Theodore Roosevelt stares down from Mount Rushmore, in South Dakota. He is surrounded by giants: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln. Roosevelt is the only 20th-century President whose face is carved on the mountain. He was sworn in as the 26th President on September 14, 1901. At age 42, he was the youngest man ever to hold the office. Today, 105 years later, changes made during his presidency still influence foreign policy, business, environmentalism and more. Who was this legendary American?
The Making of a Hero
As a young boy, T.R. suffered from asthma. He was considered too "delicate" for school and was educated at home. His father, Theodore
Sr., insisted that T.R. exercise. "Make your own body," he urged his son. T.R. took up boxing and wrestling, and built up his stamina.
Throughout his life, Roosevelt was drawn to challenges (see The Self-Made Man timeline below). At 22, he climbed Matterhorn, a 14,692-foot mountain in Europe. As police commissioner in New York City, he took on bad guys. During the Spanish-American War, he led the charge at the battle of San Juan, in Cuba, and came home a hero. After he left politics, he set out to explore the Amazon rain forest.
T.R. was more than a politician. He was a writer, a historian, an explorer and a naturalist. He was the first President to make protecting the environment a political issue. He created the U.S. Forest Service and set aside for generations to come 150 national forests, 51 national wildlife refuges, 18 national monuments and five national parks.
A Square Deal for All
Early in his presidency, Roosevelt, a Republican, decided that it was
the government's responsibility to control big business. He went after
the railroad companies and other corporations that were competing
unfairly. "We must demand that big business give the people a square
deal," he later wrote. In his second term, T.R. pushed through the Pure
Food and Drug Act and a meat-inspection law. Both laws still help
consumers.
A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama
During T.R.'s presidency, the U.S. emerged as a world power. In 1904, he
proclaimed the Roosevelt Corollary. The U.S., he said, "must keep order"
in North and South America.
Roosevelt believed that the U.S. should be a global force, too. After Russia and Japan went to war, T.R. persuaded the two nations to send representatives to peace talks in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He convinced the countries to end their war, and earned a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
But, as T.R. saw it, "by far the most important action" he had taken in foreign affairs was building the Panama Canal, a vital shipping shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In 1903, the U.S. signed a treaty with the new nation of Panama. It took 10 years and $387 million to dig the canal across 50 miles of jungle. "This is one of the great works of the world," Roosevelt told workers at the construction site. "It is greater than you yourselves at the moment realize."
At that moment, Roosevelt may not have realized how great a President he had become. "I have used every ounce of power there was in the office," he wrote. "I do not believe that any President has ever enjoyed himself as much."
The Self-Made Man
1858 On October 27, Theodore Roosevelt is born in New York City.
1886 Two years after the birth of his daughter Alice and death of his first wife, T.R. marries his childhood friend Edith Carow. They will have five children: Theodore Jr., Kermit, Ethel, Archibald and Quentin.
1898 At the start of the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt resigns as Assistant Secretary of the Navy to join the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. They are known as the Rough Riders. Later that year, T.R. is elected governor of New York.
1900 Roosevelt runs for Vice President on President William McKinley's ticket. After McKinley's assassination in 1901, T.R. becomes President.
1904 Roosevelt is elected President.
1905 T.R. establishes the U.S. Forest Service. Later, he signs the National Monuments Act, which allows the President to protect sites like California's Muir Woods.
1906 With his wife, Edith, T.R. visits construction of the Panama Canal. He is the first President to leave the country while in office. On December 10, T.R. wins the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending a war between Japan and Russia.
1907 Roosevelt orders the "Great White Fleet," 16 Navy battleships, to sail around the world. The 14-month journey shows off U.S. naval power.
1909 After leaving office, T.R. travels to Africa with his son Kermit. They spend a year hunting animals.
1912 Roosevelt runs for President on the Progressive party ticket. In October, he is shot while campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but survives. Democrat Woodrow Wilson wins the election.
1913 T.R. and Kermit set out to explore Brazil's "River of Doubt."
1919 On January 6, T.R. dies at his home, Sagamore Hill, in Oyster Bay, New York. He is 60 years old.