Theodore Roosevelt

A portrait of Theodore Roosevelt (www.visitingdc.com)

“Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster.” (Theodore Roosevelt). This quote really captures Roosevelt’s energetic outlook on life and his love of what he called “the strenuous life”. On the day of October 27, 1858 a baby named Theodore Roosevelt Jr. was born into this world. That newborn child would soon become one of the greatest presidents ever known. Roosevelt was a meager young boy who suffered from asthma and did not partake in normal childhood activities; instead he was interested in nature and science. His father was concerned with him so he built a gymnasium on the top floor of their town house and told his son "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." Theodore Roosevelt adored his father so when he told him to make his body he immediately started to exercise. Soon after that he picked up boxing and moved into various other athletic endeavors.

Theodore Roosevelt also had an amazing political career. He was elected to be New York state representative on November 9, 1881; “Assemblyman Roosevelt in the time that he served established himself as a leader who favored social and political reforms.” (Presidential Administration Profiles for Students). After his third term he took a break from politics and decided to be a rancher in the Dakota Territory. On his return to politics he was nominated to be the mayor of New York but he came in third. In 1888 a Republican president was elected and Roosevelt decided to become a part of the United States Civil Service Commission. Theodore Roosevelt was a huge supporter of reforms so he tried to bolster the civil service reform by promoting the merit system. In 1895 he became the president of the New York Police board (Presidential Administration Profiles for Students). In that position he didn’t give people promotions just based on their connections but he gave them promotions on how well they worked.

In 1896 when McKinley became president, Roosevelt went to Washington and became assistant secretary of the navy but left that position in 1898 during the Spanish-American War “saying he strongly felt that Cuba should be free from Spanish rule.” (Presidential Administration Profiles for Students). A man named Leonard Wood and Roosevelt lead a group of volunteers into Cuba. They were known as the Rough Riders. The Rough Riders, lead by Roosevelt, made a successful charge up San Juan Hill, because of this battle Roosevelt was known as a war hero. In 1898 he barely won the election to become governor of New York. Following suit he promoted many reforms, his biggest being a tax on corporal franchises. In 1900 Roosevelt settled on being vice president with McKinley. He tried extremely hard to promote himself and McKinley. They won on November 6, 1900 and they took their oaths on March 4, 1901. McKinley was shot by Leon Czolgosz on September 6, 1901 and died on September 14 and because of McKinley’s death Roosevelt became the 26th president of the United States (Presidential Administration Profiles for Students). He often took the peoples side when it came to government. He settled a coal strike, supported conservation, and protected consumers from corporal franchises. He was also known for creating the Panama Canal, and promoting peace in Europe and Asia. He did all this between his term in 1901 and his second term in 1904. He did not run for a third time because he believed that the tradition not to take a third term was a good one and he did not want to violate it. Roosevelt did not like William H. Taft who was president after him so after Taft’s term he tried to become the presidential nominee of the Republican Party but he did not make it so he became the leader and the presidential nominee of a new party called the Bull Moose Party but he came in second behind Woodrow Wilson. After that Roosevelt’s political career ended and he died blissfully in his sleep on January 6, 1919. Roosevelt’s life was full of hard work and political conquests but he still managed to be a caring citizen. Theodore Roosevelt was a caring individual who tried to conserve nature; he was also a very brave man who never stopped trying and living his life the way he wanted to live it.

Rosevelt waving from his car (gfsnet.org)

