Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt is widely regarded as one of the best presidents in United States history. He is known for his cowboy persona and his widespread representations of traditional masculinity. Many Americans today remember him as a rope-swinging, outdoorsman who would not be content sitting inside the Oval office. In fact, he was once observed jumping off a horse into a pit of wild dogs and slaying a mountain lion. Roosevelt changed the course of the presidency and did many things that presidents had never done before, such as riding in a submarine, being identified by his initials, being the first president to become present within the media, and being the youngest to become President. While he did many of these notable things, Roosevelt also implemented many new policies and changes during his terms that may or may not have agreed with the American people. While not everyone can, or will, agree with the actions of a president, it is important to admire them within the context of the time frame and appreciate them with the mindset of what was needed during that era. With regard to the ideas of the Progressive Era, Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency left behind a legacy and was important to the course of the history of the United States. This paper will aim to assess some of the major aspects of his presidency and his contributions to making the country better, focusing on his efforts regarding the United States military, the economy, and foreign policy.
Theodore Roosevelt was born in 1858 in Manhattan, New York, where his Dutch ancestors had immigrated in the seventeenth century. His grandfather had become a millionaire through real estate and the family was comfortably wealthy. He attended Harvard College, where he excelled both in sports and in his studies. He went to Germany for a year, and then began his political career. Roosevelt rose to fame and notoriety when he became a cowboy-turned-war hero. He fought in various conflicts, attempted to create wars, and often caused a “ruckus.” He created a band of one thousand men known as the “Rough Riders” and led them on a bloody campaign in Cuba. However, Roosevelt was not always the rough, unruly cowboy that he appeared as. He was also considered a heroic soldier and fought bravely in many different wars and conflicts. He was posthumously, many decades later, awarded a Medal of Honor by United States Congress for his bravery in 1998, during the war with Spain. Before he stepped into the White House, he served in multiple positions in the world of politics. He was elected to the Assembly of New York State, a position which he held for 3 years. After giving up politics for a short amount of time due to the death of his wife, he returned to New York and joined the Civil Service Commission. Other positions he held included secretary of the Navy, a lieutenant colonel in the army, and governor of New York State in 1898. He was chosen to be Vice President to William McKinley in 1900, and he reluctantly accepted. Some were skeptical given Roosevelt’s well-known cowboy war-hero past, and some had accused people of attempting to get rid of him this way, by giving him something to do. It is said that by distracting Roosevelt from his position as governor of New York, he would be able to get out of the way in the eyes of those who did not appreciate or approve of him as a person. Roosevelt became president when McKinley was assassinated by a man named Leon Czolgosz, who shot him at a festival in Buffalo. He was, and still is, the youngest man to ever be inaugurated as the President of the United States, at age 43.
Theodore Roosevelt was a military man, who put a lot of focus on the American military and had previously been considered a war hero. Therefore, he made considerable advancements in this area, as he believed it was of utmost importance. Many of the things that Roosevelt did while he was the President were aimed toward military improvement, causing a conflict with those who did not believe that he should have as strong of a focus in that department. Roosevelt was considered “one of the best friends of the military services ever to reside in the White House.” Roosevelt’s military actions included expanding the navy and creating American military superiority. Part of the expansion process included placing younger officers in higher positions at a faster rate of advancement in order to inspire the others to work hard as well as to keep the most physically fit in the most rewarding positions. Many military soldiers were unimpressed when he implemented a new physical fitness regime that required each soldier to march a distance of 90 miles within 3 days, once a year. This made many of the soldiers feel “oppressed,” and proved to be physically exhausting and sometimes dangerous, in that many people sustained injuries. He also added more battleships and allotted more in the army budget for navy weapons and training. He created reform in the way that the military institutions were structured, creating more general staff instead of individual bureaus. Some people in congress and the military opposed this idea, but Roosevelt had seen the chaos of miscommunication during the Spanish-American War and knew the issues that were at hand. However, there were still some flaws in Roosevelt’s military efforts. He had been accused by some people of favoring the Navy over other branches of the army, neglecting the others, specifically the Marine Corps. The Marines were threatened by Roosevelt’s expansionist policies because it meant a risk to their security as a unit. For example, before he became president, Roosevelt believed that Marines should no longer be positioned on Navy ships, and this would mean eliminating some of those positions. In November of 1908, when he was President, Roosevelt officially ordered all Marines off of the Navy ships. In addition, it has been stated that he privately confessed that he wanted to eliminate the Marine Corps entirely. This did not place him in a good spot in the minds of those who believed that the Marines were important, and many did not agree with these decisions. However, it was justified by Roosevelt because he believed that eliminating the presence of the Marines would make the army as a whole stronger, as there would be less disruption in authority and regime. Eventually congress blocked these decisions from being put in place and the Marine Corps was spared.
