T. roosevelt biography

Navy and created the "Great White Fleet," sending it on a world tour as a testament to U. He also helped expedite the completion of the Panama Canal by providing tacit approval of the Panama revolution with funds and a naval blockade preventing Colombian troops from landing in Panama. Roosevelt believed that if Japan had devastated Russia, it would lead to an imbalance of power in the Pacific, one that the United States would eventually have to realign, but at a disastrous cost.

Roosevelt's international stance was the impetus for the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, which claims the right to intervene in cases of wrongdoing by a Latin American or any other nation, though some critics assert that the doctrine designates the United States as the "policeman" of the western world. While it is true Roosevelt supported desegregation and women's suffrage, his administration took an often passive, sometimes contradictory approach to improve civil rights.

Roosevelt was also the first president to entertain an African American, Booker T. Washington , as a guest at the White House. However, the political backlash from the event was so severe that he never invited Washington back again. The War Department Inspector General had investigated an incident in Brownsville, Texas, involving Black troops who had been accused of a shooting rampage that left one white person dead and another wounded.

Roosevelt waited until after the November elections — after hundreds of thousands of Black people cast their votes for Republican candidates across the North — and then dismissed all Black soldiers from the service. None would receive their pensions. Roosevelt has also been deemed the country's first environmentalist president. In , he signed the National Monuments Act, protecting sites like the Grand Canyon and preserving countless wildlife sanctuaries, national forests and federal game reserves.

The presidential mansion officially became known as the White House when Roosevelt had the name emblazoned on his stationery. He hired the most illustrious architects of the time, McKim Mead and White, to renovate the decrepit mansion. During his presidential term, the White House served as a lively playground for the Roosevelts' six children; due in no small part to the president's passion for sports and books, each room of the home was enlivened with activity, from crawl space to library.

When Roosevelt left office in , he felt assured that he was leaving the nation able hands; Roosevelt's successor was his friend, former Secretary of War William Howard Taft. Having enjoyed his travels in Europe and the Middle East with his family as a young boy, as well as his two years as a rancher in the Dakotas and countless hunting trips, it seems only logical that Roosevelt's next move would be embarking on an African safari.

To do so, though, meant launching a third-party initiative, as Taft was running on the Republican Party ticket. So Roosevelt formed the Progressive Party, also known as the "Bull Moose Party," and began campaigning for the election. While delivering a speech on the campaign trail in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Roosevelt was shot in the chest in an assassination attempt by John Nepomuk Schrank.

Shockingly, he continued his speech for 90 minutes before seeing a doctor, later chalking up the incident to the hazards of the business. Roosevelt lost to Woodrow Wilson in the election, in a rather close popular vote. Cunliffe calls him "a big man in several respects". Roosevelt was a Freemason [ ] and member of the Sons of the American Revolution.

To this end, he exercised regularly and took up boxing, tennis, hiking, rowing, polo, and horseback riding. Roosevelt began to believe in the utility of jiu-jitsu training after training with Yoshitsugu Yamashita. Concerned that the U. Historians have often emphasized Roosevelt's warrior persona. White Jr states, "Roosevelt's warrior spirit framed his views of national politics, [and] international relations.

As a demonstration of American naval might, he sent the Great White Fleet around the world in — When I left the Presidency I finished seven and a half years of administration, during which not one shot had been fired against a foreign foe. We were at absolute peace, and there was no nation in the world with whom a war cloud threatened, no nation in the world whom we had wronged, or from whom we had anything to fear.

The cruise of the battle fleet was not the least of the causes which ensured so peaceful an outlook. Historian Howard K. Beale has argued:. He and his associates came close to seeking war for its own sake. Ignorant of modern war, Roosevelt romanticized war. Like many young men tamed by civilization into law-abiding but adventurous living, he needed an outlet for the pent-up primordial man in him and found it in fighting and killing, vicariously or directly, in hunting or in war.

Indeed he had a fairly good time in war when war came. There was something dull and effeminate about peace. He gloried in war, was thrilled by military history, and placed warlike qualities high in his scale of values. Without consciously desiring it, he thought a little war now and then stimulated admirable qualities in men. Certainly preparedness for war did.

Roosevelt often praised moral behavior but apparently never made a spiritual confession of his own faith. After the death of his wife, he almost never mentioned Jesus in public or private. His rejection of dogma and spirituality, says biographer William Harbaugh, led to a broad tolerance. When gas rationing was introduced during the First World War, he walked the three miles from his home to the local church and back, even after a serious operation.

