Theodore Roosevelt

26th President Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-190926th President Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-190926th President Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-190926th President Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-190926th President Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-190926th President Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-190926th President Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-1909

26th President Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-1909

26th President of the United States
(September 14, 1901 to March 3, 1909)

Full Name: Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.
Nicknames: "TR"; "Trust-Buster"; "Teddy"

Born: October 27, 1858, in New York, New York
Died: January 6, 1919, in Oyster Bay, New York

Father: Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. (1831-1878)
Mother: Martha Bulloch Roosevelt (1835-1884)
Married: Alice Hathaway Lee (1861-1884), on October 27, 1880; Edith Kermit Carow (1861-1948), on December 2, 1886
Children: Alice Lee Roosevelt (1884-1980); Theodore Roosevelt, III (1887-1944); Kermit Roosevelt (1889-1943); Ethel Carow Roosevelt (1891-1977); Archibald Bulloch Roosevelt (1894-1979); Quentin Roosevelt (1897-1918)

Religion: Dutch Reformed
Education: Graduated from Harvard College (1880)
Occupation: Author, lawyer, public official
Political Party: Republican
Other Government Positions:

  • Member of New York State Assembly, 1882-84
  • Member of Civil Service Commission, 1889-95
  • Assistant Secretary of the Navy, 1895-97
  • Governor of New York, 1898-1900
  • Vice President, 1901 (under McKinley)

Presidential Salary: $50,000/year

Presidential Election Results:

YearCandidatePopular VotesElectoral Votes
1904Theodore Roosevelt7,628,461336
(map)Alton B. Parker5,084,223140

YearCandidatePopular VotesElectoral Votes
1912Woodrow Wilson6,296,547435
(map)Theodore Roosevelt4,118,57188
William H. Taft3,486,7208

Vice President: Charles Warren Fairbanks (1905-09)

Cabinet:

Secretary of State
John M. Hay (1901-05)
Elihu Root (1905-09)
Robert Bacon (1909)
Secretary of the Treasury
Lyman J. Gage (1901-02)
Leslie M. Shaw (1902-07)
George B. Cortelyou (1907-09)
Secretary of War
Elihu Root (1901-04)
William H. Taft (1904-08)
Luke E. Wright (1908-09)
Attorney General
Philander C. Knox (1901-04)
William H. Moody (1904-06)
Charles J. Bonaparte (1906-09)
Postmaster General
Charles Emory Smith (1901-02)
Henry C. Payne (1902-04)
Robert J. Wynne (1904-05)
George B. Cortelyou (1905-07)
George von L. Meyer (1907-09)
Secretary of the Navy
James D. Long (1901-02)
William H. Moody (1902-04)
Paul Morton (1904-05)
Charles J. Bonaparte (1905-06)
Victor H. Metcalf (1906-08)
Truman H. Newberry (1908-09)
Secretary of the Interior
Ethan A. Hitchcock (1901-07)
James R. Garfield (1907-09)
Secretary of Agriculture
James Wilson (1901-1909)
Secretary of Commerce and Labor
George B. Cortelyou (1903-04)
Victor H. Metcalf (1904-06)
Oscar S. Straus (1906-09)

Supreme Court Justices:
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1902-1932)
William R. Day (1903-1922)
William Henry Moody (1906-1910)

Notable Events:
  • 1901
  • 1902
    • In October, Roosevelt summoned coal union leaders and mine operators to the White House to settle the Anthracite Coal Strike.
  • 1904
  • 1905
  • 1906
    • On June 8, Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act allowing the president to proclaim national monuments.
    • On November 9, Roosevelt became the first sitting president to leave the country when he traveled to the Panama Canal.
  • 1907
  • 1908
    • On January 11, Roosevelt used the Antiquities Act to designate the Grand Canyon a national monument.
Internet Biographies:
Theodore Roosevelt -- from The Presidents of the United States of America
Compiled by the White House.
Theodore Roosevelt -- from The American President
From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in addition to information on the Presidents themselves, they have first lady and cabinet member biographies, listings of presidential staff and advisers, and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of each administration.
Theodore Roosevelt: A Brief Biography -- from Theodore Roosevelt Association
This biography includes links to additional documents to expand upon topics in TR's life.
Theodore Roosevelt -- from Encyclopaedia Britannica
Facts about Roosevelt and his presidency.
Theodore Roosevelt -- from People in THE WEST
Based on the documentary THE WEST by Ken Burns and Stephen Ives, this biographical sketch focuses on Roosevelt's love of the West and all things Western.
Videos:
Other Internet Resources:
The Best Biographies of Theodore Roosevelt
In 2012, Stephen Floyd started his search for the best biography of each president. He usually has reviews of multiple biographies for each president.
Health and Medical History of Theodore Roosevelt
Medical background of each president with references. Compiled by John Sotos, MD.
Mount Rushmore
Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the faces of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt stand 60 feet tall.
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
The Oyster Bay, New York home of Roosevelt from 1885 until his death. History and tourist information available.
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site
A reconstruction of the New York, New York home where Roosevelt was born. History and tourist information available.
Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University
Preserves and analyzes Roosevelt's legacy, especially dedicated to his connection to the North Dakota Badlands..
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
The Buffalo, New York location where Roosevelt took the oath of office after the death of McKinley.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Located in the Badlands of North Dakota, Roosevelt first visited this area in 1883 and loved it. Now a National Park, there are many activities for the outdoor enthusiast.
Points of Interest:
Additional Facts:
  • Roosevelt was the youngest president.
  • Roosevelt's mother and first wife passed away on the same day - Valentine's day of 1884.
  • Roosevelt was the first American to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
  • In 1906 Roosevelt sailed to the Panama Canal to inspect the construction progress making him the first sitting president to leave the country.
  • A boxing accident left Roosevelt almost completely blind in his left eye.
  • The teddy bear was named after Roosevelt.
  • Roosevelt was the first president to ride in an airplane and a submarine.
  • Roosevelt was the first president to earn the Medal of Honor. It was awarded in 2001 by President Bill Clinton.
Quotes:

“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.”

“Speak softly and carry a big stick.”

“To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”

“The only man who makes no mistake is the man who does nothing.”

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

“Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.”

“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

“Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind.”

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”

Previous President: William McKinley
Next President: William H. Taft