The time that Roosevelt was President is known as the Progressive Era, and it has been recognized by some experts that Roosevelt was a large contributor to this progressive time. This era is also known as “the birth of modern America.” New issues and experiences had come about due to the industrialization and urbanization that had occurred in the previous century. The working people of America had become a strengthened class, and more people were working in factories and businesses that were able to spring up due to the booming industry. This caused a need for changes to the government process of the country, as more people were living in urban areas and working and population growth was increasing steadily. With an increase in population came an increase in business owners, workers, and people of various classes who all had different interests in regards to what they wanted from society. Roosevelt created legislations that he believed would benefit a many classes as possible by ensuring the cooperation of all business factions. By the end of his term, Roosevelt had left behind some reforms that increased government cooperation between all levels that were later signed in by succeeding presidents, such as William Taft, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt. Roosevelt implemented a type of presidency called the “Stewardship View,” which calls for the president to “exercise all powers not specifically denied to him in the Constitution.” Roosevelt also believed in federalism, which called for the cooperation of all levels of government in solving problems for the nation as a whole. He believed in this and implemented this strategy specifically so that the federal government could solve the issues that state governments were reluctant to be involved with. He also used federalism in order to control capitalist markets. He therefore made changes to industry and businesses because of his belief that individual states should not be regulating large corporations such as railways. By changing regulation for these industries he prevented one state from being capable of controlling all of a specific industry and was able to increase communication within the government at every level. Naturally, many of the Wall Street executives and billionaires were opposed to this idea and believed that it would lead to financial disaster for the country. Roosevelt’s presidency also created an increase in the economy in regards to wealth. According to an Evening Star report in 1907, during Roosevelt’s term wealth had been rising at a rate of $4.6 billion annually, $127.3 million daily, and just over $5 million per hour. While these statistics are questionable, and might have just been an extreme display of optimism at the time, it is clear that the American people believed that Roosevelt was doing a lot of good for their economy and the wealth of the country.
Roosevelt was known also for his contributions to foreign relations. At this time, the United States was coming out of the Civil War era and had established a “modest overseas empire.” The country was well on its way to becoming the world power that it would prove to be later on that century. Roosevelt believed that it was important for this empire to remain protected, and that the only way to do so was to increase relations with international organizations and countries. He also placed a significant emphasis on foreign relations because he believed maintaining a presence in world affairs would keep America strong and powerful. Roosevelt was present in many developments that related to Central America. He was involved in the planning and execution of American involvement in the Panama Canal development. It was during his term that the United States began construction on the project. In 1901, his first year of presidency, the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty was signed, which approved the construction of an American canal in Central America. Roosevelt believed that the Panama Canal in particular was important for the country because of the control that they would have and the protection that would come about this decision. With the United States controlling the canal, no enemy ships would be able to get in during times of war, and the United States’ military would be stronger with more access overseas. The more military power the country had, the more power in general it could gain. This was clearly an expression of American dominance, which was part of Roosevelt’s goals as President. This also strengthened American relations with the British, as the British formed an alliance with the United States in controlling the canal. The British saw an advantage in cooperating with the United States as they were having conflicts in their colonies; they wanted to secure an alliance with America to ensure that they had someone on their side amidst their struggles. In 1902, Roosevelt established the international Court of Arbitration at The Hague. While this organization had existed since 1899, no leader had called attention to it beforehand. This organization was important for foreign relations because it increased communication, justice, and arbitration between the countries of the world. It was intended also to promote world peace and prosperity among all the countries. During the Russo-Japanese war, he helped to negotiate a peace treaty that would end the conflict. In 1905, he opened his office and served as a mediator between Russia and Japan, who were at conflict over territories in Korea and other parts of Asia. He was determined to negotiate peace between the two nations. Later that year, a peace treaty was successfully negotiated and signed in September of 1905. His efforts in helping to end the Russo-Japanese war were particularly notable because they earned him a Nobel Peace Prize. Due to his large role in and emphasis on foreign relations, many leaders around the world respected him and admired him. In Britain he was spoken highly of by the king, Edward VII, the newspapers, and the ex-Prime Minister Balfour. This respect was a direct result of his ability to negotiate and communicate with his foreign relations policies.
His time as 26th President of the United States came to an end when William Howard Taft was elected in 1909. Roosevelt had personally groomed Taft in order to be able to take over according to how Roosevelt had been running the country. He wanted to ensure that someone who would be President after him would be able to continue his hard work. Roosevelt was simply very well-liked by the American people. He was “the political equivalent of a movie star.” He was followed by many people everywhere he went and found that he could not escape the celebrity style life. After his final term ended, Roosevelt embarked on a year-long trip during which he toured Europe and Africa. In 1910, he returned home from this trip and he was met by a crowd of more than 100,000 people. Roosevelt did not go silent after his return home. He did many things and continued his position in the American government. In 1912, he pushed an agenda through that would bring about many reforms to American government. He notably opposed Woodrow Wilson’s neutral stance at the beginning of World War I and was vocal during that time about his opinions as to the position of the United States and how he believed they should get involved. Additionally, he created a campaign intended to frustrated Wilson at the onset of the war, pushing for America’s involvement overseas. He lived through the duration of this war. In 1919, at the age of 60, Roosevelt died.
Theodore Roosevelt is said to have been one of the best presidents of the United States, and through an analysis of his contributions in the military, the economy, and foreign relations, one can make this judgement. While not everyone agreed with the decisions that he made, it is generally agreed upon that his changes to the country made it more progressive, modern, and utilitarian in nature. He increased the presence of the Navy, which is something that many Americans are proud of to this day, and he also was able to establish the United States on an international level. By placing the country on a global scale, he was able to establish power and superiority when dealing with world issues as well as protect the country’s empire overseas. His legacy remains strong, as he joined the likes of other great American Presidents whose faces are carved on Mount Rushmore. Many presidents who came after him utilized his reforms within their own legislation and took many of his ideas to build upon within their own platforms. He was the first American to win a Nobel Prize. He is one of the few American Presidents who has been embedded within popular culture, as America’s cowboy president. The teddy bear, one of the most common childhood toys in the world, was named after him because of a hunting incident in which he refused to shoot a bear cub. In addition, there were television shows and movies that were based loosely on him and his life, showcasing his legacy that lasted in many different areas both within and outside of the government structure. While many would disagree with his choices, decisions, and actions in the current day and age, they were ideal for the time period and made sense for progressive America.
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