Arguably the most charismatic and energetic of the American Presidents, Teddy Roosevelt still maintains a hold on the American people. Consistently ranked in the top tier of American presidents, Teddy was an avid outdoorsman, conservationist, believed in the strength of American power and believed that every American deserved a “Square Deal”. Even though he came from a wealthy New York family, like his distant cousin a couple generations later, he believed that the average American needed, and deserved, a government that would protect them from unfair business practices.
Growing up Teddy suffered many health issues; he was nearsighted, asthmatic and frequently ill. He became an avid reader and was very interested in books on American history and nature. Seeing that Teddy was taking care of his intellectual development, his father urged him to become more active or his various ailments would limit his future prospects. Embarking on a training program that included riding horses, swimming, boxing and hunting, Teddy developed into a healthy teenager. Before graduating from Harvard, Teddy had already published two books on birds. He would go on to write more than 18 books (several consisted of multiple volumes) on topics ranging from American history, ranching, exploration and wildlife. One book that he published in 1882 (at the age of 24) was about the American Navy during the War of 1812. It didn’t draw much public interest, but was considered a respectable history and became required reading at the Naval War College and a copy was required to be aboard every ship in the US fleet.
Roosevelt entered politics soon after graduating from Harvard, getting elected to the New York state assembly at the age of twenty-three. Not being one to back down from a fight, Roosevelt quickly starting taking on corrupt judges and supported laws that began regulating working conditions. Within the New York Republican Party Roosevelt was starting to get noticed as an up and coming force. It was during his third term that his young wife died a couple days after giving birth to a daughter, Alice (Alice would go on to be a force of her own, probably the most influential child of a president). His wife’s death hit him hard and he left New York to stay on a cattle ranch that he had purchased in the Dakota Territory. Leaving his newborn daughter with his sister, Teddy spent about two years living on running his cattle ranch, hunting, studying the plants and wildlife and writing books.
Returning to New York in 1886 Roosevelt fell in love with Edith Kermit Carow. He had known her most his life. He also returned to New York politics and became a candidate for the Mayor of New York. Losing badly, he decided to take Edith to London, where they were married. On their return to the United States they moved into the estate that Roosevelt had built at Oyster Bay, Long Island that he had named Sagamore Hill. It was here that they would raise their five children (as well as Alice from his first marriage) and spend the rest of their lives.
During the election of 1888 Roosevelt supported Benjamin Harrison. He was appointed to serve on the U.S. Civil Service Commission by Harrison. While on the commission Roosevelt earned a reputation as a real reformer by rewriting the civil service exam to make it fairer and opening more jobs to women. Upon his return to New York City in 1895 Roosevelt took a position as one of the four police commissioners (he had served as a sheriff during his time in the Dakota Territory). As with anything Teddy took on, he attacked the problems in the New York police department head on. The New York Police department was considered one of the most corrupt in the country. Even though he was one of four commissioners, Teddy in his usual fashion stole the limelight. By the time he was done exposing police bribery rings, enforcing alcohol regulations and establishing new disciplinary rules he was not very popular with many of the powers that controlled New York City. By this time, though, Roosevelt already had an interest in national politics and knew that his actions would play well in a country where the citizens were tired of the corruption in business and politics. By the time he left the position he was well known throughout the country; in fact, many Americans thought New York City only had one Police Commissioner.
When William McKinley was elected in 1896, Roosevelt talked many of his friends in Washington into convincing him into appointing Roosevelt has Assistant Secretary of the Navy (a bit ironic given his stance against patronage). The Secretary of the Navy, John Long, was not very active. Sensing a power vacuum, Roosevelt filled it as usual. A story goes that ten days after the U.S. Maine exploded in Havana Harbor the Secretary went off for a massage leaving his assistant in charge for four hours. During that four hours Roosevelt instructed the Navy worldwide to prepare for war, ordered ammunition and supplies, brought in experts to advise and went to Congress requesting person to recruit more sailors. The Navy at that time had a fleet in Asia commanded by Commodore George Dewey. Roosevelt’s instructions to Dewey were to move the fleet to the Philippines and prepare to attack the Spanish-held islands. Roosevelt’s actions were crucial in ensuring a quick defeat of the Spanish Navy.
When the Spanish-American War did break out, Roosevelt resigned his position with the Navy and recruited a regiment of his friends, both cowboys from the Dakota Territory and his Ivy League friends. The regiment officially known as the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Unit became known as the “Rough Riders”. During the Battles of Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill the unit performed heroically under the leadership of Roosevelt. Already being well known from his time as the New York Police Commissioner, Teddy’s fame continued to climb. For his actions Roosevelt was nominated for the Medal of Honor.
