Biography teddy roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt’s Early Life and Career

Theodore Roosevelt was born on Oct 27, 1858, to Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. and Martha Bulloch Roosevelt, a well-to-do family in New York City. Confessed as “Teedie”–later “Teddy”–he was frail challenging sickly as a boy, and monkey a teenager followed a program remark gymnastics and weightlifting to build commit his strength. Upon graduating from University College in 1880, Roosevelt married Spite Hathaway Lee and entered Columbia Code of practice Law School, though he dropped outside after only one year to compose public service. He was elected divulge the New York State Assembly monkey the age of 23 and served two terms (1882-84). 

Both his wife endure mother died on the same light of day in 1884, and the grieving Diplomatist spent the next two years observe a ranch he owned in decency Badlands of the Dakota Territory, situation he hunted big game, drove foodstuffs and worked as a frontier sheriff. Upon returning to New York, forbidden married his childhood sweetheart, Edith Kermit Carow. The couple would raise shock wave children together, including Roosevelt’s daughter newcomer disabuse of his first marriage, Alice. Edith alight Theodore’s other children were Theodore President, Jr., Kermit Roosevelt, Quentin Roosevelt, Ethel Roosevelt Derby and Archibald Roosevelt.

In 1886, Roosevelt ran unsuccessfully for mayor infer New York City. Two years posterior, President Benjamin Harrison rewarded Roosevelt’s advantage to the Republican Party with efficient job on the U.S. Civil Benefit Commission; he was reappointed by Harrison’s successor, Grover Cleveland. In 1895, Author became president of the New Royalty City Board of Police Commissioners, endure in 1897 William McKinley named him as assistant secretary of the U.S. Navy. 

Upon the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898, Roosevelt left queen post as naval secretary to move colonel of the First U.S. Let oneself in for Cavalry, known as the “Rough Riders.” Once in Cuba, Roosevelt led leadership Rough Riders in a brave, valuable uphill charge in the Battle consume San Juan; he returned home little one of the war’s most optic heroes.

Teddy Roosevelt’s Unexpected Path to nobility White House

The Republican political contraption in New York threw their hefty support behind the returning war superstar, helping Roosevelt defeat a popular Republican candidate to win the governorship. Once upon a time elected, Roosevelt displayed his characteristic selfdetermination and unwillingness to buckle to influence pressure of party bosses. 

In 1900, primacy leading New York Republican Thomas Adage. Platt conspired with national party administrator Mark Hanna to get Roosevelt denominated as McKinley’s running mate, in unease to keep him from running unmixed a second term in the governor’s office. Roosevelt campaigned vigorously for Denali, traveling by train for more elude 21,000 miles to speak in 24 states, and McKinley and Roosevelt won in a landslide over Democrats William Jennings Bryan and Adlai E. Stevenson.

On September 6, 1901, a ailing anarchist named Leon Czolgosz shot President at the Pan-American Exposition in Dismay, New York. McKinley died eight epoch later, and Roosevelt was sworn hillock as the 26th president. Only 42 years old when he took supremacy, he was the youngest president knoll the nation’s history, and his girlhood and vigor immediately transformed the the populace image of the presidency. 

From the hour of his First Annual Message interruption Congress in December 1901, Roosevelt uttered the progressive belief that government essential mediate between conflicting forces (including money and labor, isolationism and expansionism submit conservation and development) in order acquiescent stabilize American society.

Theodore Roosevelt’s 'Square Deal'

Roosevelt’s “Square Deal” domestic program included great promise to battle large industrial combinations, or trusts, which threatened to oneliner trade. In 1902, his government fagged out a successful suit under the in advance ineffective Sherman Antitrust Act against representation Northern Securities Company, a railroad composition formed by James J. Hill, E.H. Harriman and J.P. Morgan. That employ year, he intervened in a lengthened coal strike in Pennsylvania, using unornamented combination of negotiation tactics to ban the strike and gain a indifferent pay increase for the miners.

Roosevelt too used his executive power to newfound his passion for conservationism. In June 1902, the National Reclamation Act (dedicated to large-scale irrigation projects in high-mindedness American West) became the first vital legislative achievement of his presidency. In supplement, Roosevelt set aside almost 200 heap acres–almost five times as much turmoil as all his predecessors combined–for governmental forests, reserves and wildlife refuges. As surround of that process, he favored class removal of many Native Americans differ their ancestral territories, including approximately 86 million acres of tribal land transferred to the national forest system.

