Name ______________________________________________________________ Period _________

17-4: Progressivism Under Taft

Section Objectives
1. Summarize the events of the Taft presidency.
2. Explain the division in the Republican Party.
3. Describe the election of 1912.

1. Who is William Howard Taft? _______________________________________________________

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2. Define Tariff: (p. R46 in text) ___________________________________________________________

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3. Why did Taft’s statement on tariffs, “[It’s] the best bill the Republican party ever passed,” land him
in hot water with progressives?

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4. What are three things that Taft did that angered progressive Republicans?

1. ____________________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________________

Republican Party Splinters

5. How did Taft’s support of Joe Cannon create a split among republicans?

__________________________________________________________________________________

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1912 Presidential Election

6. Who made up the Bull Moose Party?

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7. In the 1912 election, four parties run candidates. Who did each of the following parties run for
president and what was their candidate’s position on big business.

Progressive Party ______________________________

Position: ___________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Republican Party ______________________________

Position: ___________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Democratic Party ______________________________

Position: ___________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Socialist Party ________________________________

Position: ___________________________________________________________________________

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Why the “Bull Moose” Party

Roosevelt often used the phrase, strong as a bull moose to describe
his strength and vigor. An example: When he was shot by a would-be
assassin in Milwaukee, Wis., on the evening of Oct. 14, 1912, he
insisted on immediately filling an engagement to speak, saying to the
audience, "It takes more than that to kill a bull moose." The crowd
went wild. Following his speech he finally went to the hospital. What
saved his life was his 50 pages of notes he had stuffed in his inner
pocket of his jacket.