Theodore Roosevelt
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:
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1904 Theodore Roosevelt 7,628,461 336
(map) Alton B. Parker 5,084,223 140
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1912 Woodrow Wilson 6,296,547 435
(map) Theodore Roosevelt 4,118,571 88
William H. Taft 3,486,720 8
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
- On October 16, Booker T. Washington was the first African American invited to dine at the White House.
- 1902
- In October, Roosevelt summoned coal union leaders and mine operators to the White House to settle the Anthracite Coal Strike.
- 1904
- On February 29, Roosevelt appointed the Panama Canal Commission to oversee the construction of the Panama Canal.
- On March 14, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Northern Securities Co. v. United States to dissolve the monopoly Northern Securities Company.
- 1905
- On February 1, Roosevelt established the National Forest Service.
- On September 5, Russia and Japan signed the Portsmouth Treaty ending the Russo-Japanese War. Roosevelt's role as mediator earned him the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize.
- 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
- On December 16, the Great White Fleet departed on a fourteen month world tour.
- 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:
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America's Presidents - Theodore RooseveltHow Teddy Roosevelt Lost His Sight - a Presidential Story Ep. 1Teddy Roosevelt Pushed Reforms to Save Football - a Presidential Story Ep. 35Teddy Roosevelt Wife And Mother Died On The Same Day - a Presidential Story Ep. 56Theodore Roosevelt Biographical Vignette1 / 3
Historical Documents:
- Inaugural Address (1905)
- The Duties of American Citizenship (1883)
- Ranch Life and the Hunting-Trail (1888)
- The Strenuous Life (1899)
- The Man with the Muck Rake (1906)
- The New Nationalism (1910)
- Letter to Sir Edward Grey on World War I (1915)
- Works by Theodore Roosevelt Online (1899-1914) - from Bartleby.com
- Theodore Roosevelt Digital Collections - from the Library of Congress
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:
Dickinson State University
291 Campus Dr, Dickinson, ND 58601
315 2nd Avenue, Medora, North Dakota
20 Sagamore Hill Rd, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
28 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003
641 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14202
Dickinson State University
291 Campus Dr, Dickinson, ND 58601
315 2nd Avenue, Medora, North Dakota
20 Sagamore Hill Rd, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
28 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003
641 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14202
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.
- While campaigning for president in 1912, former president Roosevelt was shot at a campaign stop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With the bullet lodged in his chest but not penetrating the lung, Roosevelt still delivered his 90-minute speech before going to the hospital.
- 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.”
“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.”