RooseveltBecomesPresident
Attheageof42,TheodoreRoosevelthadaccomplishedmore
thanmostmenwouldeverdaretodream.Hehadovercome
childhoodfrailtywithbodybuilding,hadinterestsineverysubject
fromarttozoology,andhadbeenaNewYorkstatesenator,U.S.Civil
Servicecommissioner,cowboy,policecommissioner,Assistant
SecretaryoftheU.S.Navy,colonelofavolunteerunitintheU.S.
Army,andgovernorofNewYork;andhewasnowvicepresidentof
theUnitedStates.Throughitall,hehadatalentformaking
headlines.Sonofrichparents,hetookaninterestintheconditions
ofthetenementdwellersworkinginNewYorksweatshops.AsCivil
ServiceCommissioner,hedemandedthatthetestsgiventofederal
employeesbepracticalforthejobtheyweretofill.Aspolice
commissioner,hehadfiredpolicemenfoundsleepingonthejobor
drinkingatbars.Asthenavy’ssecondincommand,hesentthe
orderstoAdmiralDeweytoattackManilaBayinthePhilippinesif
theUnitedStatesandSpainwenttowar.Hehadthrilledthenation
T.R.
withhisunrelentingchargeupSanJuanHill,andhehadangered
NewYorkpoliticianswhenhedemandedsocialandpoliticalreform.TomPlatt,thestate’sRepublican
leader,suggestedthatRooseveltbenamedvicepresidentsohecouldnolongerbegovernor.Asvice
president,RooseveltwouldbeforcedtofollowthepoliciesofPresidentMcKinleyandfallinlinewiththe
party’splatforms.MarkHanna,McKinley’sclosestadviser,wasopposedtotheidea,butthedelegatesto
the1900RepublicanconventionstronglybackedRoosevelt.Eventhoughhewasnotenthusiasticaboutthe
nomination,T.R.gaveintopublicpressure.SinceMcKinleywasingoodhealth,itappearedthattherewas
littlechanceforRoosevelttoeverinheritthepresidency,andforthefirsttimeinhislifehewasbored.On
September6,1901,thatwouldallchange.WhileattendingthePan-AmericanExpositioninNewYork,
PresidentMcKinleywasshotbyananarchistanddiedeightdayslater.AfterRoosevelttooktheoathof
office,Hannaremarked:“NowthatdamnedcowboyhasbecomePresidentoftheUnitedStates.”
WhentheRoosevelts andtheirsixchildrenmovedin,theExecutiveMansionsuddenlybecameand
excitingplace,andforthefirsttime,newspaperreporterswereassignedtocoverthepresident.Officially
renamingtheresidencetheWhiteHouse,Rooseveltansweredreportersquestionswhileheshaved,andhe
expressedopinionsonmanysubjects.Hehadnousefortheidlerich(whomhecalled“malefactorsof
greatwealth”)orradicalsorthelazy.Heandhischildrenoftenwentonrompsthroughthewoods,andhe
wouldcampwithhisfriend,GiffordPinchot.Healsoplayedtennisandrodehorses.Therewasalways
somethinghappening,andRooseveltwasthestar.
Hecalledthepresidencya“bullypulpit”andactedevenwhenhehadnoauthoritytodoso.In1902,
coalminerswentoutonstrikecomplainingthattheyworkedtenhoursadayindangerousconditionsfor
$300ayear.Theirleader,JohnMitchell,wonpublicsupporteventhoughthenationreliedheavilyoncoal
forrailroads,electricity,andtheheatingofhomes,stores,andfactories.Thespokesmanforthemine
ownerswasGeorgeBaer,whorefusedtodealwiththeworkers.Rooseveltpersuadedthepowerfulbanker,
J.P.Morgan,toputpressureonthemineowners.Aboardwascreatedtohandletheproblemandthe
workersweregivena10percentincreaseinpay.T.R.saidhewasgivingtheworkersa“squaredeal,”and
thephrasestuck.Hisenthusiasmcaughton,andwhilemanydisagreedwithhimonissues,hemadethe
presidencythecenterofnationalattention.
RooseveltbecameconvincedthattheUnitedStatesdeservedtoplayalargerroleinworldaffairs,and
immediatelybeganmakingmajordecisions.AfterargumentsGreatBritainovertheboundaryofCanada
andAlaska,acommissionwasformedwitheachcountryappointingthreemembers.Whenthefinalline
drawn,Americansweresatisfied.LiketheUnitedStates,Japanwasanewlyemergingpower,anditshared
Americansensitivitytoaninsult.In1904,JapanattackedRussia,
andtheRusso-JapaneseWarfollowed.Neithercountrycould
sustainalongconflict.By1905,Russiahadtosendtroopsback
hometoputdownamajoruprisinginMoscow,andJapanwas
runningshortonmoney.TheJapaneseaskedRoosevelttoactasa
mediatorbetweenthetwosides,andhewontheNobelPeacePrize
forhisefforts.
