William Howard Taft Presidency Overview

Why did William Howard Taft’s cautious approach to progressive reforms create tension within the Republican party during his presidency? This lesson and activity examines the early life, education, background, presidency and legacy of President William Howard Taft. Students will analyze documents and answer corresponding scaffolding questions. They will answer the final summary question to apply their knowledge.

Included in this resource:

Do Now - William Howard Taft’s inaugural address primary source analysis and questions
William Howard Taft document pass/station activity with corresponding scaffolding questions
Document 1: Early Life and Political Rise
Document 2: 1908 Election and Inauguration
Document 3: Domestic Policies
Trust-busting and Regulation
Tariff Reform
Conservation and Environmental Policies
Document 4: Foreign Policy
Dollar Diplomacy in Latin America
Relations with Japan and China
Document 5: Split with Roosevelt and 1912 Election
Document 6: End of Presidency and Legacy
Spotlight On: William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft POV and scaffolding questions
Create a legacy brochure of William Howard Taft with rubric
Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: How did William Howard Taft’s presidency influence the future of business regulation and the role of government in the United States?
Answer key for teachers (suggested)
★Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you!

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