An Overview of William Howard Taft's
AdministrationThe modest Taft felt he was not fully qualified for the presidency. He had no gift of showmanship like his predecessor, President Theodore Roosevelt. Taft gave the public an adequate administration, but a poor show.
During his administration, most of the world was at peace. In the United States, a majority of the people still lived on farms, but more and more were moving to cities. Women had won the right to vote in 12 states. Amendment 16 to the Constitution allowed Congress to pass a federal income tax. The United States grew to 48 states with the admission of Arizona and New Mexico.
| Election of 1908 | ||
| Candidate William
Howard Taft |
Popular Vote 7,678,908 |
Electoral Vote 321 |
| His Vice-President and Cabinet | |
| Vice-President | James S. Sherman |
| Secretary of State | Philander C. Knox |
| Secretary of the Treasury | Franklin MacVeagh |
| Secretary of War | Jacob M. Dickinson Henry L. Stimson (1911) |
| Attorney General | George W. Wickersham |
| Postmaster General | Frank H. Hitchcock |
| Secretary of the Navy | George von Lengerke Meyer |
| Secretary of the Interior | Richard A. Ballinger Walter L. Fisher (1911) |
| Secretary of Agriculture | James Wilson |
| Secretary of Commerce and Labor | Charles Nagel |
| U.S. Events During His Administration | |
| States
Admitted New
Mexico (1913), Arizona
(1913) Population in 1913 97,200,000 |
|
| 1909 | The first junior high school in the United States was established in Columbus, Ohio. |
| 1910 | The Post Office Department established the Postal Savings System. |
| 1913 | The 16th Amendment to the Constitution, giving Congress the power to levy income taxes, became law. |
| 1913 | The Post Office began parcel-post service. |
| World Events During His Administration | |
| 1909 | Admiral Robert E. Peary discovered the North Pole. |
| 1910 | The Union of South Africa was founded. |
| 1910 | The Mexican Revolution began. |
| 1911 | Explorer Roald Amundsen discovered the South Pole. |
| 1912 | The Republic of China was established. |
Notes and Trivia
At 6 feet tall and 300+ pounds, Taft was the largest man ever to serve as President.
Taft was the first President to throw out the first "First Ball" of the baseball season; he did so in 1910, "starting" a game between the Washington Senators and the Philadelphia Athletics.
The American President. www.americanpresident.org/history/williamhowardtaft/
Presidents of the United States. The Internet
Public Library. www.ipl.org/div/potus/whtaft.html
Theodore
Roosevelt
William
Jennings Bryan
New
Mexico
Arizona
Robert
E. Peary
Republic
of China
This page was last updated on 04/12/2012.