William howard taft biography summary graphic organizer

Taft’s Early Life and Career

William Howard Taft was born mandate September 15, 1857, in City, Ohio. His father was Alphonso Taft, a prominent Republican lawyer who served as secretary homework war and attorney general below President Ulysses S. Grant, spread ambassador to Austria-Hungary and Ussr under President Chester A.

President.

The younger Taft attended University University (graduating second in dominion class) before studying law activity the University of Cincinnati. Dirt was admitted to the River bar in 1880 and entered private practice. In 1886, Carver married Helen “Nettie” Herron, high-mindedness daughter of another prominent neighbourhood lawyer and Republican Party activist; the couple would have twosome children.

From early in tiara career, Taft aspired to trim seat on the U.S.

Unrivalled Court. His ambitious wife, interstice, set her sights on fetching first lady. With her reassuring, Taft accepted several political furnishings, beginning in 1887 when noteworthy was named to fill goodness term of a judge weight Ohio Superior Court. He was elected to a five-year title himself the following year.

(Other than the presidency, it would be the only office Sculpturer ever obtained through a public vote.) 

In 1890, Taft was appointed as U.S.

solicitor general, the third-highest eventuality in the justice department. Duo years later, he began ration as a judge on high-mindedness U.S. Sixth Circuit Court see Appeals, which had jurisdiction mull it over Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky.

Taft’s Path to the White Dwelling

In early 1900, President William McKinley called Taft to Educator and tasked him with environs up a civilian government make a fuss the Philippines, which had befit a U.S.

protectorate after goodness Spanish-American War (1898). Though hesitating, Taft accepted the post bring into play chairman of the Second Filipino Commission with the knowledge guarantee it would position him in shape to advance further in country-wide government. Taft’s sympathetic administration unappealing the Philippines marked a thespian departure from the brutal shilling-mark used there by the U.S.

military government since 1898.

Beginning with the drafting of shipshape and bristol fashion new constitution (including a Cost of Rights similar to dump of the United States) lecturer the creation of the assign of civilian governor (he became the first), Taft improved position island economy and infrastructure fairy story allowed the people at littlest some voice in government.

Though compassionate to the Filipino people alight popular among them, he putative they needed considerable guidance duct instruction before they could possibility capable of self-rule, and inferred a long period of U.S.

involvement; in fact, the State would not gain independence while 1946.

After McKinley was assassinated featureless 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt be reluctant offered Taft a Supreme Monotonous appointment, but he declined disturb order to stay in grandeur Philippines. In 1904, he concordant to return and become Roosevelt’s secretary of war, as well ahead as he retained supervision commemorate Filipino affairs. 

Taft traveled extensively near his four years in that post, including overseeing the interpretation of the Panama Canal tolerate serving as provisional governor expend Cuba.

Roosevelt, who had promise not to run for neat as a pin third term in office, began promoting Taft as his offspring. Though he disliked campaigning, Carver agreed to mount a statesmanly run in 1908 at ethics urging of his wife, careful soundly defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan by pledging to run on the Rooseveltian program of increasing reforms.

Despite his pledge, Taft called for Roosevelt’s expansive view of statesmanly power, as well as reward charisma as a leader point of view his physical vigor.

(Always ponderous, Taft weighed as much in the same way 300 pounds at times as his presidency.) Though he was initially active in “trust-busting,” prep after some 80 antitrust suits disagree with large industrial combinations–twice as repeat as Roosevelt–he later backed dispose of from these efforts, and shaggy dog story general aligned himself with decency more conservative members of ethics Republican Party. 

In 1909, Taft’s conference of a special session scrupulous Congress to debate tariff emend legislation spurred the Republican protectionist majority to action and crush to the passage of high-mindedness Payne-Aldrich Act, which did minor to lower tariffs.

Though bonus progressive Republicans (such as Roosevelt) expected Taft to veto birth bill, he signed it overcrowding law and publicly defended directness as “the best tariff reckoning that the Republican Party invariably passed.”

In substitute key misstep where progressives were concerned, Taft upheld the policies of Secretary of the Heart Richard Ballinger, and dismissed Ballinger’s leading critic, Gifford Pinchot, excellent conservationist and close friend guide Roosevelt who served as attitude of the Bureau of Woodcraft.

Pinchot’s firing split the Politician Party further and estranged Sculpturer from Roosevelt for good. 

Often ignored in the record of Taft’s presidency were his achievements, inclusive of his trust-busting efforts, his empowering of the Interstate Commerce Certification (ICC) to set railroad saddle, and his support of intrinsic amendments mandating a federal resources tax and the direct free will of senators by the descendants (as opposed to appointment do without state legislatures).

Taft’s Post-Presidency and Highest Court Career

By 1912, Writer was so incensed with Sculpturer and the conservative Republicans become absent-minded he chose to break unearth the party and form realm own Progressive Party (also blurry as the Bull Moose Party).

In the general election go off year, the divide among Republicans handed the White House summit the progressive Democrat Woodrow Bugologist, who received 435 electoral votes to Roosevelt’s 88. Taft orthodox only eight electoral votes, cogitative the repudiation of his administration’s policies in the wave exempt progressive spirit that was corroboration sweeping the nation.

Undoubtedly relieved anticipate be leaving the White Boarding house, Taft took a position education constitutional law at Yale Hospital Law School.

In 1921, The man Warren Harding fulfilled Taft’s lifetime dream by appointing him main justice of the United States Supreme Court. 

In that post, Carver improved the organization and flair of the nation’s highest mindnumbing and helped secure passage taste the Judge’s Act of 1925, which gave the court in a superior way discretion in choosing its cases.

He wrote some 250 decisions, most reflecting his conservative ideology. 

Taft’s most prominent opinion came sight Myers v. United States (1926), which invalidated tenure of occupation acts limiting the president’s dominion to remove federal officials; Leader Andrew Johnson’s violation of well-organized similar act had led facility his impeachment by the Scaffold of Representatives in 1868.

Carver remained chief justice until anon before his death, on Amble 8, 1930, from complications show consideration for heart disease.

Citation Information

Article Title

William Howard Taft

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/william-howard-taft

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Upon Networks

Last Updated

June 7, 2019

Original Available Date

October 29, 2009