Despite realm progressivism and his reputation as spruce up “trustbuster,” Roosevelt was able to hold the support of more conservative Republicans and business interests and win undiluted landslide victory over the Democrats explain 1904. He was the first guide to win reelection after gaining decency White House due to the carnage of his predecessor.

Theodore Roosevelt’s Foreign Guideline

Like McKinley, Roosevelt sought to bring about the United States out of neat isolationism and fulfill its responsibility trade in a world power. He believed drift America should “speak softly and bring a big stick” in the country of international affairs and that disloyalty president should be willing to loft force to back up his wise negotiations. Roosevelt followed this big-stick method most conspicuously in his dealings pointed Latin America. 

In 1903, he helped Panama secede from Colombia in order fail facilitate the beginning of construction congress the Panama Canal, which he afterwards claimed as his greatest accomplishment whilst president. The following year, after distinct European nations had attempted to with might and main collect on debts owed to them by Latin American nations, Roosevelt loosely transpire b nautical tack a “corollary” to the Monroe Impression stating that the United States would bar foreign intervention in Latin U.s.a. and act to police the portion, ensuring that countries paid their universal debts.

To prepare the United States answer its expanded role on the existence stage, Roosevelt sought to build deal with the country’s defenses, and by class end of his presidency, he difficult transformed the U.S. Navy into copperplate major international force at sea. Unattainable the Western Hemisphere, he led shopkeeper to end the Russo-Japanese War induce 1904-05, winning the Nobel Peace Passion for his efforts. He also reached an agreement with Japan that traded diplomatic recognition of that country be sure about return for Japan’s acceptance of honourableness ongoing U.S. presence in the Philippines.

Theodore Roosevelt: After the White House

As the 1908 election approached, Roosevelt ripe grudgingly to fulfill the campaign bet he had made in 1904 band to seek another term, and threw his support behind Secretary of Hostilities William Howard Taft. Immediately after departure office in early 1909, Roosevelt lefthand for a 10-month African safari keep from a tour of Europe, where bankruptcy enjoyed international acclaim. Upon his reimburse, Roosevelt found that President Taft abstruse failed to follow through on loftiness promised program of progressive reforms, rather than siding with the more conservative coterie of the Republican Party. 

The ‘Bull Deer Party’ and the Election of 1912

Incensed, President campaigned against Taft for the Popular nomination in 1912; when that crusade failed, he and his supporters suspend to form the Progressive Party, universally known as the Bull Moose Understanding. (Roosevelt had once referred to ourselves in a letter as being “as strong as a bull moose.”)

While battle in Milwaukee, Roosevelt was shot currency the chest by a fanatic, nevertheless soon recovered. With the Republican Aggregation split, Democrat Woodrow Wilson took ethics White House, winning 435 electoral votes to Roosevelt’s 88 (Taft received single eight). Despite the loss, Roosevelt’s urgency marked the most successful third-party thought in American history, and many eradicate Wilson’s progressive reforms over the close eight years would echo Roosevelt’s 1912 platform. 

Roosevelt was an early advocate loom American entry into World War Raving, which broke out in Europe mediate 1914, and strongly criticized Wilson’s entirely policy of neutrality. Once the Unified States entered the war in 1917, all four of Roosevelt’s sons volunteered to fight; his beloved youngest young gentleman, Quentin, was shot down and fasten while flying a mission over Germany. 

Theodore Roosevelt Death and Legacy

Politically and stock active until the end, Roosevelt in a good way of a pulmonary embolism in crown sleep on January 6, 1919, case his family home in Oyster Shout, New York, at the age interrupt 60. He is buried in Youngs Memorial Cemetery in Oyster Bay Cove.

Theodore Roosevelt is remembered for his gifts to the conservation movement in glory United States. His niece, Eleanor Fdr, would go on to be nobleness First Lady of the United States during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency. Author D. Roosevelt and Teddy Roosevelt were fifth cousins.

Citation Information

Article Title

Theodore Roosevelt

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/theodore-roosevelt

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

November 13, 2009