Roosevelt, Theodore

Roosevelt, Theodore (American President) (c. 1858-1919)

Roosevelt’s presidency began with the chaos of McKinley’s assassination in 1901, when Roosevelt was 43 years old, and ended after his second term, achieved by his election to President in 1904. Although Roosevelt’s selection as McKinley’s Vice-President was more of a political pay-off, and the New York political machine, fearing an independent Roosevelt, was more than ready to say good-bye to Roosevelt as Governor, Roosevelt is acknowledged by most historians as having waged a vigorous and winning campaign, while his presidential candidate seemed content to stay behind.

With McKinley’s assassination, the Republicans and the country had bought themselves an activist president who, in the span of seven years, turned an isolationist America into a world power which created American leadership and power in world affairs, dealt corporations a new set of rules, enacted a philosophy and policy of environmental conservation, set forth a progressive agenda which held Victorian values at its fulcrum, and dealt with the social and economic issues presented by the burst of immigrants. The issues of non-english speaking immigrants, large corporate trusts acting with greed, defining America’s role in the world politic, all faced Roosevelt, as they face Bush today. Moreover, Roosevelt fashioned policies, rationales, and enacted legislation to engage this challenge and pursued an even more aggressive presidential activism in his second term.

This activist president, currently the public icon invoked by members of both parties, was descended from a mixed cluster of immigrant lineage: Welsh, German, and French, to name a few. Influencing his political ambitions and policies were his wealthy background; he was the son of a wealthy and successful glassware merchant whose Dutch family of origin, the Knickerbockers, had been residents of Manhattan since the mid-1600’s. Born on October 27, 1858 in New York City, “Teedie” was known as a scrawny, weak child, sick from asthma, until his father’s comments regarding his physique as representative of his manhood, turned young Teddy around. Because of his father’s tremendous influence over the young boy, Teddy responded to his father’s encouragement and began to work out vigorously in a gym installed in the home by his father. Despite his efforts to improve his physical abilities and strengths, it took a beating from a bully to turn Teddy Roosevelt, the thinker, avid reader, and natural scientist, into an opponent who now should be feared, for Teddy turned to the art of boxing, jujitsu and other advesarial and highly physical sports.

After graduating from Harvard in 1876, his future lay ahead of him. An zealous adherent to the Victorian values of marriage and family, Roosevelt was engaged to be married to Alice Lee before he graduated. The year of his marriage also became the beginning of his political career. Roosevelt quit law school after one year and pursued a career in politics in New York City wards. He was able to get elected to the New York legislature. He immediately began to expose corruption and special interests which dominated the political arena at the time. After serving in several political appointments from New York City Police Commissioner to a Colonel in the American Army charging hills in Cuba, Roosevelt knew his life would be in public service. In what has been called one Roosevelt’s greatest tragedies was the loss of his wife and mother on the same day: Valentine’s Day, 1884. His wife, Alice, had given birth to a daughter, Alice Lee. After spending two years in mourning, during which he spent much time in the western frontiers and wilderness raising cattle and hunting buffalo, he authored several books including the Naval War of