William Howard Taft carried the unique burden and honor of being the hand-picked successor to one of America’s most dynamic presidents, Theodore Roosevelt. Taft was a thoughtful and accomplished jurist who presided over a period of significant progressive reform. However, his quiet, methodical style stood in stark contrast to his predecessor’s whirlwind energy, and his single term was defined by a painful political rupture with his former friend and mentor. We’re excited to provide a detailed look at the man whose true passion was the law, not politics, and whose presidency served as a turbulent bridge in the Progressive Era.
Table of Historical Contents
A Jurist in the White House
Born into the politically prominent Taft family on September 15, 1857 in Cincinnati, Ohio, William Howard Taft was destined to become the twenty-seventh President. His father, Alphonso Taft, had served as Secretary of War and Attorney General under President Ulysses S. Grant. Affable, intelligent, and hardworking, The family resided in a two-story greek revival house in Cincinnati during his childhood years. Taft graduated second in his class from Yale University and went on to earn a law degree from Cincinnati Law School.
Aspiring to Join the Supreme Court
Taft’s career was a steady climb through a series of prestigious legal and administrative appointments. He served as a state judge, U.S. Solicitor General, a federal circuit court judge, and the first civilian Governor-General of the Philippines. In each role, he earned a reputation as a superb administrator and a brilliant legal mind. His ultimate ambition was not the presidency, but a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Theodore Roosevelt, however, had other plans. As Roosevelt’s trusted Secretary of War, Taft became his go-to troubleshooter and closest advisor. Convinced that Taft was the perfect man to carry on his progressive policies, Roosevelt used his immense popularity to secure Taft the Republican nomination in 1908. Taft easily defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan in the general election. He entered the White House a reluctant president and some might even say he was a poor politician. William Taft was more comfortable with the quiet deliberation of the courtroom than the rough-and-tumble of executive branch politics.
| William Howard Taft: Fast Facts | |
|---|---|
| Birth Date | September 15, 1857 |
| Death Date | March 8, 1930 |
| Political Party | Republican |
| Term in Office | March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913 |
| Vice President | James S. Sherman |
| Key Accomplishment | Continued “trust-busting” and championed the 16th and 17th Amendments |
| Nickname | “Big Bill” |
A Quiet Progressive: Taft’s Policies and Initiatives
Though often overshadowed by Roosevelt and other American Presidents of the era, Taft’s administration was responsible for a remarkable number of progressive achievements. Where Roosevelt was loud and energetic, Taft was quiet and legalistic, using the courts and legislation to achieve his reform goals.
Major Policies and Initiatives of the Taft Presidency
- Aggressive Trust-Busting: Taft was actually a more aggressive trust-buster than his predecessor. His administration brought approximately 90 antitrust suits in four years, compared to Roosevelt’s 44 in seven years. The most famous of these cases led to the breakup of Standard Oil and the American Tobacco Company in 1911.
- The 16th Amendment: Taft’s administration was instrumental in pushing for a constitutional amendment to allow the federal government to levy an income tax. The 16th Amendment was passed by Congress in 1909 and ratified in 1913, fundamentally changing the way the U.S. government was financed.
- The 17th Amendment: Taft also supported the movement for the direct election of U.S. senators by the people, rather than by state legislatures. This effort culminated in the 17th Amendment, which was also ratified shortly after he left office.
- Creation of the Department of Labor: Taft signed the act creating a separate Department of Labor to represent the interests of working people in the cabinet. He also established the Children’s Bureau to investigate and improve the welfare of children.
A Presidency Divided Struggling for a Compromise
Taft’s presidency was ultimately torn apart by the growing divide within the Republican Party between its conservative “Old Guard” and its progressive wing. Taft, attempting to find a middle ground, ended up satisfying neither.
Significant Domestic and Foreign Events:
- The Payne-Aldrich Tariff (1909): Taft campaigned on lowering tariffs, but the final bill that emerged from Congress, the Payne-Aldrich Tariff, barely reduced rates and in some cases even raised them. Taft signed the bill and defended it as the best compromise possible, a move that enraged progressives who felt he had betrayed the cause of reform.
- The Ballinger-Pinchot Affair: This controversy sealed the break between Taft and the Roosevelt progressives. Taft’s Secretary of the Interior, Richard Ballinger, was accused of improperly opening up protected coal lands in Alaska to private development. When Gifford Pinchot, the head of the Forest Service and a close friend of Roosevelt, publicly criticized Ballinger, Taft fired him for insubordination. Progressives saw this as a direct assault on Roosevelt’s conservationist legacy.
