Taft had a long and extensive career path before he became president of the United States. He attended law school in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio after graduating high school. He easily passed certification to be a lawyer in 1880, and a few months later he was appointed as the assistant prosecutor of Hamilton County. 2 years later the president appointed him to the position of Collector of Internal Revenue in Ohio’s first district. In 1887 Taft was appointed to be a judge for Cincinnati by the Ohio governor. The Ohio governor tried to get president Harrison to appoint Taft to the Supreme Court, which was Taft’s lifetime goal, but instead the president appointed him as the Solicitor General of the United States in 1890. As Solicitor General Taft was the assistant to the Attorney General, and helped him and the president on judicial issues. President Harrison then appointed to Taft be a federal judge of the Sixth Circuit in 1891. Taft enjoyed being a federal judge, was very skilled at it, and stayed in the position until 1900. In 1900 Taft was made head of the government of the Philippines by president Mckinley after the Philippines was given up by Spain in the Spanish-American War. Taft did many things in the Philippines that improved the quality of life there and eased tensions between the filipinos and the American government. This where Taft gained his extensive knowledge of executive experience, and loved the position so much that he turned down a Supreme Court appointment from president Roosevelt. Roosevelt then offered Taft the cabinet position of Secretary of War in 1904, which would let Taft to still have oversight of the Philippines, so he quickly accepted. Roosevelt wanted Taft to be his successor, but Taft was hesitant to accept when he still wanted to be a justice of the Supreme Court. After some more convincing from his wife and Roosevelt, Taft agreed to run for president in 1908. Taft was generally well liked by other Republicans in the party and with the backing from Roosevelt Taft easily won the Republican nomination for president. Taft was then facing William Jennings Bryan as his opponent who was running for the Democratic party. Bryan was a populist and argued that he was better fit to continue progressive policies than Taft. The support from Roosevelt and Taft’s promises to keep continuing Roosevelt’s policies helped him win the election. Taft won by a considerable margin getting 321 electoral votes and beating Bryan by 9 percent in the popular vote. Taft then served as president for one term from 1909 to 1913 after losing reelection to Democrat Woodrow Wilson due to Theodore Roosevelt running and splitting the vote among conservatives. In his inaugural speech Taft outlined many policies and reforms that he wanted to implement. He expressed that America should continue the policies of progressivism. In addition Taft promised he would continue the policies that were started by Theodore Roosevelt. These included the rigorous enforcement of the Sherman Antitrust
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Many historians agree that Taft’s judicial indecisiveness led him to be a poor administrator. Living up to the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt was a hard task. Taft was expected to continue roosevelt’s policies and then some, and though he had many progressive accomplishments like breaking up more monopolies than other president, he lacked in proposing progressive legislation and alienated progressives in his party when he proposed lowering tariffs. Taft liked to enforce legislation rather than propose new legislation which has made many people today to think of him as an inactive president. However, the legislation that he did propose and passed is viewed very favorably. He is viewed as one of the best Chief Justices of the Supreme Court, but only a mediocre president. His presidency was not a disaster, he accomplished several things, but his indecisiveness and inactivity has led him to be viewed only as an average president. Though Taft did not live up to the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt he was still able to leave a considerable mark on the office. The kind, humble, judicial figure that Taft was may have been his downfall, but his accomplishments were significant and still have a positive effect on America today. Overall, Taft was a crucial president for the continuation of progressivism, and an advocator for average Americans that left a substantial mark on the office of the
Many historians agree that Taft’s judicial indecisiveness led him to be a poor administrator. Living up to the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt was a hard task. Taft was expected to continue roosevelt’s policies and then some, and though he had many progressive accomplishments like breaking up more monopolies than other president, he lacked in proposing progressive legislation and alienated progressives in his party when he proposed lowering tariffs. Taft liked to enforce legislation rather than propose new legislation which has made many people today to think of him as an inactive president. However, the legislation that he did propose and passed is viewed very favorably. He is viewed as one of the best Chief Justices of the Supreme Court, but only a mediocre president. His presidency was not a disaster, he accomplished several things, but his indecisiveness and inactivity has led him to be viewed only as an average president. Though Taft did not live up to the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt he was still able to leave a considerable mark on the office. The kind, humble, judicial figure that Taft was may have been his downfall, but his accomplishments were significant and still have a positive effect on America today. Overall, Taft was a crucial president for the continuation of progressivism, and an advocator for average Americans that left a substantial mark on the office of the