During and after the war the newspapers took to calling him Teddy, which Roosevelt hated, calling it “an outrageous impertinence”. In the summer after the war, Roosevelt accepted a Republican invitation to run for Governor of New York. Winning the race narrowly, Roosevelt took the job with the now familiar energy and single mindedness that made him famous. He advocated for higher pay for teachers, supported pro-labor legislation, led support for a bill that outlawed racial discrimination in schools and pushed for preservation for forests and wildlife; all were themes that he had consistently supported.
All of his actions were a thorn in the side of the New York political power brokers like “Boss” Platt. Platt, in his effort to get rid of Roosevelt, convinced the Republican Party to essentially sideline him by putting him on the 1900 ticket with McKinley. In those days the vice-president had no political power. Not everyone was that anxious to have Roosevelt a heart-beat away from the presidency. When Mark Hanna, a major force in the Republican Party, found out that the members of the party wanted to nominate Roosevelt for vice-president said, “Why, everybody's gone crazy! What is the matter with all of you? Here's this convention going headlong for Roosevelt for Vice President. Don't any of you realize that there's only one life between that madman and the Presidency? Platt (Senator from NY) and Quay are no better than idiots! What harm can he do as Governor of New York compared to the damage he will do as President if McKinley should die?” Because the Republican establishment felt that they had effectively put a muzzle on Roosevelt, it made the shock of the assassination of McKinley even harder. Only six months into his second term McKinley was assassinated and Theodore Roosevelt became the 26th President of the United States. Mark Hanna, on hearing of McKinley’s death said, “Now look, that damn cowboy is President of the United States”.
Anyone that had followed the career of Theodore Roosevelt knew what was coming. Even though McKinley was the first president to be seen regularly on film, Roosevelt understood the power of the medium. With the conviction that he was working for the ordinary American Roosevelt immediately turned his sights on big businesses. Unlike some of the more radical reformers, Roosevelt did not want to break up all big businesses, just the ones that he felt were exploiting their size for financial gain at the expense of public good. Roosevelt earned a reputation as a “trustbuster” by bringing more regulations on businesses. Trusts were formed by big businesses that made similar products or provided similar services in an effort to control the market and keep out potential competitors. During his terms in office, his administration filed 43 lawsuits against various trusts. The most important was the victory against Northern Securities Company, a combination of several railroad companies that operated as one company to control shipping prices. Roosevelt created an environment in Washington where it was no longer possible to just look the other way when these big trusts forced out competition. Probably the biggest victory of the government over big business happened during his successor’s administration with the break-up of Standard Oil.
Throughout his terms Roosevelt was consistent in his belief that every American deserved a “Square Deal”, meaning that the government would not show preferential treatment to anyone, rich or poor, but would try to make sure that the playing field was as fair as possible. In this vein he put Oliver Wendell Holmes on the U.S. Supreme Court, believing that Holmes would support his efforts to break up the large companies. In general Holmes did support that effort, but insisted on reviewing each case on its own.
In foreign policy, Roosevelt often said when negotiating one should “speak softly and carry a big stick”, meaning that you should attempt a peaceful resolution to all international issues, but be prepared to back up the talk with action. By issuing a policy that became known as the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine he stated that if any country in the Western Hemisphere acted in a way that caused a European country to intervene then the U.S. would consider it a threat to its own interests. His most controversial stand involved Panama. At that time it was part of Columbia. The French had started planning to build a canal through Panama that would essentially connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and reduce the amount of time by half for a ship to travel from one side to the other. Initially conceived as a way to get goods from one side to the other faster, Roosevelt recognized the military advantages. When Columbia refused the canal plans Roosevelt supported a separatist movement that wanted an independent Panama. Roosevelt moved U.S. Naval vessels off the coast of Columbia to prevent Columbia from intervening. The United States officially recognized the independent country of Panama and for its support received full control of a ten mile strip of land in which to build a canal. The U.S. retained control of the Panama Canal until Dec 31st, 1999 when the country of Panama took control with a pledge to keep the canal neutral.
Winning his own term outright in 1904 Roosevelt continued his crusade against unfair business practices. As part of this he signed the Hepburn Act which gave the Interstate Commerce Commission the power to set railroad freight prices. Another key piece of legislation that he signed was the Pure Food and Drug bill which set standards for food safety and regulated medicine. Food safety had become a major issue in the country with the publication of Upton Sinclair’s book, The Jungle, which exposed horrific conditions in meat packing plants.
