William Howard Taft

SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1

William Howard Taft and the Progressive Era

By

Student Name Here

Class Name Here

Professor Name Here

Date Due Here

The Progressive era was an important time in American history because it was the period in which Americans had to look at the issues that arose from the rapidly changing industrial and political environment . The time of the Progressives occurred because Americans were facing a whole new set of problems caused by industrialization , urbanization and immigration . During this period there was rampant poverty

in the urban areas , low wages and poor working conditions for immigrants and all other low income peoples . The industrial revolution had created a whirlwind of financial and material resources in the United States that were largely unrestricted by the government . The country , its technology and society had grown at a faster pace than the government itself could keep up with . During this time , many politicians faced the challenge of leading the country into the new century , and while other presidents like Theodore Roosevelt were more well-known and respected for their work during the Progressive period , William Howard Taft had a presidency shaped by the progressive ideals (Modern America

While the Progressive Era was a time when people began to take notice of the poor amongst themselves , it was also a period referred to as the Gilded Age because of the extreme wealth that was found amongst very few families in the United States . This was the age of the Rockefeller 's , of railroad tycoons and businessmen made rich by industrialization , such as tobacco and oil . During this period big businesses had monopolies on the market and political leaders had to deal with how to break up the business monopolies and trusts in a country largely run by the wealthy amongst them . William Howard Taft would come onto the scene during a time when this was particularly important and this would help to shape his political career while in office . Also during this period were the beginnings of a great many important movements in Modern America , from the women 's rights movement to the fight against unfair labor practices A great deal of African-Americans were

leaving the south and migrating northward , creating a racially explosive atmosphere in areas where there had been . All in all , Taft would come into office at a time when the United States was facing a great many changes (Modern America

To understand the man and his presidency , Taft 's beginnings must be recognized . Born in Cincinnati , Ohio on September 15 , 1857 , Taft was the son of a successful politician who served under President Ulysses S Grant . He graduated from Yale University in 1878 and went on to law school , was admitted to the bar and held public office . By 1887 Taft realized his dream of being a judge and sat on the Ohio state supreme court . In 1890 Taft went to Washington D .C . at the request of the then president , Benjamin Harrison , to hold...