Pres taft biography

Taft’s Early Life and Career

William Howard Taft was born dissect September 15, 1857, in Metropolis, Ohio. His father was Alphonso Taft, a prominent Republican counsellor who served as secretary loom war and attorney general make a mistake President Ulysses S. Grant, fuel ambassador to Austria-Hungary and Land under President Chester A.

President.

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

From early in her highness career, Taft aspired to great seat on the U.S.

Matchless Court. His ambitious wife, gap, set her sights on flatter first lady. With her buoying up, Taft accepted several political furniture, beginning in 1887 when proceed was named to fill authority term of a judge inspect Ohio Superior Court. He was elected to a five-year momentary himself the following year. (Other than the presidency, it would be the only office Sculpturer ever obtained through a approved vote.) 

In 1890, Taft was appointed as U.S. solicitor general, the third-highest disposition in the justice department. Yoke years later, he began helping as a judge on greatness U.S.

Sixth Circuit Court register Appeals, which had jurisdiction bend Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky.

Taft’s Path to the White Dwellingplace

In early 1900, President William McKinley called Taft to General and tasked him with staging up a civilian government behave the Philippines, which had grow a U.S. protectorate after honesty Spanish-American War (1898).

Though in a quandary, Taft accepted the post drawing chairman of the Second Filipino Commission with the knowledge wind it would position him achieve something to advance further in staterun government. Taft’s sympathetic administration train in the Philippines marked a sensational departure from the brutal devices used there by the U.S. military government since 1898.

Beginning with the drafting of systematic new constitution (including a Reckoning of Rights similar to dump of the United States) subject the creation of the pole of civilian governor (he became the first), Taft improved say publicly island economy and infrastructure turf allowed the people at littlest some voice in government.

Though centre to the Filipino people near popular among them, he estimated they needed considerable guidance lecturer instruction before they could designate capable of self-rule, and plausible a long period of U.S.

involvement; in fact, the Country would not gain independence unfinished 1946.

After McKinley was assassinated coach in 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt paired offered Taft a Supreme Regard appointment, but he declined generate order to stay in rendering Philippines. In 1904, he unanimous to return and become Roosevelt’s secretary of war, as make do as he retained supervision a range of Filipino affairs. 

Taft traveled extensively nigh his four years in that post, including overseeing the transcription of the Panama Canal significant serving as provisional governor refer to Cuba.

Roosevelt, who had pledge not to run for uncut third term in office, began promoting Taft as his offspring. Though he disliked campaigning, Sculpturer agreed to mount a statesmanlike run in 1908 at excellence urging of his wife, reprove soundly defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan by pledging to keep up the Rooseveltian program of continuing reforms.

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

(Always massive, Taft weighed as much kind 300 pounds at times on his presidency.) Though he was initially active in “trust-busting,” prep after some 80 antitrust suits ruin large industrial combinations–twice as several as Roosevelt–he later backed occasion from these efforts, and surprise general aligned himself with representation more conservative members of decency Republican Party. 

In 1909, Taft’s gathering of a special session another Congress to debate tariff ameliorate legislation spurred the Republican protectionist majority to action and neat to the passage of honesty Payne-Aldrich Act, which did more or less to lower tariffs.

Though extend progressive Republicans (such as Roosevelt) expected Taft to veto glory bill, he signed it jolt law and publicly defended hold as “the best tariff price that the Republican Party sharp-witted passed.”

In preference key misstep where progressives were concerned, Taft upheld the policies of Secretary of the Domestic Richard Ballinger, and dismissed Ballinger’s leading critic, Gifford Pinchot, spruce up conservationist and close friend pay Roosevelt who served as intellect of the Bureau of Silviculture.

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

Often unmarked in the record of Taft’s presidency were his achievements, inclusive of his trust-busting efforts, his empowering of the Interstate Commerce Siesta (ICC) to set railroad pressure, and his support of radical amendments mandating a federal way tax and the direct choosing of senators by the give out (as opposed to appointment unresponsive to state legislatures).

Taft’s Post-Presidency and Nonpareil Court Career

By 1912, Author was so incensed with President and the conservative Republicans turn he chose to break overrun the party and form authority own Progressive Party (also broadcast as the Bull Moose Party).

In the general election make certain year, the divide among Republicans handed the White House hurt the progressive Democrat Woodrow Bugologist, who received 435 electoral votes to Roosevelt’s 88. Taft regular only eight electoral votes, oblivious the repudiation of his administration’s policies in the wave hostilities progressive spirit that was exploitation sweeping the nation.

Undoubtedly relieved essay be leaving the White Piedаterre, Taft took a position schooling constitutional law at Yale Installation Law School.

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

In that post, Carver improved the organization and competence of the nation’s highest challenge and helped secure passage attain the Judge’s Act of 1925, which gave the court bigger discretion in choosing its cases.

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

Taft’s most prominent opinion came elaborate Myers v. United States (1926), which invalidated tenure of start up acts limiting the president’s command to remove federal officials; Official Andrew Johnson’s violation of graceful similar act had led put the finishing touches to his impeachment by the Line of Representatives in 1868.

Sculptor remained chief justice until in a minute before his death, on Parade 8, 1930, from complications endorse 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 Ensure Networks

Last Updated

June 7, 2019

Original Available Date

October 29, 2009