Theodore Roosevelt
26th President of the United States
Early Life
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., was born on October 27, 1858, in New York City. Theodore was the son of a New York City merchant and philanthropist and a descendant of the original Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam.
He was known as "Teedie" growing up in Manhattan, and his early education was received from private tutors who said he displayed a lively intellectual curiosity and was an excellent student.
As a child, "Teedie" suffered from asthma and until the age of 11, he was a sickly, puny, nearsighted boy interested in natural history to the exclusion of most other childhood activities. His father worried about Theodore and told him., "You have the mind but not the body and without the help of the body the mind cannot go as far as it should. You must make your body."
In His Words
"In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing."
"I believe in a strong executive; I believe in power, but I believe that responsibility should go with power...."
"any nation which...lives only for the day, reaps without sowing, and consumes without husbanding, must expect the penalty of the prodigal."
"For the people...must always include the people unborn as well as the people now alive, or the democratic ideal is not realized."
-Theodore Roosevelt
Getting Involved
In 1895 New York Mayor William Strong made Roosevelt commissioner of the city's corrupt police force, the two years he spent as commissioner increased his reputation as an reformer. Roosevelt next went to work for President William McKinley, who appointed him assistant secretary of the navy. He worked to expand, modernize the fleet and overall make our naval forces stronger. Then Roosevelt ran for governor being sponsored by Tom Platt, a Republican senator from New York. He did managed to win governorship and by 1900 his popularity growing again, Roosevelt ran for national office and became Vice President of the United States.
Then on September of 1901 President McKinley was wounded in an assassination attempt and died from infection. This made Roosevelt the new president of the United States, the youngest man ever to hold the office of chief executive.
Choices & Results
Theodore Roosevelt had many decision to make, one of the most important ones was to run for national office, this leading to him becoming Vice President and then in 1901 President of the United States after President McKinley was assassinated. While he was in office he helped America through the Progressive Era in the early 20th century and was the first president to speak out about the conservation of natural resources,
which few Americans had even heard of and fewer still cared about. His program was not that of the preservationist or naturalist, though. Actually, his administration used policies of "rational use" designed to ensure that natural resources would be available to future generations. Roosevelt just about doubled the number of parks in the national park system, and created 16 national monuments. In addition, Roosevelt created the first National Conservation Convention (1908), which helped make 41 state conservation commissions by 1910.
Aftermath
America changed a lot from the choices Roosevelt made. He was the first president to effectively make use of mass communications, which helped Americans stay in contact. Roosevelt also expanded the influence of his office and made the White House the center of national and worldwide attention. He organized about 150 million acres of western land as national forest, and set up the first of 50 federal wildlife refuges. Finally, Roosevelt created the first National Conservation Convention (1908), which helped make 41 state conservation commissions by 1910.
Legacy
Theodore Roosevelt died on January 06, 1919 in Oyster Bay, New York, United States, one of his biggest impacts on society was in the area of conservation of natural resources. This is where Roosevelt came to be best remembered as a reformer. Many historians say that he was one of the most modern presidents America will ever have.
Words for him
"We've had quite a lot of Presidents, They come from near and far, --And few have tried to avoid the job-- --A couple merely annoyed the job-- But no one ever enjoyed the job With the gusto of T.R." --Rosemary and Stephen Vincent Benét
Annotated Bibliography
"Theodore Roosevelt." Contemporary Heroes and Heroines. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography in Context. Web. 4 May 2016
MAHONEY, DENNIS J. "Theodore Roosevelt." Encyclopedia of the American Constitution. Gale, 2000. Biography in Context. Web. 4 May 2016
"Theodore Roosevelt." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2016. 4 May 2016.
"Theodore Roosevelt Jumps Hurdles at the Chevy Chase Club, 1902." Gale Biography in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Biography in Context. Web. 4 May 2016.
“Theodore Roosevelt." Contemporary Heroes and Heroines. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography in Context. Web. 5 May 2016.
"Theodore Roosevelt." Historic World Leaders. Ed. Anne Commire. Detroit: Gale, 1994. Biography in Context. Web. 4 May 2016.
"Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial In Virginia." UPI Photo Collection. 2009. Biography in Context. Web. 4 May 2016
"Theodore Roosevelt." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography in Context. Web. 6 May 2016.
Young, Gerald J. "Theodore Roosevelt." Environmental Encyclopedia. Ed. Marci Bortman, Peter Brimblecombe, and Mary Ann Cunningham. 3rd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Biography in Context. Web. 6 May 2016.
Summaries
1. This biography provided a lot of information about his conservation of natural resources.
2. Biography that provided some information about Roosevelt used in the Early Life section.
3. Roosevelt's quote about decision/choice making from Brainy Quote, used in the In His Words section.
4. Picture of Roosevelt jumping hurdles on his horse at the Chevy Chase Club in 1902, used in the In His Words section.
5. Picture of the White House, because Theodore Roosevelt once lived there when he was president.
6. This biography provided one of the quotes used in the In His Words section.
7. This biography provided the quote used in the Words For Him section, said by Rosemary and Stephen Vincent Benét
8. Picture of a statue of President Theodore Roosevelt on Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.
9. This biography provided extra information used to fill in Aftermath/legacy and the Early Life sections
10. This biography provided A LOT of information on Roosevelt's conservation of natural sources .