britton remains questionable, the scandal caused by the book has contributed to Harding’s consistent historical evaluation as one of the worst U.S. presidents.
Bibliography
Britton, Nan. The President’s Daughter. New York: Elizabeth Ann Guild, 1927.
Payne, Phillip G. Dead Last: The Public Memory of Warren G. Harding’s Scandalous Legacy. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2009.