Roosevelt as breathing", [ ] and when the travel library for Roosevelt's famous Smithsonian-sponsored African expedition was being assembled, the Bible was, according to his sister, "the first book selected". Every thinking man, when he thinks, realizes what a very large number of people tend to forget, that the teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally—I do not mean figuratively, I mean literally—impossible for us to figure to ourselves what that life would be if these teachings were removed.

We would lose almost all the standards by which we now judge both public and private morals; all the standards toward which we, with more or less of resolution, strive to raise ourselves. Almost every man who has by his lifework added to the sum of human achievement of which the race is proud, has based his lifework largely upon the teachings of the Bible Among the greatest men a disproportionately large number have been diligent and close students of the Bible at first hand.

When he assumed the presidency, Roosevelt reassured many conservatives, stating that "the mechanism of modern business is so delicate that extreme care must be taken not to interfere with it in a spirit of rashness or ignorance. He believed that 19th-century entrepreneurs had risked their fortunes on innovations and new businesses, and that these capitalists had been rightly rewarded.

By contrast, he believed that 20th-century capitalists risked little but nonetheless reaped huge and, given the lack of risk, unjust, economic rewards. Without a redistribution of wealth away from the upper class, Roosevelt feared that the country would turn to radicals or fall to revolution. The Square Deal evolved into his program of " New Nationalism ", which emphasized the priority of labor over capital interests and a need to more effectively control corporate creation and combination, and proposed a ban on corporate political contributions.

In the analysis by Henry Kissinger , Roosevelt was the first president to develop the guideline that it was the duty of the United States to make its enormous power and potential influence felt globally. The idea of being a passive "city on the hill" model that others could look up to, he rejected. Roosevelt, trained in biology, was a social Darwinist who believed in survival of the fittest.

The international world in his view was a realm of violence and conflict. The United States had all the economic and geographical potential to be the fittest nation on the globe. Roosevelt was a realist and a conservative. Kissinger says he rejected the efficacy of international law. Roosevelt argued that if a country could not protect its own interests, the international community could not help very much.

He ridiculed disarmament proposals that were increasingly common. He saw no likelihood of an international power capable of checking wrongdoing on a major scale. As for world government:. I regard the Wilson—Bryan attitude of trusting to fantastic peace treaties, too impossible promises, to all kinds of scraps of paper without any backing in efficient force, as abhorrent.

It is infinitely better for a nation and for the world to have the Frederick the Great and Bismarck tradition as regards foreign policy than to have the Bryan or Bryan—Wilson attitude as a permanent national attitude A milk-and-water righteousness unbacked by force is On his international outlook, Roosevelt favored spheres of influence , whereby one great power would generally prevail, such as the United States in the Western Hemisphere or Great Britain in the Indian subcontinent.

Japan fit that role and he approved. However, he had deep distrust of both Germany and Russia. Historians credit Roosevelt for changing the nation's political system by placing the " bully pulpit " of the presidency at center stage and emphasizing character as much as issues. His accomplishments include trust busting and conservationism. He is a hero to liberals and progressives for his early proposals that foreshadowed the modern welfare state, including federal taxation , labor reforms , and more direct democracy.

Conservationists admire Roosevelt for prioritizing the environment and selflessness towards future generations. Conservatives and nationalists respect his commitment to law and order , civic duty , and military values. Dalton states, "Today he is heralded as the architect of the modern presidency, as a world leader who boldly reshaped the office to meet the needs of the new century.

Liberals and socialists criticize his interventionist and imperialist approach, while libertarians reject his vision of the welfare state. Historians typically rank Roosevelt among the top five presidents. Dalton says Roosevelt is remembered as "one of the most picturesque personalities who has ever enlivened the landscape". Pringle , who won the Pulitzer Prize for Theodore Roosevelt , stated the "Roosevelt of later years was the most adolescent of men.

Roosevelt as the exemplar of American masculinity has become a major theme. What makes the hero a hero is the romantic notion that he stands above the tawdry give and take of everyday politics, occupying an ethereal realm where partisanship gives way to patriotism, and division to unity, and where the nation regains its lost innocence Roosevelt's " Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick " ideology is still quoted by politicians and columnists—not only in English, but in many translations.

However, the recommendation lacked any eyewitnesses, and the effort was tainted by Roosevelt's lobbying of the War Department. Roosevelt has appeared on five U. Postage stamps, the first being issued in Asteroid Roosevelt , discovered in , was named after him. Robin Williams portrayed Roosevelt in the form of a wax mannequin that comes to life in Night at the Museum and its sequels.