Theodore Roosevelt was an intensely caring person, whether he was caring about his children or caring about the nation in which he lived. Roosevelt had a daughter from his first wife and another daughter and four sons from his second wife. His love for his children is evident in his life and his ability to care is embodied by this quote “He was a great father—instructing, soothing, educating, comforting, and tending his brood. While he was president, laughter rang through the White House.” (DISCovering Biography). He loved each and every one of his children and believed being a good father to them was one of the most important things for any man to do. This kind of devotion and caring he showed to his kids makes him a hero because he made sure his kids were going to grow up and be contributing members of society. Theodore Roosevelt’s energy and optimistic outlook on life helped him raise his children with a stern yet loving hand. Roosevelt greatly cared for his children and the natural resources of this nation. He was always trying to promote conservation of the nations natural resources. This quote is from a speech Roosevelt gave on natural resources “Now, he says, ‘the time has come to inquire seriously what will happen when our forests are gone, when the coal, the iron, the oil and the gas are exhausted, when the soils shall have been still further impoverished and washed into the streams, polluting the rivers, denuding the fields, and obstructing navigation.’ Without foresight, he says, ‘dark will be the future!’” (The Great Depression and the New Deal). This speech shows that Roosevelt cares about nature and his nation because he warns people that if we don’t start to use fewer natural resources we will run out. Caring for nature shows that he is a hero because he wants to make sure that our nation’s natural resources won’t run out and that we can remain a strong and healthy nation. Roosevelt wanted to make this nation would last no matter what because he cared deeply about this nation. The power that Roosevelt held within this nation made it possible to set an example for others on caring for their children and made it possible for him to try to conserve nature.

Theodore Roosevelt in full war regalia. (www.bartleby.com)

Bravery is a trait that almost every hero has to possess and use to its fullest extent. Without bravery heroes would not be able to make the very choices that put them in the class of hero. Roosevelt strongly believed that being a member of the armed forces was extraordinarily important and he always wanted his sons to serve for their country and be true patriots. He was second in command of a volunteer cavalry unit called the Rough Riders that he valiantly led into Cuba. “It was in Cuba during the Spanish-American War that Roosevelt became a war hero by leading his Rough Riders in a successful charge up San Juan Hill.”(Presidential Administration Profiles for Students). Theodore Roosevelt led the volunteer unit in a charge up a hill in Cuba that was defended well. He had enough bravery to do that and keep willing his troops up the hill. During Roosevelt’s presidency racism was still strong in the south but Roosevelt believed everyone should be equal and he stood up for his beliefs. An example of Theodore Roosevelt standing up for African American peoples is “Soon after he assumed the presidency he invited Booker T. Washington, the well-known African American leader of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, for dinner.” (Presidential Administration Profiles for Students). The south did not like the fact that an African American man was having dinner in the White House and the fact that Roosevelt invited him over even though he knew that he might lose some popularity makes him brave. That action broke some racial boundaries and helped the south accept the fact that African American people should be treated just the same as white people. Bravery helped Roosevelt become known as a hero. Heroes in general need some amount of bravery to do what they need to do to make the world a better place and help mankind.

Theodore Roosevelt giving a campaign speech. (www.artofmanliness.com)

Theodore Roosevelt cared for this nation and was brave enough to stand for what he believed in and that is makes him a true hero to this nation and the world. The care that Roosevelt showed for his nation was great in the fact that he did not just say that he wanted this nation to use less natural resources and try to protect nature more he actually did it. Roosevelt also showed his bravery and intense love for this nation when he led a volunteer cavalry unit with little training up San Juan Hill in Cuba. The inspiring thing about Roosevelt is that he was a very energetic man who believed in living a good life with hard work and to hold almost nothing back. In a way he made people be themselves and not be afraid to care about nature and do whatever they desired most. Theodore Roosevelt’s life began with the challenge of physical health but he overcame that to become great leader and live his life to its absolute fullest potential.

Works Consulted
“Commentary on Theodore Roosevelt on Conservation." The Great Depression and the New Deal. American Journey Online. Woodbridge, CT.: Primary Source Microfilm, 1999. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 21 May. 2010”

“Roosevelt, Theodore (1858-1919)." DISCovering Biography. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 21 May. 2010”

“Roosevelt, Theodore (1858-1919)." Presidential Administration Profiles for Students. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 21 May. 2010”

“The Theodore Roosevelt Administrations." Presidential Administration Profiles for Students. Ed. Kelle S. Sisung and Gerda-Ann Raffaelle. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 21 May. 2010”