President Theodore Roosevelt
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
One of the most influential people in the twentieth century, Theodore Roosevelt, or “Teddy” as his family and friends called him, was president from 1901 to 1909. He was born October 27, 1858 in New York City to a wealthy Dutch family, having moved there in the 1600’s with the Pilgrims. His parents, Theodore and Martha Bullock Roosevelt, gave T.R. three brothers and sisters; Anna, Elliot, and Corinne.
T.R. went through several great challenges in his early life. Born a weak and sickly child, T.R. had to contend with asthma and other diseases, including scarlet fever when he was three. This combination of obstacles prevented him from playing sports common to boys his age and kept him in bed for much of the time. Physically, he was small and had very poor vision, warranting the need for glasses. One particular challenge, although not as limiting as the others, was the most important to meet for him. He always wanted to live up to his father’s expectations, and tried to with passion. Whenever T.R. did something that he thought his father would not approve of, he would go so far as to punish himself and save his dad the trouble. “ My father to me was the greatest man to ever live,” he said.
T.R.’s parents schooled him personally until he was nine, then handed him over to a tutor because he was too weak to go to normal schools. Excelling in practically everything, T.R. went on to Harvard College and graduated second in his class in 1880. Initially wanting to be a lawyer, he attended law school, but dropped out after a short amount of time to pursue a life of politics and the military. The college experience “played a large role” in his development, according to his siblings.
T.R. had many interests. Politically, he belonged to the Republican Party and held an extreme view of justice. He saw all men as equal, and thought that “a fragmented society” couldn’t flourish indefinitely.
He also loved sports, partly because of how hard it was for him to practice them. After working hard and exercising tremendously, T.R. managed to get his body in shape for horse riding, boxing, and hunting, among other sports. Boxing took its toll on him, though. He lost almost all eyesight in his left eye after taking one too many hits to the face.
Nature was quite possibly T.R.’s most passionate interest.“ The conservation of our natural resources and their proper use constitute the fundamental problem which underlies almost every other problem of our national life,” he said at his home in Oyster Bay in 1901. Ever since he was a boy, he had cherished the outdoors greatly. Collecting animals and bugs and practicing taxidermy on them was one of his greatest passions. This regard for nature helped him to make several important decisions in the White House concerning our National Parks.
Finally, war was another great interest of T.R.. He wrote a book titled The Naval War of 1812 about, you’ll never guess, the War of 1812. His philosophy had several similar themes to war, such as standing your ground and never giving in. This interest prompted the young college graduate to enroll in the military.
When people thought of T.R., an image of a bull sometimes came to mind. He was very headstrong, and had endurance to outlast anyone. T.R. inspired respect wherever he went, loved being the center of attention, and had the aura of a “friendly father.” Because of this, he received great affection from the public, who loved his endearing manner and unspoiled sense of justice. They even loved his family, who were quite unique themselves.
As an adult, T.R. was married first to Alice Hathaway Lee on his birthday on October 27, 1880. Tragically, she died four years later after giving birth to her daughter, Alice Lee Roosevelt. In a strange quirk of fate, T.R.’s mother died the very same day, devastating him doubly so. On December 2, 1886, he remarried to Edith Kermit Carow, his childhood sweetheart. She gave him five more children; Theodore Jr., Kermit, Ethel Carow, Archibald Bulloch, and Quentin Roosevelt.
T.R. had several different career paths. On the military path, he commanded the “Rough Riders” Cavalry in the Spanish-American War and gained a name for himself with his famous charge up Kettle Hill. Another military job he acted in was Assistant Secretary of the Navy, from 1897-1898.
His political career was much more exciting. He was a Member of the New York State Assembly, a Member of the Civil Service Commission, President of the New York Board of Police Commissioners, of New York, Vice President, and finally, President. Quite interesting.
The time period during which T.R. was president was from 1900-1909. Many important events happened during this time of change for America. We started moving away from the rites of the old to newer and improved technology. The Wright Brothers made the first flight at Kitty Hawk, Henry Ford introduced the first affordable car, and the San Francisco Earthquake hit. All of these caused the early 1900’s to be exciting, happening times.
In the way of statistics, the population had risen to 76 million in 48 states. The Treasury had $46,000,000 in it and climbing. Average pay was $12.98 a week for a 59-hour week, and 8,000 cars were driving on dirt and paved roads, of which there was 10 miles of for the latter,
Radios and victrolas had become the rage, in addition to ping-pong. Clothing was formal and romantic, the men wearing long slim trousers and the women shorter and thinner skirts. It was fast approaching the age of the age of the literary elite, the bohemian.
T.R., like all presidents before or after him, used powers while in office. One of theses powers that he used was when he helped to mediate the Russo-Japanese War to an end. This war, which had cost so many lives already, was concluded due to the superb negotiation skills of our past president. Playing the presidential role of Chief Diplomat, he helped to set standards for future presidents when negotiating. Because of his help in mediating this, he received the Nobel Peace Prize, an incredible honor for him.
