"Walk
Softly and Carry a Big Stick"
Theodore
Roosevelt was born on October 27th, 1858
in New York City. In 1880, he graduated
from Harvard University and enrolled in
Columbia University's school of law.
His
political career began in 1882 in the New
York State Assembly. In 1886, after spending
three years at his North Dakota ranch,
he returned to New York City and ran unsuccessfully
for mayor. Nevertheless, his political
career continued to blossom. In 1889, he
was appointed to the U.S. Civil Service
Commission by President Benjamin Harrison
for which he served six years. In 1895,
he became president of the New York City
Board of Police Commissioners. Two years
later, in 1897, he was appointed assistant
secretary of the Navy by President William
McKinley.
In
1898, in the wake of the U.S. war with
Spain, Teddy Roosevelt resigned from the
Navy and organized the first regiment U.S.
volunteer cavalry, known as
"Roosevelt's Rough Riders". The "Rough
Riders" were 2,000 specially selected
men of different occupations and backgrounds
trained by Roosevelt in San Antonio, Texas
for special combat against the Spanish in
Cuba. On June 20th, 1898, the "Rough
Riders" left for Cuba. They landed at
Daiquiri, Cuba and fought their way toward
the Spanish garrison at Santiago. As they
approached Santiago, the "Rough Riders" were
attacked at San Juan Hill. Despite vigorous
resistance from the Spanish, and mounting
casualties, the "Rough Riders" charged
up San Juan Hill, drove back the Spanish,
and forced them to surrender, effectively
ending the war. Teddy Roosevelt was a national
hero!
In
1899, after the Spanish-American War, Theodore
Roosevelt was elected governor of New York.
Soon after, in 1900, he was nominated as
vice presidential candidate on the Republican
ticket. In 1901, he was inaugurated as
William McKinley's vice president. Roosevelt,
however, would occupy the office of vice
president for only a short time. Merely
six months after becoming vice president,
President William McKinley was assassinated
in Buffalo, NY. On September 14, 1901,
Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as America's
26th president. At the time he took office,
he was the youngest president in the history
of the United States.
Theodore
Roosevelt served two eventful terms as
president. In his first term, he supported
a rebellion in Panama that cleared the
way for that country's independence from
Colombia, as well as for the U.S. acquisition
of land in Panama that would later be used
for construction of the Panama Canal. He
fought vigorously against corporate corruption,
and pushed for the dissolution of the Northern
Securities Company for violating the Sherman
Antitrust Act (forming a monopoly). In
1905, President Roosevelt helped mediate
a peace treaty between Russia and Japan
for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize. In 1906, Roosevelt signed the Hepburn
Act, which awarded greater powers to the
Interstate Commerce Commission and the
federal Food and Drug Act. Furthermore,
Roosevelt started the U.S. Forest Service
and signed the 1906 Antiquities Act under
which he proclaimed 18 national monuments,
5 national parks, 51 wildlife refuges and
150 national forests. In 1908, the Bureau
of Investigation was created to conduct
investigations for the Justice Department.
After
his second term as president, Teddy spent
the rest of his life exploring and hunting.
He died June 4th, 1918. Theodore Roosevelt
National Park, in the Badlands of North
Dakota, was dedicated after his death.
Roosevelt was one of four presidents rendered
on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
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