Learn about William Howard Taft and his politics and reforms during the Progressive Era. Read about his place in the Republican Party and stance on Dollar Diplomacy.

William Howard Taft served as the 27th president of the United States (1909-1913) and tenth chief justice of the United States (1921-1930). He is the only president to have held both offices.

William Howard Taft took office in 1909 as the hand-picked successor to Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt, champion of the progressive movement, expected Taft to carry on his agenda..

Understanding the Context

William Howard Taft was born on , in the city of Cincinnati. He is known for being the heaviest president and the only one who was both president and Supreme Court Justice.

William Taft couldn't accomplish very much for civil rights while he was president, despite the fact that the Progressive Movement was about social change and political inclusion.

William Howard Taft stole the Republican nomination from Roosevelt, causing a split in the Republican Party. Roosevelt then re-entered the race under a new party- the Progressive Party.

In this lesson we will learn about President Taft's cabinet members. Taft was a conservative Republican, and he mostly surrounded himself with the...

Key Insights

In this lesson, we will learn about President William Howard Taft's executive orders. Taft used the executive power to address land distribution in the West, which impacted Native American policy.

Delve into the life and presidency of William Taft in this bite-sized video lesson. Learn about his accomplishments and failures, followed by a quiz for practice.

The Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act was signed under the presidency of William Howard Taft. He was in support of lower tariff rates, but the act ultimately led to his loss in the 1912 presidential election.