This power caused many ripples, like a pebble thrown into a pool. It brought Japan into the U.S.’s “inner circle of super nations” according to T.R., and ended racial segregation of Japanese schoolchildren in San Francisco schools. This was one of the highlights of his career to him, according to one of his cabinet. It also won him international prestige, and improved relations with Russia greatly.
Another power that T.R. used while in office happened solely because of his love of nature. He revitalized conservation, acting on Executive Power. He had several good and valid reasons to do what he did. The Forest Bureau, established 1887, was being completely ignored by almost everybody. Practically obsolete, lumber companies went chopping down trees wherever the felt like, and not even bothering to replant them. T.R. gave it much more power and jurisdiction, and it now has a much larger say in how the natural treasures of the U.S. were used.
This power accomplished many goals. It increased the total area of national forests from 43 million acres to 194 million acres, quite a sizable difference. He also established 16 national monuments and 51 preserves. By going through with this power, he showed the public how the government acts for the people, and brought up his popularity immensely.
The third power that T.R. used was to help to end the Pennsylvania Coal Strike. 150,000 miners went on strike for higher pay, shorter hours, and union recognition. Mine owners, of course, refused to give them their demands. Because the lack of miners was bringing the nation’s coal supply down right before the winter season, T.R., acting on Executive Power, threatened to seize the mines and have the National Guard operate them. The owners were shocked. “Who would have guessed,” quipped one newspaper critic, “that the President would stoop so low as to enforce the laws?”
The owners finally gave in on higher pay and shorter hours, but union recognition would have to wait for a later date. This power had enormous impact. It set standards about working conditions, unions, and standard pay. It also introduced the arbitrator panels (panel of judges) that have been used ever since on union problems. It also showed everyone that T.R. would enforce all the laws, big and small.
T.R. was, in my opinion, one of the greatest presidents that ever lived. Instead of letting his physical puniness get him down, he only pushed himself even harder to overcome those challenges. He showed how even weak people like himself could, through hard work and a strong will, become president. His famous line, “ speak softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far,” is one of the most well-known and morally righteous sayings in the world, and is practiced throughout our government.
Without T.R., we might never have started conservation back up again. The Forest Bureau would be as weak as it had been before T.R. came, if had not been dissolved all together. There would be no Hoover Dam, Yosemite National Forest, or Yellowstone National Forest. There would just be the memories of past natural wonders that had been squandered.
In conclusion, T.R., like every other person, was only a man. He had human faults and problems, just like everyone else. Yet the thing that set T.R. apart from the common lay person on the street was his willpower. He took challenges and beat them, never giving in. And when he did lose, which was rarely, he followed his own sage advice; “ it is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
T.R. went through several great challenges in his early life. Born a weak and sickly child, T.R. had to contend with asthma and other diseases, including scarlet fever when he was three. This combination of obstacles prevented him from playing sports common to boys his age and kept him in bed for much of the time. Physically, he was small and had very poor vision, warranting the need for glasses. One particular challenge, although not as limiting as the others, was the most important to meet for him. He always wanted to live up to his father’s expectations, and tried to with passion. Whenever T.R. did something that he thought his father would not approve of, he would go so far as to punish himself and save his dad the trouble. “ My father to me was the greatest man to ever live,” he said.
T.R.’s parents schooled him personally until he was nine, then handed him over to a tutor because he was too weak to go to normal schools. Excelling in practically everything, T.R. went on to Harvard College and graduated second in his class in 1880. Initially wanting to be a lawyer, he attended law school, but dropped out after a short amount of time to pursue a life of politics and the military. The college experience “played a large role” in his development, according to his siblings.
T.R. had many interests. Politically, he belonged to the Republican Party and held an extreme view of justice. He saw all men as equal, and thought that “a fragmented society” couldn’t flourish indefinitely.
He also loved sports, partly because of how hard it was for him to practice them. After working hard and exercising tremendously, T.R. managed to get his body in shape for horse riding, boxing, and hunting, among other sports. Boxing took its toll on him, though. He lost almost all eyesight in his left eye after taking one too many hits to the face.
Nature was quite possibly T.R.’s most passionate interest.“ The conservation of our natural resources and their proper use constitute the fundamental problem which underlies almost every other problem of our national life,” he said at his home in Oyster Bay in 1901. Ever since he was a boy, he had cherished the outdoors greatly. Collecting animals and bugs and practicing taxidermy on them was one of his greatest passions. This regard for nature helped him to make several important decisions in the White House concerning our National Parks.
Finally, war was another great interest of T.R.. He wrote a book titled The Naval War of 1812 about, you’ll never guess, the War of 1812. His philosophy had several similar themes to war, such as standing your ground and never giving in. This interest prompted the young college graduate to enroll in the military.
When people thought of T.R., an image of a bull sometimes came to mind. He was very headstrong, and had endurance to outlast anyone. T.R. inspired respect wherever he went, loved being the center of attention, and had the aura of a “friendly father.” Because of this, he received great affection from the public, who loved his endearing manner and unspoiled sense of justice. They even loved his family, who were quite unique themselves.
