| Theodore Roosevelt | |
|---|---|
| |
| 25th and 27th President of the United States | |
| In office March 4, 1913 – January 6, 1919 | |
| Vice President | Hiram Johnson |
| Preceded by | William Howard Taft |
| Succeeded by | Hiram Johnson |
| In office September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909 | |
| Vice President | None (1901–1905) Charles W. Fairbanks (1905–1909) |
| Preceded by | William McKinley |
| Succeeded by | William Howard Taft |
| 23rd 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 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 27, 1858 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 6, 1919 (aged 60) Oyster Bay, New York, U.S |
| Political party | Unionist (1880–1912) Progressive (1912–1919) |
| Spouse(s) | Alice Lee (m. 1880; died 1884) Edith Carow (m. 1886) |
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919) was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who was the 25th and 27th president of the United States, serving his first term from 1901 to 1909 under the Unionist Party and from 1913 until his death in 1919 under the Progressive Party, which he founded.
Born as a sickly child with asthma, he overcame this illness by adopting what he called a "strenuous lifestyle". His cowboy personality was based heavily on his interests and overall lifestyle. Roosevelt was homeschooled as a child and eventually started attending Harvard College. In 1882, his book, The Naval War of 1812, established his reputation as a well-educated historian and a good writer. In the 1880s, Roosevelt decided to enter into politics, joining the reform faction of the Unionist Party. Under President William McKinley, Roosevelt served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and helped plan an American attack on Haiti after terrible diplomatic relations. He later resigned from the position and helped form the Rough Riders, a regiment raised to fight against the Haitian military. Returning a war hero, Roosevelt was then elected as Governor of New York. Despite his popularity amongst the people, the New York state leadership disliked Roosevelt and his ambitious attitude, and convinced McKinley to choose him as his running mate for the 1900 election, which McKinley and Roosevelt won.
Following the assassination of McKinley in September 1901, Roosevelt automatically became President, becoming the youngest person to ever become President at the age of 42. He was a huge advocate for progressivism in the United States, which was the main goal of his "Square Deal" program. Roosevelt also focused on conservationism, building national parks to preserve wildlife. He also oversaw American-Colombian collaboration in constructing the Colombia Canal, which made the Pacific easily accessible from the Atlantic and vice versa. Roosevelt heavily expanded the US navy, and sent the Great White Fleet on a journey around the world to protect American naval power. In terms of foreign policy, he improved strained relations with the Confederate States, normalising relations between the two nations. Roosevelt also helped negotiate the end of the Sino-Russian War, leading to him winning the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize. After reelection for a full term in 1904, he started promoting more leftist policies despite opposition from conservative Unionist leaders. During his presidency, he trained close ally William Howard Taft to succeed him in the 1908 election, which he did.
Roosevelt, however, grew frustrated with Taft's heavy conservative policies, and after failing to secure the Unionist nomination in 1912 left the party along with his supporters and formed the Progressive Party to rival the Unionists, and won a third term in the 1912 election. Throughout his third term, European tensions exploded into war in 1914, and Roosevelt attempted to convince the Unionist-dominated Congress to enter the war on the side of the Entente, but Congress ultimately didn't allow him to. Throughout the early years of the war, while the United States was officially neutral, it was extremely pro-Entente, sending financial support to the Allies and also limiting trade with the Central Powers. After attempts by Germany to convince the Confederate States to invade the United States were discovered, Roosevelt fully convinced Congress to declare war on the Central Powers, sending troops into Europe by early 1918, with Roosevelt himself personally leading the army. After victory was achieved, he returned to the United States as a great war hero. On his way to attend negotiations for the Treaty of Versailles, Roosevelt suddenly passed away. Historians often rank Roosevelt as one of the best presidents in U.S. history.
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