Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. was an American statesman, author, explorer, soldier, naturalist and historian who served as the 26th President of the United States. He began life as a sickly child with extreme asthma that nearly killed him, but he was able to recover and began to pursue a strenuous life. He developed a “cowboy” persona because of his masculine and exuberant personality.
In 1882, Roosevelt wrote a book, The Naval War of 1812, which established him as a learned historian and a popular writer. He entered into politics after this by winning election in the New York State Assembly. He became the leader of the reform faction in the Republican Party. Much of Roosevelt’s life would be dedicated to progressive ideas.
In 1884, Roosevelt’s wife and mother both died on the same day. He decided to take some time off from politics and worked as a cowboy on a cattle ranch in Dakota. After his herds died in a blizzard, Roosevelt returned to New York and was unsuccessful in running for Mayor. In 1895, he made major reforms as the New York City Police Commissioner. Roosevelt ended up serving with the “Rough Riders“, the 1st United States Volunteer Calvary for a time. He returned a war hero and was elected as the Governor of New York.
Roosevelt’s political party did not trust him and pushed him to run against William McKinley for presidency. McKinley won by a landslide. The Assassination of William McKinley, however, made Roosevelt, at forty-two, the youngest President of the United States. Roosevelt pushed forward with many of his progressive ideas. He sought fairness for the people and expanded the nation’s wildlife policy, establishing a myriad of new national parks, forests and monuments. On the foreign front, he began construction on the Panama Canal and though he saw no wars during his presidency he did significantly expand the navy and sent them on a world tour to project their dominance. He was famous for his words to “speak softly and carry a big stick.”
In 1908, Roosevelt decided against reelection. It was a decision he came to regret. He groomed a close friend, William Howard Taft, to replace him as the Republican nomination. Roosevelt left office and went on a safari in Africa and toured Europe before returning to America in 1910. Disputes over policies ended the friendship between Roosevelt and Taft. In 1912, Roosevelt sought to block Taft’s reelection and won the first Presidential primaries in history, but losing in the national convention. Having been defeated, Roosevelt led a major two-year expedition in the Amazon rain forest that nearly took his life. His health began collapsing and he died in early 1919.
Roosevelt was the first of only four Presidents to this day to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his negotiations in ending the Russo-Japanese war in 1906. Scholars often rank Roosevelt as one of the greatest U.S. Presidents of all time. His face adorns Mount Rushmore alongside those of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. We honor Roosevelt as the first President that we have dedicated a star to and hope that his progressive ideas continue to influence our policies today.
View or Dedicate a star near Theodore Roosevelt Jr.'s Star at YourStarForever.com
Posted on June 8, 2015 by Ryan Hart