In , after years of lobbying by activists, the statue was removed. Museum president Ellen V. Futter said the decision did not reflect a judgment about Roosevelt but the sculpture's "hierarchical composition". Roosevelt was one of the first presidents whose voice was recorded for posterity. Several of his recorded speeches survive. The audio clip sponsored by the Authentic History Center includes his defense [ ] of the Progressive Party in , wherein he proclaims it the "party of the people" — in contrast with the other major parties.

Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read View source View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Wikisource Wikidata item. President of the United States from to This article is about the president of the United States. For other people with the same name, see Theodore Roosevelt disambiguation.

None — [ a ] Charles W. Fairbanks — Alice Lee. Edith Carow. Author conservationist explorer historian naturalist police commissioner politician soldier. Theodore Roosevelt's voice. Roosevelt giving a speech during his second presidential campaign Recorded Naval history and strategy. First marriage and widowerhood. Presidential election of See also: United States presidential election.

New York City Police Commissioner. Emergence as national figure. Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Further information: Rough Riders. Vice presidency Main article: United States presidential election. Presidency — Main article: Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. Domestic policies: The Square Deal. Further information: Square Deal. Trust busting and regulation.

Main article: Coal strike of Main article: Hepburn Act. Further information: Panic of Main article: Foreign policy of the Theodore Roosevelt administration. Latin America and the Panama Canal. Rhetoric of righteousness. Post-presidency — Africa and Europe — Civil liberties Cloward—Piven strategy Cultural liberalism Economic development Broad measures Economic growth Direct democracy Freedom of movement Human enhancement Indigenous rights Inward light Intersectionality Liberation theology Moral universalism Progress Philosophy of progress Progressive education In Latin America Progressive stack Progressive taxation Religious liberalism Progressive nationalism Social justice Social justice warrior Social organization Social progress List of countries Scientific progress Social change Social constructivism Strategic essentialism Sustainable design Ecological engineering Reparations for slavery In the US Scientific management Solidarity unionism Sustainable development Techno-progressivism Voluntary childlessness Welfare state Women's suffrage Workplace democracy.

By region. Roosevelt's "New Nationalism". Battling Taft over arbitration treaties. Republican primaries and convention. Main article: Attempted assassination of Theodore Roosevelt. South American expedition — Main article: Roosevelt—Rondon Scientific Expedition. See also: Roosevelt's World War I volunteers. Further information: League to Enforce Peace.

Final political activities. Main article: Theodore Roosevelt bibliography. Address to the Boys Progressive League. Problems playing this file? See media help. Main article: Political positions of Theodore Roosevelt. Memorials and cultural depictions. Roosevelt, second from right, on Mount Rushmore. This was prior to the adoption of the Twenty-fifth Amendment in , and a vacancy in the office of vice president was not filled until the next election and inauguration.

National Park Service ". National Park Service. Archived from the original on May 17, Retrieved April 4, Archived from the original on December 24, Retrieved March 6, Basic Books. ISBN Archived from the original on April 15, Retrieved April 15, The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 22, Retrieved December 22, April International Journal of Naval History.

Archived from the original PDF on July 13, Retrieved October 6, American Quarterly. ISSN JSTOR Naval History. January 1, Archived PDF from the original on February 25, Retrieved June 13, Archived from the original on September 2, Retrieved November 27, Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail. Archived from the original on April 7, Retrieved October 17, Archived from the original on April 6, Archived from the original on February 8, Retrieved January 13, Gwynn, S ed.

The Letters and Friendships. Adams Media. The Making of an American. Harper's Weekly. Archived from the original on August 2, History Matters : 13— Library of Congress. Archived from the original on February 7, Retrieved February 7, Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography. The Floating Press. Archived from the original on November 19, Retrieved February 9, The Rough Riders.

Archived from the original on July 23, Retrieved August 8, The Handy Presidents Answer Book. Visible Ink Press. Twin Cities Pioneer Press. Archived from the original on June 10, Retrieved June 9, Archived from the original on February 22, Retrieved February 22, Washington, and the South. The progressive era's health reform movement: a historical dictionary.

Wildlife Conservation Society. Retrieved February 27, State University of New York Press. Retrieved August 17, Take up Your Pen. University of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on August 20, In Hermann Hagedorn ed. Retrieved January 19, Bailey, "The Root-Takahira Agreement of White House Historical Association. Retrieved January 14, The first president to leave the country during his time in office—On November 9, , Roosevelt embarks from the Chesapeake Bay aboard the U.

American Chronicle. Archived from the original on September 13, The Muckrakers. University of Illinois Press. Archived from the original on April 27, Hawley, Theodore Roosevelt: Preacher of Righteousness , p. Josh Hawley in became a Republican senator with intense moralistic rhetoric. The Mississippi Valley Historical Review. December 18, Bibcode : Sci PMID Smithsonian Institution Archives.