As an adult, T.R. was married first to Alice Hathaway Lee on his birthday on October 27, 1880. Tragically, she died four years later after giving birth to her daughter, Alice Lee Roosevelt. In a strange quirk of fate, T.R.’s mother died the very same day, devastating him doubly so. On December 2, 1886, he remarried to Edith Kermit Carow, his childhood sweetheart. She gave him five more children; Theodore Jr., Kermit, Ethel Carow, Archibald Bulloch, and Quentin Roosevelt.
T.R. had several different career paths. On the military path, he commanded the “Rough Riders” Cavalry in the Spanish-American War and gained a name for himself with his famous charge up Kettle Hill. Another military job he acted in was Assistant Secretary of the Navy, from 1897-1898.
His political career was much more exciting. He was a Member of the New York State Assembly, a Member of the Civil Service Commission, President of the New York Board of Police Commissioners, of New York, Vice President, and finally, President. Quite interesting.
The time period during which T.R. was president was from 1900-1909. Many important events happened during this time of change for America. We started moving away from the rites of the old to newer and improved technology. The Wright Brothers made the first flight at Kitty Hawk, Henry Ford introduced the first affordable car, and the San Francisco Earthquake hit. All of these caused the early 1900’s to be exciting, happening times.
In the way of statistics, the population had risen to 76 million in 48 states. The Treasury had $46,000,000 in it and climbing. Average pay was $12.98 a week for a 59-hour week, and 8,000 cars were driving on dirt and paved roads, of which there was 10 miles of for the latter,
Radios and victrolas had become the rage, in addition to ping-pong. Clothing was formal and romantic, the men wearing long slim trousers and the women shorter and thinner skirts. It was fast approaching the age of the age of the literary elite, the bohemian.
T.R., like all presidents before or after him, used powers while in office. One of theses powers that he used was when he helped to mediate the Russo-Japanese War to an end. This war, which had cost so many lives already, was concluded due to the superb negotiation skills of our past president. Playing the presidential role of Chief Diplomat, he helped to set standards for future presidents when negotiating. Because of his help in mediating this, he received the Nobel Peace Prize, an incredible honor for him.
This power caused many ripples, like a pebble thrown into a pool. It brought Japan into the U.S.’s “inner circle of super nations” according to T.R., and ended racial segregation of Japanese schoolchildren in San Francisco schools. This was one of the highlights of his career to him, according to one of his cabinet. It also won him international prestige, and improved relations with Russia greatly.
Another power that T.R. used while in office happened solely because of his love of nature. He revitalized conservation, acting on Executive Power. He had several good and valid reasons to do what he did. The Forest Bureau, established 1887, was being completely ignored by almost everybody. Practically obsolete, lumber companies went chopping down trees wherever the felt like, and not even bothering to replant them. T.R. gave it much more power and jurisdiction, and it now has a much larger say in how the natural treasures of the U.S. were used.
This power accomplished many goals. It increased the total area of national forests from 43 million acres to 194 million acres, quite a sizable difference. He also established 16 national monuments and 51 preserves. By going through with this power, he showed the public how the government acts for the people, and brought up his popularity immensely.
The third power that T.R. used was to help to end the Pennsylvania Coal Strike. 150,000 miners went on strike for higher pay, shorter hours, and union recognition. Mine owners, of course, refused to give them their demands. Because the lack of miners was bringing the nation’s coal supply down right before the winter season, T.R., acting on Executive Power, threatened to seize the mines and have the National Guard operate them. The owners were shocked. “Who would have guessed,” quipped one newspaper critic, “that the President would stoop so low as to enforce the laws?”
The owners finally gave in on higher pay and shorter hours, but union recognition would have to wait for a later date. This power had enormous impact. It set standards about working conditions, unions, and standard pay. It also introduced the arbitrator panels (panel of judges) that have been used ever since on union problems. It also showed everyone that T.R. would enforce all the laws, big and small.
T.R. was, in my opinion, one of the greatest presidents that ever lived. Instead of letting his physical puniness get him down, he only pushed himself even harder to overcome those challenges. He showed how even weak people like himself could, through hard work and a strong will, become president. His famous line, “ speak softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far,” is one of the most well-known and morally righteous sayings in the world, and is practiced throughout our government.
Without T.R., we might never have started conservation back up again. The Forest Bureau would be as weak as it had been before T.R. came, if had not been dissolved all together. There would be no Hoover Dam, Yosemite National Forest, or Yellowstone National Forest. There would just be the memories of past natural wonders that had been squandered.
In conclusion, T.R., like every other person, was only a man. He had human faults and problems, just like everyone else. Yet the thing that set T.R. apart from the common lay person on the street was his willpower. He took challenges and beat them, never giving in. And when he did lose, which was rarely, he followed his own sage advice; “ it is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
