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'''William Howard Taft''' was the 27th [[President of the United States of America]], serving from 1909 to 1913, and served as the 10th [[Chief Justice of the United States]]. A leader of the conservative half of the [[Progressive Era|progressive]] wing of the [[Republican Party]] in the early 20th century, a pioneer in [[international arbitration]] and staunch advocate of [[world peace]] verging on [[pacifism]], and scion of the leading political family in Ohio.  

'''William Howard Taft''' was the 27th [[President of the United States of America]], serving from 1909 to 1913, and served as the 10th [[Chief Justice of the United States]]. A leader of the conservative half of the [[Progressive Era|progressive]] wing of the [[Republican Party]] in the early 20th century, his greatest achievement was to expel the left wing of the GOP in 1912 and to move the party, and the Supreme Court, to the right, for a generation.

Taft served as [[Solicitor General of the United States]], a federal judge, [[Governor-General of the Philippines]], and Secretary of War before being nominated for President by the 1908 Republican National Convention with the critical backing of the incumbent President and Taft's close friend [[Theodore Roosevelt]].  

Taft served as [[Solicitor General of the United States]], a federal judge, [[Governor-General of the Philippines]], and Secretary of War before being nominated for President by the 1908 Republican National Convention with the critical backing of the incumbent President and Taft's close friend [[Theodore Roosevelt]].  

His presidency was characterized by raising the tariff, breaking up large monopolies, and promoting world peace.  He failed in a new tariff program with Canada.  In politics the GOP was splitting in half, and Taft, in the middle, finally joined the conservative camp; Roosevelt broke with him in 1911, charging Taft was too reactionary. Taft and the conservatives were alarmed at Roosevelt's attacks on the judiciary, and took control of the party machinery.  Taft defeated Roosevelt for the [[U.S. Republican Party, History|Republican nomination]] in a bruising battle in 1912 that forced Roosevelt out of the GOP and left Taft people in charge for decades.  During [[World War I]] he helped set national labor policy that reduced strikes and generated union support for the national cause. In 1921, he became Chief Justice. As President and Chief Justice he helped make the federal courts, especially the Supreme Court, much more powerful in shaping national policy.

His presidency was characterized by raising the tariff, breaking up large monopolies, and promoting world peace.  He failed in a new tariff program with Canada.  In politics the GOP was splitting in half, and Taft, in the middle, finally joined the conservative camp; Roosevelt broke with him in 1911, charging Taft was too reactionary. Taft and the conservatives were alarmed at Roosevelt's attacks on the judiciary, and took control of the party machinery.  Taft defeated Roosevelt for the [[U.S. Republican Party, History|Republican nomination]] in a bruising battle in 1912 that forced Roosevelt out of the GOP and left Taft people in charge for decades.  During [[World War I]] he helped set national labor policy that reduced strikes and generated union support for the national cause. In 1921, he became Chief Justice. As President and Chief Justice he helped make the federal courts, especially the Supreme Court, much more powerful in shaping national policy.