Years: 1901-1909
Vice President: Charles W. Fairbanks
3-4 Most Important Pre-presidential Facts:
- born in 1858 to a wealthy family in New York City
- was the lieutenant colonel of the Rough Riders during the Spanish American War
- won the governorhsip of New York in 1898
Party: Republican
Important Cabinet Members:
- Hay: Secretary of State
- Root: replaced Hay as Secretary of State after his death in 1905
- Taft: succeeded Root as Secretary of War
- Hepburn Act of 1906: said that Interstate Commerce Commission could regulate railroad rates and prevent discrimination from shippers.
- 1906: Pure Food and Drug bill
- 1906: meat-packing inspection measure put into play
Major Events:
- provided corollary to the Monroe Doctrine which monopolized Latin America for the United States. This spurred the construction of the Panama Canal.
- won the Nobel Peace Prize for the mediation between Russia and Japan to call terms for the end of the Russo-Japanese War
Successes:
- "Trust buster" that dissolved an awesome railroad trust in the Northwest, which spurred further antitrust suits
- sent the Great White Fleet on a peaceful tour
- founded huge irrigation projects
- admitted many national forests
Failures:
- hurt Russian and Japanese relations with the United States during the mediation to end the Russo-Japanese War
- compromised American honesty with imperialistic Panama Canal views
Additional Important Information:
- ran again for President in 1912, this time for the Progressive party. However, he was shot in the chest while campaigning in Milwaukee. He recovered but later died in 1919.
- coined the well loved saying, "Speak softly and carry a big stick."
The White House: Presidential History