Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the 26th President of the United States (1901-1909), was a prominent statesman, historian, author, conservationist, naturalist, and military leader. He significantly expanded the power of the presidency and the federal government, advocating for public interests in conflicts between big business and labor. Roosevelt also steered the nation toward a more active role in global politics, particularly in Europe and Asia.
He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for mediating an end to the Russo-Japanese War (February 8, 1904 – September 5, 1905) and was instrumental in securing the route and initiating the construction of the Panama Canal (1904-1914). Find out more at manhattanyes.
Early Life
Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858, in Manhattan, New York City. He was the second of four children born into a prominent family of Dutch and English descent. His father, Theodore Roosevelt Sr., was a well-known businessman and philanthropist, while his mother, Martha Stewart Bulloch, was a Georgia socialite from a wealthy, slave-owning plantation family. Plagued by poor health as a child, Roosevelt was tutored privately at home. From a young age, he displayed intense, wide-ranging intellectual curiosity.
In 1880, he graduated from Harvard College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He then briefly attended Columbia Law School but soon turned his focus to writing and politics as his chosen career path.
In 1880, he married Alice Hathaway Lee, with whom he had one daughter, Alice. After his first wife’s death in 1886, he married Edith Kermit Carow (Edith Roosevelt). They spent the rest of their lives together at Sagamore Hill, an estate near Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York. They had five children: Theodore Jr., Kermit, Ethel, Archibald, and Quentin.
As a child, Roosevelt suffered from severe asthma, and poor eyesight plagued him throughout his life. Through a dedicated physical exercise program, he developed a robust physique and a lifelong love for active pursuits. He embraced “the strenuous life,” as he titled his 1901 book, as his ideal, both as an outdoorsman and a politician.
The Youngest U.S. President in History
Following the assassination of President William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, not yet 43 years old, became the youngest president in the nation’s history. He brought a new excitement and vigor to the presidency, energetically directing Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and a strong foreign policy.
He believed that the president, as a “steward of the people,” should take any action necessary for the public good, unless expressly forbidden by law or the Constitution. He later wrote in his memoirs that he did not usurp power but significantly expanded the use of executive authority.
Roosevelt’s early life contrasted sharply with that of “log cabin” presidents. Born into a wealthy New York family in 1858, he nevertheless battled for his health, and his triumph over illness made him a champion of the strenuous life. He often experienced sudden, nocturnal asthma attacks that nearly brought him to death, a fact that greatly frightened his parents. Despite this, he grew into a knowledgeable and lively child who wanted to explore everything around him.
In 1884, his first wife, Alice Lee Roosevelt, and his mother died on the same day. This devastating loss psychologically crushed Roosevelt. For the next two years, he spent most of his time on his ranch in the Dakota Badlands, which allowed the politician to recover. There, he worked through his grief by living in the saddle, driving cattle, hunting big game – he even captured a bandit. During a visit to London, he married Edith Carow in December 1886.
During the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt was a lieutenant colonel in the “Rough Riders” regiment, which he led in the Battle of San Juan Hill. He became one of the most famous heroes of the war.
A Hero Destined for the Political Arena
Boss Tom Platt, who needed a hero to distract New Yorkers from state scandals, accepted Roosevelt as the Republican candidate for governor in 1898. Roosevelt won and served with distinction.
As president, Roosevelt adhered to the ideal that the government should be a great arbiter of the country’s conflicting economic forces, particularly between capital and labor, ensuring fairness for everyone and granting no privileges to anyone.
Roosevelt impressively demonstrated his mettle as a “trust-buster,” forcing the dissolution of a large railroad combination in the Northwest. This was followed by other antitrust lawsuits under the Sherman Act.
Roosevelt more actively guided the United States into world politics. He loved to quote his favorite proverb: “Speak softly and carry a big stick…”
Recognizing the strategic necessity of a shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Roosevelt secured the construction of the Panama Canal. His Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine prevented the creation of foreign bases in the Caribbean and gave the United States the exclusive right to intervene in Latin America.
He received the Nobel Peace Prize for mediating the Russo-Japanese War, concluded a Gentlemen’s Agreement with Japan regarding immigration, and sent the Great White Fleet on a goodwill world tour.
Some of Theodore Roosevelt’s most effective achievements were in conservation. He significantly increased the number of national forests in the West, reserved lands for public use, and promoted large irrigation projects.
He campaigned endlessly on both large and small issues, captivating audiences with his piercing voice, prominent jaw, and fist-thumping. His own motto, “The Life of Strenuous Endeavor,” was obligatory for those around him, as he romped with his five younger children and led ambassadors on hikes through Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.
Stepping Down and the Death of a Distinguished Politician
After leaving the presidency in 1909, Roosevelt embarked on an African safari before returning to politics. In 1912, he ran for president as a Progressive Party candidate. He once famously told reporters that he felt as fit as a “bull moose,” giving his new progressive party its nickname.
During a campaign stop in Milwaukee, he was shot in the chest by a fanatic. Roosevelt soon recovered, but his words at that time would be fitting at the moment of his death in 1919:
“No man has ever had a happier life than I have had; a happier life in every way.”
On the night of January 5, 1919, Roosevelt experienced breathing difficulties. After being treated by his physician, he felt better and went to rest. Roosevelt’s last words were to his family valet, James Amos:
“Please put out that light, James.”
The next morning, he died in his sleep at the age of 60 when a blood clot detached and entered his lungs. Roosevelt was buried on a hillside overlooking Oyster Bay.