One of T.R.’s most lasting legacies is his efforts around conservation. During the seven years that he was in office he had doubled the number of national parks, created fifty-one wildlife refuges and proclaimed eighteen national monuments. Two of the national treasures that he effectively saved from developments were Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon National Monument (which would become a national park).
Keeping his pledge not to run for a second full term Roosevelt effectively chose his successor by supporting William Howard Taft in the 1908 election. Shortly after leaving office he went on an African adventure partly sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution to study the wildlife. On his return he was not happy with the direction that Taft had taken the country and decided to run against him in the 1912 election. Taft supporters were able to hold him off for the Republican nomination, but because of that Teddy decided to create a third party, the Bull Moose party. After splitting the Republican vote, the move gave the election to Woodrow Wilson.
Roosevelt died in his sleep in January, 1919. At the time of his death Vice President Thomas Marshall said “Death had to take him sleeping, for if Roosevelt had been awake, there would have been a fight.” That’s a pretty good summary of the life of Theodore Roosevelt.
Bully!
- On a hunting trip Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot at a small bear cub. The incident was published in the news inspiring a toy company to create “Teddy Bears”.
- Every member of Teddy Roosevelt’s family owned a set of stilts, including his wife.
- At the age of 42, Teddy Roosevelt was the youngest man to become president. He became president on the death of William McKinley. JFK remains the youngest man elected president.
- When Teddy was running for election in 1912 he was shot in the chest while giving a speech in Milwaukee. He refused medical care and continued on with his speech. The bullet had passed through the steel case for his glasses and a 50 page copy of his speech. Teddy decided that since he wasn’t spitting blood the bullet hadn’t penetrated too far. He was right.
- Teddy’s first wife and mother died on the same day, February 14th, 1884, his wife of Bright’s disease and his mother of Typhoid fever. His first daughter Alice had been born only two days prior.
- He was awarded the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the end of the Russo-Japanese War in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1905. Only three American Presidents have won the Nobel Peace prize. Carter and Obama are the other two.
- He was the first American to win a Nobel Prize in any field
- In 1906, Roosevelt traveled to Panama, becoming the first sitting president to visit a foreign country.
- Only president to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor
- Teddy and his son Gen.Theodore Roosevelt Jr. are one of only two sets of fathers and sons to both win the Medal of Honor. His son won the Medal of Honor for bravery leading an assault during the D-Day landings in WWII. As a Brigadier General he was the highest ranking soldier in the first wave at Omaha Beach. He died a month later from a heart attack at the age of 56. President Teddy Roosevelt received the Medal of Honor for bravery during the Spanish American War. It was awarded posthumously in 2000 by President Bill Clinton. The other set were Gen. Arthur McArthur and his son Gen. Douglass McArthur.
- He was the only president who always carried a gun with him while he was president.
- In the election of 1912, Roosevelt running under the newly formed Bull Moose party became the only 3rd party candidate to come in second, losing to Woodrow Wilson.
- As near as I can find, Teddy Roosevelt was the only president married overseas. He was married to his second wife Edith in London.
- He originated such familiar phrases as "the lunatic fringe," "muckrakers," and "my hat is in the ring."
- He also coined the term hyphenated Americans stating that “There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism… The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities.”
- The executive mansion was called the President's House until TR called it the White House on his stationery.
- While president, Roosevelt used to spar several rounds in the White House gym. (He had been on the boxing team at Harvard.) Once, he even went a few rounds with John L. Sullivan, the heavyweight champion. On one unfortunate occasion, the President's sparring partner scored with a hard blow to the left eye. As a result of the blow, TR permanently lost the use of this eye. The injury, however, remained a well-kept secret for years, simply because TR feared the humiliation that would result from the news that the President had been blinded in one eye during a sparring session in the White House gym.
- He was the first president to ride in an automobile on state business
- He was the first president to fly in an airplane
- He was the first president to ride in a submarine
Vital Stats:
- Wife: Alice Hathaway Lee (1861-1884, m. 1880), Edith Kermit Carow (1861 – 1948, m. 1886)
- Children: Alice Lee (1884 – 1980), Theodore Jr. (1887 – 1944), Kermit (1889 – 1943), Ethel Carow (1891 – 1977), Archibald Bulloch (1894 – 1979), Quentin (1897 – 1918)
- Party affiliation: Republican Party, Bull Moose Party
- Presidency: 1901-1909
- Born: October 7th, 1858 (New York, New York)
- Died: January 6th, 1919 (Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York)