WestcoastsentimentagainstEastAsianswasalmostasbadas
southernracismagainstBlacks.In1906,anti-Japanesesentiment
inSanFranciscoleditsschoolboardtosegregateallEastAsian
children.Roosevelthadnolegalauthoritytooverridethedecision.
However,heworkedoutadealwiththeschoolboardtoreverse
thepolicy,andhewouldthenpersuadetheJapanesetostop
sendinglaborerstotheUnitedStates.
Thenextyear,Rooseveltsentthenavy’sbattleshipsona“good
will”triparoundtheworld,makingaspecialpointtovisitJapan.
Paintedwhite,theywereknownasthe”GreatWhiteFleet,”and
theirvoyagelettheworldknowthattheUnitedStateshadbecome
PresidentRoosevelt
anavalpowersecondonlytoGreatBritain.
OneofT.R.’smottoswas,“Walksoftlyandcarryabigstick.”ItwasinLatinAmericathathemostwaved
thestick.OneofhisgreatdreamswastobuildacanalacrossCentralAmericatoimprovethenavy’sability
tomovethefleetfromtheAtlantictothePacific.Severalproblemsstoodinhisway:(1)Wehada1850
agreementwithGreatBritainpromisingthatwewouldnotexerciseexclusivecontroloveranycanalwe
mightbuildintheregion.(2)Twoforeigncompanieswerealreadytryingtobuildcanalsintheregion.The
NewPanamaCanalCompanywasworkinginPanama,andtheMaritimeCanalCompanywasworkingin
Nicaragua.(3)WhilePanamawasjudgedasthebestplacetolocateacanal,itbelongedtothecountryof
Colombia.
ThefirstproblemwaseasilysolvedbytheHay-Pauncefonte treatyin1901inwhichheBritishwillingly
gavetheU.S.exclusivecontroloverthecanal.ThesecondproblemwasovercomewhentheNewPanama
CanalCompanylowereditsaskingpricetoconstructthecanalfrom$109milliontoamorerealisticpriceof
$40million.Unfortunately,ColombiarefusedRoosevelt’sofferof$15millionand$250,000ayearinrent
fortherightstobuildthecanalinPanama,causingamajorsetbacktothewholeproject.
OnNovember3,1903,arevolutionbrokeoutinPanamaCity.RooseveltorderedtheAmericangunboat
Nashville tothezonetoblockthelandingofanyColombiantroopswithin50milesofPanama.On
November6,theUnitedStatesrecognizedtheindependenceofPanamaandRooseveltgavethemthesame
dealthathadbeenofferedtoColombia.Theyreadilyacceptedthedeal.T.R.deniedthattheUnitedStates
haddoneanythingwrong,butlaterhewouldboast:“Itookthecanalzone,andletCongressdebate,and
whilethedebategoesonthecanaldoesalso.”
RoosevelthadpavedthewayforfutureU.S.involvementinworldaffairs,buthisLatinAmericanpolicy
wouldalsocauseseriousproblemsinthefuture.
Source:ReadingandQuestionsadaptedfromGeorgeLee.DecisionstheShapedAmerica1865– 1976/MarkTwainMedia,1993
Challenges
Name__________________________
1) TeddyRooseveltheldfourpositionsworkingforthefederal governmentbeforehebecamepresident– whatwere
they?
2) WhatdoesitmeanwhenitsaysRoosevelt“hadatalentformakingheadlines?”
3) Whatdidhedotoimprovecivilserviceexams?
4) WhatimportantorderdidhegivewhilehewasintheNavydepartment?
5) Whosuggestedthathebepromotedtovicepresident?
6) WhydidhewantRoosevelttobecomevicepresident?
7) HowdidRooseveltfeelaboutbecomingvicepresident?
8) UnderwhatcircumstancesdidRooseveltbecomepresident?
9) Whowerethe“malefactorsofgreatwealth?”
10) Whatdoesitmeantobeidle?(Youwillneedtolookupthisword)
11) ExplainwhatyouthinkRooseveltmeantwhenhesaidthepresidencywasa“bullypulpit?”
12) Whywasitsoimportantforthecoalstriketobesettledin1902?
13) ThroughRoosevelt’sinfluencesthecoalminersreceiveda10percentraiseintheirsalary.Howmuchwouldthey
havemadeayearwiththeincrease?
14) WhatwarwasfoughtbetweenJapanandRussia?WhatroledidRooseveltplayinit?
15) HowdidtheSanFranciscoschoolboardcauseproblems?
16) WhatwastheGreatWhiteFleet?WhatcountrydidRooseveltmakesurethefleetvisitedwhenitsailedaroundthe
world?
17) WhatproblemsstoodinRoosevelt’swaytobuildacanal?(3points)
18) (a)HowmuchdidtheNewPanamaCanalCompanywantforitsrightstobuildthecanalinPanama?(b)Howmuch
didRooseveltpay?a)
b)
19) HowmuchdidtheU.S.offerColombiafortherightstobuildthecanalinPanama?
20) HowdidRoosevelthelpthePanamanianswithoutofficiallyjoiningtheirfightagainstColombia?