Theodore Roosevelt | |
|---|---|
Roosevelt in 1904 | |
| 26th President of the United States | |
| In office September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909 | |
| Vice President |
|
| Preceded by | William McKinley |
| Succeeded by | William Howard Taft |
| 25th Vice President of the United States | |
| In office March 4, 1901 – September 14, 1901 | |
| President | William McKinley |
| Preceded by | Garret Hobart |
| Succeeded by | Charles W. Fairbanks |
| 33rd Governor of New York | |
| In office January 1, 1899 – December 31, 1900 | |
| Lieutenant | Timothy L. Woodruff |
| Preceded by | Frank S. Black |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Barker Odell Jr. |
| 5th Assistant Secretary of the Navy | |
| In office April 19, 1897 – May 10, 1898 | |
| President | William McKinley |
| Preceded by | William McAdoo |
| Succeeded by | Charles Herbert Allen |
| President of the New York City Board of Police Commissioners | |
| In office May 6, 1895 – April 19, 1897 | |
| Appointed by | William Lafayette Strong |
| Preceded by | James J. Martin |
| Succeeded by | Frank Moss |
| Member of the New York State Assembly from the 21st district | |
| In office January 1, 1882 – December 31, 1884 | |
| Preceded by | William J. Trimble |
| Succeeded by | Henry A. Barnum |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Theodore Roosevelt Jr. October 27, 1858 Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | January 6, 1919 (aged 60) Oyster Bay, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Youngs Memorial Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican (1880–1912, 1916–1919) |
| Other political affiliations | Progressive "Bull Moose" (1912–1916) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 6 |
| Relatives | Roosevelt family |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation |
|
| Civilian awards | Nobel Peace Prize (1906) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | New York Army National Guard United States Army |
| Years of service |
|
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands | 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry |
| Battles/wars | |
| Military awards | Medal of Honor (posthumous, 2001) |
Theodore Roosevelt Jr.[b] (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or T. R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. He previously was involved in New York politics, including serving as the state's 33rd governor for two years. He was the vice president under President William McKinley for six months in 1901, assuming the presidency after McKinley's assassination. As president, Roosevelt emerged as a leader of the Republican Party and became a driving force for anti-trust and Progressive policies.
A sickly child with debilitating asthma, Roosevelt overcame health problems through a strenuous lifestyle. He was homeschooled and began a lifelong naturalist avocation before attending Harvard College. His book The Naval War of 1812 established his reputation as a historian and popular writer. Roosevelt became the leader of the reform faction of Republicans in the New York State Legislature. His first wife and mother died on the same night, devastating him psychologically. He recuperated by buying and operating a cattle ranch in the Dakotas. Roosevelt served as assistant secretary of the Navy under McKinley, and in 1898 helped plan the successful naval war against Spain. He resigned to help form and lead the Rough Riders, a unit that fought the Spanish Army in Cuba to great publicity. Returning a war hero, Roosevelt was elected New York's governor in 1898. The New York state party leadership disliked his ambitious agenda and convinced McKinley to choose him as his running mate in the 1900 presidential election; the McKinley–Roosevelt ticket won a landslide victory.
Roosevelt assumed the presidency aged 42, and is the youngest person to become U.S. president. As a leader of the progressive movement, he championed his "Square Deal" domestic policies, which called for fairness for all citizens, breaking bad trusts, regulating railroads, and pure food and drugs. Roosevelt prioritized conservation and established national parks, forests, and monuments to preserve U.S. natural resources. In foreign policy, he focused on Central America, beginning construction of the Panama Canal. Roosevelt expanded the Navy and sent the Great White Fleet on a world tour to project naval power. His successful efforts to end the Russo-Japanese War won him the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize, the first American to win a Nobel Prize. Roosevelt was elected to a full term in 1904 and groomed William Howard Taft to succeed him in 1908.
Roosevelt grew frustrated with Taft's brand of conservatism and tried, and failed, to win the 1912 Republican presidential nomination. He founded the new Progressive Party and ran in 1912; the split allowed the Democratic Woodrow Wilson to win. Roosevelt led a four-month expedition to the Amazon basin, where he nearly died of tropical disease. During World War I, he criticized Wilson for keeping the U.S. out; his offer to lead volunteers to France was rejected. Roosevelt's health deteriorated and he died in 1919. Polls of historians and political scientists rank him as one of the greatest American presidents.
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