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Quiz about Little Known First Ladies Helen Taft

Little Known First Ladies: Helen Taft Quiz

The next First Lady in my Little Known First Ladies series is Helen Taft, wife of President and Chief Justice William Howard Taft.

A multiple-choice quiz by Joepetz. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
Joepetz

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
367,658

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
349

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Helen Taft (nee Herron) was no stranger to the White House prior to becoming First Lady. Her father, John Herron, was a judge and law partner to which Reconstruction-era president? Hint

Ulysses S. Grant

Chester A. Arthur

Grover Cleveland

Rutherford B. Hayes

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Question 2 of 10

2. At her husband's inauguration, Helen Taft was the first First Lady to do what? Hint

Speak at the inauguration

Ride alongside the President

Serve alcohol at the inaugural ball

Dance with the president at the inaugural ball

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Question 3 of 10

3. Historians generally credit Helen Taft for encouraging her husband to become president. He was more interested in a career in what field? Hint

Manufacturing

Journalism

Law

Military

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Question 4 of 10

4. True or False: As First Lady of the Philippine Territory, Helen Taft tried to Americanize the Filipino natives and convert them to Christianity.

True

False

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Question 5 of 10

5. During her husband's first campaign for the presidency in 1908, Mrs. Taft got into several arguments with what prominent politician? Hint

Robert LaFollette

Woodrow Wilson

Theodore Roosevelt

William Jennings Bryan

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Question 6 of 10

6. What habit of Mrs. Taft's was she most afraid the press would discover, believing that it could possibly ruin her husband's chance of winning the presidency? Hint

She smoked cigarettes

She danced seductively

She drank alcohol

She loved to play poker

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Question 7 of 10

7. As First Lady, which thing did Helen Taft NOT change about the way the White House was ran? Hint

She replaced the presidential horse and buggy with an automobile

She allowed divorced people to enter the White House

She allowed black men to be White House ushers

She designed the Oval Office

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Question 8 of 10

8. Mrs. Taft is responsible for what iconic scenery found in Washington D.C. today? Hint

The Japanese cherry blossoms

The white of the White House

The Washington Monument

The National Archives Building

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Question 9 of 10

9. As of 2014, Nellie Taft is the only First Lady to ever do what? Hint

Give the State of the Union Address

Run for the presidency

Attend the opposition party's national convention

To be arrested for voting

10. Helen and President Taft had three children, Robert, Helen (often referred to as Helene in order to avoid confusion) and Charles. Each child rose to prominence in his or her own field. Which position was NOT achieved by any of Helen Taft's offspring? Hint

United States Senator

Mayor of Cincinnati

Dean of Bryn Mawr College

Secretary of State

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Helen Taft (nee Herron) was no stranger to the White House prior to becoming First Lady. Her father, John Herron, was a judge and law partner to which Reconstruction-era president?

Answer: Rutherford B. Hayes

The Hayes and Herron families were close and considered powerful families in Ohio. As a teenager, Helen attended the 25th wedding anniversary of President Hayes and his wife, Lucy. This was her first visit to the White House.

2. At her husband's inauguration, Helen Taft was the first First Lady to do what?

Answer: Ride alongside the President

Prior to this, it was the tradition that the outgoing president accompany the new one. Today it is not uncommon to see both the outgoing president and the new first lady in the motorcade as it drives down Pennsylvania Avenue.

3. Historians generally credit Helen Taft for encouraging her husband to become president. He was more interested in a career in what field?

Answer: Law

Helen did everything she could to try to convince him to swing into the executive branch of government. However, he kept accepting positions in the judiciary. It wasn't until President McKinley asked Taft to become Governor-General of the Philippines in 1900 that she was successful.

4. True or False: As First Lady of the Philippine Territory, Helen Taft tried to Americanize the Filipino natives and convert them to Christianity.

Answer: False

Mrs. Taft broke the precedent at the time. She tried to learn about Filipino culture, which upset certain military men at the time. Even more to the military's disliking, Mrs. Taft routinely invited local Filipino women to the Governor's Mansion.

5. During her husband's first campaign for the presidency in 1908, Mrs. Taft got into several arguments with what prominent politician?

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

Mrs. Taft believed that President Roosevelt wanted another term as president but was being held back by a promise he made not to run again. She also believed that Roosevelt was trying to groom her husband to be just like him, so Taft could have an easy route to the White House.

6. What habit of Mrs. Taft's was she most afraid the press would discover, believing that it could possibly ruin her husband's chance of winning the presidency?

Answer: She loved to play poker

While Nellie Taft did smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol, she was terrified of her gambling being revealed the most. Taft's supporters were mostly very religious and condemned gambling harshly. Plus, Mrs. Taft often gambled on Sundays.

7. As First Lady, which thing did Helen Taft NOT change about the way the White House was ran?

Answer: She designed the Oval Office

Mrs. Taft revolutionized the White House by updating it to reflect the current times. Many thought these changes were to be controversial, but there was no serious backlash against her or the president.

A precursor to today's Oval Office was completed in 1909 for President Taft, but it was designed by Nathan Wyeth, not Nellie Taft.

8. Mrs. Taft is responsible for what iconic scenery found in Washington D.C. today?

Answer: The Japanese cherry blossoms

Mrs. Taft planted two saplings on March 27 1912. These two trees are still alive today. Originally, the planting was supposed to occur in 1910, but the first batch of cherry blossoms she received were diseased and had to be destroyed.

9. As of 2014, Nellie Taft is the only First Lady to ever do what?

Answer: Attend the opposition party's national convention

By election season in 1912, it was obvious that President Taft was extremely unpopular. Helen Taft sat in the front row at the Democratic National Convention so her husband's opponents would not ridicule him very harshly. It worked.

The rumor was that upon finding out her husband had lost the election of 1912, Mrs. Taft rejoiced because Theodore Roosevelt did not win.

Answer: Secretary of State

Robert Taft was a powerful U.S. Senator from Ohio and was selected as one of the five greatest senators in history by a select Senate committee. Helen Taft-Manning was a history professor who became Dean of Bryn Mawr in 1917 at age 26. Charles Taft was a popular mayor of Cincinnati in the 1950s and was nicknamed Mr. Cincinnati.

Source: Author Joepetz

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