- Dollar Diplomacy: Taft’s foreign policy, known as “Dollar Diplomacy,” sought to advance American interests abroad by encouraging and protecting U.S. investments in Latin America and East Asia. The goal was to substitute “dollars for bullets”—using economic power rather than military might to promote stability and American influence.
- The Election of 1912: Theodore Roosevelt, convinced that Taft had abandoned his progressive principles, challenged the incumbent president for the Republican nomination. When the party establishment gave the nomination to Taft, a furious Roosevelt bolted and ran for president as a third-party candidate on the “Bull Moose” ticket. This split in the Republican vote ensured the election of Democrat Woodrow Wilson.
Wins and Hurdles to Progress
Taft was a successful reformer, but a frustrated politician. He struggled to manage public perception and was ill-suited to the political combat that his predecessor had relished.
Key Accomplishments and Challenges:
- Constitutional Reform: Taft’s support for the 16th and 17th Amendments laid the groundwork for a more powerful and more democratic federal government.
- Political Fallout with Roosevelt: His greatest challenge was the public and painful break with Theodore Roosevelt. The battle between the two men in 1912 was a political drama that captivated the nation and destroyed their friendship.
- A Solid Record of Reform: Despite his political troubles, Taft’s legislative record on issues like trust-busting, civil service reform, and workplace safety was undeniably progressive.
- Judicial Appointments: Taft appointed six justices to the Supreme Court, more than most presidents. He used these appointments to shape the court with men who shared his cautious, constitutionalist philosophy.
The Taft Cabinet and Vice President
Taft assembled a cabinet dominated by corporate lawyers, reflecting his own background and his preference for a legalistic, administrative approach to governance.
Vice President James S. Sherman
James S. “Sunny Jim” Sherman of New York was a conservative, easygoing congressman chosen to balance the ticket. He was the first Vice President to be re-nominated since the 1820s. However, he died in office just days before the 1912 election, leaving Taft without a running mate on the ballot.
Secretary of State Philander C. Knox
Philander Knox, who had served as Attorney General under both McKinley and Roosevelt, was the chief architect of Taft’s “Dollar Diplomacy.” He was an experienced corporate lawyer who believed that American foreign policy should be primarily focused on expanding opportunities for international trade and investment.
A Dream Realized: Chief Justice of the United States
After his crushing defeat in the 1912 election, where he finished in third place, Taft happily left the White House. He became a professor of constitutional law at Yale University, a role he cherished.
In 1921, his lifelong dream was finally realized when President Warren G. Harding appointed him Chief Justice of the United States. He is the only person in history to have held both the nation’s highest executive office and its highest judicial post. He proved to be a highly effective and respected Chief Justice, known for his administrative efficiency and his thoughtful, centrist jurisprudence.
William Howard Taft died on March 8, 1930. While his presidency is often remembered for the political drama with Roosevelt, his administration was a period of substantial reform that continued the work of the Progressive Era. His ultimate legacy is unique: a president who found his true calling and greatest happiness not in the White House, but on the Supreme Court.
Ongoing Legacy:
Taft Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Is William Howard Taft the only person to be both president and Chief Justice?
Yes. His dual service as the head of both the executive and judicial branches of the United States government is unique in American history. He often said that his time as Chief Justice was the happiest period of his life.
2. Why did Theodore Roosevelt run against Taft in 1912?
Roosevelt came to believe that Taft, his hand-picked successor, had betrayed his progressive legacy. He was angered by Taft’s handling of the Payne-Aldrich Tariff and the Ballinger-Pinchot conservation controversy. This led Roosevelt to challenge Taft for the Republican nomination and then run as a third-party candidate, splitting the Republican vote and allowing Woodrow Wilson to win.
3. What was “Dollar Diplomacy”?
This was the name for Taft’s foreign policy. It focused on using American economic power—rather than military force—to achieve foreign policy goals. The idea was to encourage U.S. banks and businesses to invest in foreign countries, particularly in Latin America and China, which would increase American influence and promote stability.
4. How did Taft get stuck in the White House bathtub?
This is a popular but likely apocryphal story. Taft was a large man, weighing over 300 pounds. While there is no credible evidence he ever actually got stuck, he did have an oversized, custom-built bathtub installed in the White House that was large enough to hold four men. This famous tub fueled the popular legend.
5. What was the “Bull Moose” Party?
After losing the 1912 Republican nomination to Taft, Theodore Roosevelt ran for president on his own Progressive Party ticket. When a reporter asked Roosevelt how he felt, he famously responded that he felt “as strong as a bull moose.” The nickname stuck, and his party became popularly known as the “Bull Moose” Party.