Archived from the original on December 10, Retrieved April 10, JHU Press. Archived from the original on November 16, African Game Trails. New York, C. Scribner's sons. National Air and Space Museum.

T. roosevelt biography

November 3, Archived from the original on May 24, Retrieved June 17, October American History. The Journal of American History. The American Presidents: Critical Essays. Archived from the original on August 14, Retrieved May 26, Presidential Nomination Politics. August Smithsonian Magazine'. Perkins pp. Pacific Historical Review. Time Magazine.

Archived from the original on July 3, The Peace of Righteousness, Appendix B. The Journal of Southern History. The Journal of Negro History. S2CID The North Carolina Historical Review. Roosevelt, Dies". September 17, Archived from the original on May 6, Once elected, Roosevelt displayed his characteristic independence and unwillingness to buckle to the pressure of party bosses.

Roosevelt campaigned vigorously for McKinley, traveling by train for more than 21, miles to speak in 24 states, and McKinley and Roosevelt won in a landslide over Democrats William Jennings Bryan and Adlai E. McKinley died eight days later, and Roosevelt was sworn in as the 26th president. From the time of his First Annual Message to Congress in December , Roosevelt expressed the progressive belief that government should mediate between conflicting forces including capital and labor, isolationism and expansionism and conservation and development in order to stabilize American society.

In , his government brought a successful suit under the previously ineffective Sherman Antitrust Act against the Northern Securities Company, a railroad combination formed by James J. Hill, E. Harriman and J. That same year, he intervened in a prolonged coal strike in Pennsylvania , using a combination of negotiation tactics to halt the strike and gain a modest pay increase for the miners.

Roosevelt also used his executive power to further his passion for conservationism. In June , the National Reclamation Act dedicated to large-scale irrigation projects in the American West became the first major legislative achievement of his presidency. In addition, Roosevelt set aside almost million acres—almost five times as much land as all his predecessors combined—for national forests, reserves and wildlife refuges.

As part of that process, he favored the removal of many Native Americans from their ancestral territories, including approximately 86 million acres of tribal land transferred to the national forest system. As a state assemblyman in New York, he forged a reputation for being anti-corruption — exposing cases of corruption by wealthy individuals and judges.

This helped raise his profile, and by the Presidential Campaign, he was a leading figure in the state Republican party. However, after his reforming candidate lost the nomination to James G. Blaine and the shock of family members passing away, he temporarily retired from politics and moved to a ranch in Medora, North Dakota. In , aged 22, he married Alice Hathaway Lee.

In , Alice gave birth to their daughter Alice Lee Roosevelt, but his wife died shortly after. It was a devastating time for Roosevelt because his mother had died the previous day. After temporary retirement from politics, he moved West, where he was active in leading the life of a frontiersman; he wrote three books on Ranch life and hunting.

The couple had five children. Again he retreated from frontline politics, but after the election of Benjamin Harrison to Presidency in , Roosevelt was appointed to the United States Civil Service Commission. Roosevelt began attacking the system of political patronage for well-paid jobs known as spoilsmen. It marked out Roosevelt as a reforming politician, with the capacity to take on vested interests.

Roosevelt began his characteristic high-minded reform to root out corruption and promote officers on meritocracy rather than political affiliation. Roosevelt took his job seriously; he was moved by a book by journalist Jacob Riis on the crime-ridden districts of New York. Roosevelt took a special interest in these crime infested areas and sought to improve the application of the law.

He would even walk streets late at night to check police officers were fulfilling their duties. His reforms led to conflict with Tammany Hall and the police commissioners were later legislated out of existence. After the Presidential election, Republican president William McKinley appointed Roosevelt to the assistant secretary of the Navy. In practice, Roosevelt acted as the real secretary of the Navy because he had so much more energy and dynamism than his nominal boss.

In , Roosevelt was instrumental in mobilising the navy to engage with the Spanish navy currently in Cuba. Roosevelt advocated war more strongly than President McKinley. Roosevelt wanted European ejected from the Americas and wanted to support the Monroe doctrine. Theodore Roosevelt with his rough riders in San Juan. On the outbreak of war, Roosevelt resigned his position so that he could signup for active duty — forming the First US Volunteer Cavalry Regiment.

Known as the Rough Riders, this newly formed regiment was a diverse mixture of volunteers. Roosevelt used his national guard training to teach his men elementary military skills. On 1 July , Roosevelt led his men on a mission to capture Kettle Hill. He was the only man with a horse and rode frequently between gun positions. The campaign was a success and the regiment captured the position, despite advancing over open ground.