Theodore Roosevelt
1858-1919
26th President of the United States (1901-1909)
“The Rough Rider”
THEODORE ROOSEVELT WAS BORN October 27, 1858, in New
York City. His parents were Theodore and Martha Bulloch
Roosevelt. His father was a successful merchant, and his mother
was a homemaker. Theodore was the second of four children. His
sister Anna was older, and his brother Elliott and sister Corinne
were younger.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT GREW UP in the family’s large, comfortable home in New York City. He was a weak, sickly child. His eye232
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sight was so bad that he had to wear glasses from a young age.
Theodore also had very bad asthma. Sometimes he could barely
breathe. At night, when his breathing was difficult, his father would
walk with him, holding him upright to help him breathe.
Theodore’s father and mother were devoted to their son. His
father encouraged him to build up his body by getting vigorous exercise. Over the years, Theodore grew stronger and eventually became
an energetic, robust, and healthy man. His father was also concerned
with his moral upbringing. He taught Theodore right from wrong and
the importance of being a thoughtful, responsible man.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT WENT TO SCHOOL at home until he was
college age. His parents hired tutors who taught him all his subjects until he was 18. Roosevelt was an active, curious boy. He
loved to collect specimens from nature, like mice and birds. He
sometimes stored them in his dresser drawers.
Roosevelt went to college at Harvard University, where he did
very well. While he was still in college, Roosevelt began to write
books. His first book was about the War of 1812. He finished it after
he graduated from Harvard in 1880.
Roosevelt went on to law school at Columbia University in New
York City. After one year of studying law, he decided that he wanted to run for office.
GETTING INVOLVED IN POLITICS: Roosevelt’s first elected office
was as a state assemblyman from New York. He served three oneyear terms, from 1881 to 1884.
FIRST MARRIAGE: Roosevelt met Alice Hathaway Lee in 1878. The
two fell in love and married on October 27, 1880. In 1884, Alice
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gave birth to their only child,
a daughter also named Alice.
Two days after giving birth,
Alice Roosevelt died. That
same day, Roosevelt’s beloved
mother, Martha, also died.
Roosevelt was overwhelmed
with grief. Leaving his infant
daughter with relatives, he set
out for the Dakota territory.
LIVING IN THE DAKOTA TERRITORY: Roosevelt spent the
next few years living on a
ranch he had built on land in
what is now North Dakota.
Roosevelt from his days
Roosevelt loved the land. He
in the Dakota Territory.
later said that “I never would
have been President if it had not been for my experiences in North
Dakota.”
He raised cattle and learned to be a cowboy. He even captured
an outlaw. Roosevelt also developed an interest in conservation
during these years in the Dakotas. He saw what had happened
after the buffalo and other wild game were nearly wiped out by
greedy hunters. He saw the damage done to the land from overgrazing. Later, when he became President, he would set up national
parks and wildlife refuges to protect the land and animals.
SECOND MARRIAGE AND FAMILY: In 1886, Roosevelt returned to
New York. He became reacquainted with Edith Kermit Carow, who
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ried on December 2, 1886, in London, England. They had five children, Theodore, Kermit, Ethel, Archibald, and Quentin. Ethel also
raised Alice, who was just two when they married. She was a loving and gentle mother who was lot of fun. One of her sons once
said, “When Mother was a little girl, she must have been a boy!”
RETURNING TO POLITICS: Roosevelt decided to devote his life to
politics again. He ran for mayor of New York City and lost, but he
was not discouraged. In 1889, he took a job as head of the United
States Civil Service Commission. That is the part of the government that sets policy for government workers. In that job, he
worked for a more honest and responsible civil service.
Next, Roosevelt became head of the New York City police
board. He brought his energy and enthusiasm to that job, too. He
was known to check on the police by walking the streets of the city
after midnight, making sure that everyone did their jobs.
Roosevelt then began to work for the administration of President
William McKinley as assistant secretary of the Navy. While he was in
that job, the United States went to war against Spain and Teddy
Roosevelt became a war hero.
THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR AND THE ROUGH RIDERS: In the
late 1890s, Spain controlled Cuba and Puerto Rico as colonies.
Many Americans were disturbed by reports that Spain was treating
Cubans cruelly. In 1898, the U.S. battleship Maine was destroyed in
the harbor of Havana, Cuba. Although no one was sure who sank
the Maine, most Americans blamed Spain.
Congress declared war on Spain in April 1898. The SpanishAmerican War lasted only four months. The fighting took place on
Cuba and in the Philippine Islands in the Pacific Ocean, which were
also a colony of Spain. Roosevelt and his troops fought in Cuba.
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Roosevelt in his Rough Rider uniform.
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Roosevelt was head of the First United States Volunteer Cavalry
Regiment, known as the “Rough Riders.” They were a group of soldiers made up of former cowboys and college sports stars.
Roosevelt led them in a famous battle, called the Battle of San Juan
Hill. They won that battle and the war.
GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK: Now a war hero, Roosevelt was asked
by the Republican Party to run for Governor of New York. He won
and served for two years. He was not what the Republican political
“bosses” thought he was. They were used to telling their candidate
what to do, but Roosevelt set his own priorities. He fought for
reforms he thought needed to be made in government. He taxed
wealthy corporations and tried to end “sweatshops,” factories
where people worked in miserable conditions.
VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Many of the Republican
bosses and their supporters were angry with Roosevelt for his
reforms. They wanted him out of New York. So, in 1900, they nominated him for Vice President to run with William McKinley in his
second term. The ticket of McKinley and Roosevelt won the election.
MCKINLEY’S ASSASSINATION: Roosevelt’s term as Vice President
lasted only six months. On September 6, 1901, McKinley was shot
by an assassin. He died September 14, and Theodore Roosevelt
became the 26th President.
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Roosevelt was just 42 when
he became President. He is the youngest person ever to hold the
office. He took the reins of the country with his characteristic energy, bursting with new ideas for the country.
Roosevelt thought the President should be a powerful political
leader. He thought of himself as the President of all the people, not
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just the wealthy and powerful. He was known as the “trust buster.”
Trusts were large groups of companies that controlled money and
jobs across the country. Roosevelt wanted their power broken up.
Roosevelt also supported the labor movement to create unions
to represent workers. He expanded the influence of the U.S. in foreign countries, too. He is known for the phrase, “Speak softly and
carry a big stick.” He meant that the U.S. should be thought of as a
world power that could use force if necessary.
Roosevelt was the first President to travel outside of the U.S. In
1903 he worked on the treaty to build the Panama Canal. He visited
the site of the canal, a deep trench being dug across the country of
Panama in Central America. When completed, the Panama Canal
created a shipping lane that linked the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
It allows ships to travel between the two Oceans without having to
travel far south to go around South America or far North to go
around North America.
———— ★ ★ ★ ————
THE TEDDY BEAR: While on a hunting trip in 1902,
Roosevelt came upon a mother bear and her cub. He
refused to allow the bears to be shot. The story made its
way into the newspapers, where it appeared in a cartoon. A
candy store owner in New York heard the story and decided to make a stuffed bear, using Roosevelt’s nickname,
“Teddy.” Roosevelt agreed to have his name used on the
toy, and the “Teddy Bear” was born.
———— ★ ★ ★ ————
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President Theodore Roosevelt.
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Roosevelt with the famous conservationist John Muir
at Yosemite National Park in California.
SECOND TERM: In 1904, Roosevelt ran for reelection and won by a
huge majority, beating his opponent, Alton Parker. He won 336 electoral votes, to 140 for Parker. During his second term, he turned
again to issues guarding the welfare of the common people. He
helped to pass the Pure Food and Drug Act. That law made manufacturers responsible for producing safe food and medicine.
Roosevelt had always favored conservation policies. In his second term, he set up over 125 million acres of the nation as national
forests. He also created 51 wildlife refuges. Through these policies,
he helped to protect the land and wildlife he loved for all the people.
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The lively and curious Theodore Roosevelt was the first
President to ride in a car, an airplane, and a submarine. He lived
the “life of strenuous endeavor” he loved. Sometimes, still full of
energy at the end of a long work day, he would take a brisk walk
around the capital.
THE NOBEL PRIZE: Roosevelt became the first President to
receive the Nobel Peace Prize. He won the award in 1906 for his
help in ending the war between Russia and Japan. By this time, he
was a well-known and much-loved figure around the world.
Roosevelt had said he would not run again in 1908. He didn’t
really want to leave office, but after seeing his friend William
Howard Taft elected President, he retired.
LIFE IN THE WHITE HOUSE:
The White House of Teddy
Roosevelt was a lively place.
The Roosevelt children were as
energetic as their father. They
kept a wide assortment of pets,
including many dogs and cats, a
bear, a lion, a rooster, a garter
snake, a parrot, a guinea pig,
and a pony. The pony, named
Algonquin, belonged to
Roosevelt’s youngest son,
Quentin. One day, when his
brother Archie was sick,
Quentin took the pony up the
stairs at the White House to
cheer him up.
First Lady Edith Roosevelt.
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The rough and tumble Roosevelt children also liked to take
large platters and use them to slide down the staircases at the
White House. Roosevelt encouraged his young children’s activities,
and he loved to play with them.
By this time, Alice, Roosevelt’s oldest daughter, was growing up.
She liked to shock people by smoking in public and going to horse
races. When told of this, Roosevelt said, “I can run the country or
control Alice, but not both.” Alice married Nicholas Longworth in
the White House on February 17, 1906.
RETIREMENT FROM POLITICS: After leaving office, Roosevelt
went on safari in Africa and toured Europe. He missed politics,
however, and after a year, he returned to the U.S.
RETURN TO POLITICS: In 1912, Roosevelt tried to get the Republican nomination to run again as President. But the Republicans
chose Taft again. Not discouraged, Roosevelt formed a new party.
It was called the National Progressive Party, known as the “Bull
Moose Party.” It got the nickname because Roosevelt told reporters that he felt “as fit as a Bull Moose” running for President
again.
Roosevelt ran against both Taft, the Republican candidate, and
Woodrow Wilson, the Democrat. He beat Taft in the voting, but
lost to Wilson. Back at his family home, called Sagamore Hill, he
continued to write. His autobiography, which came out in 1913,
was a success.
In 1914, Roosevelt went on a trip to explore a river in Brazil. He
came down with a jungle fever that almost killed him. He returned
home sick and exhausted to his house in Oyster Bay, New York.
During World War I (1914-1918), Roosevelt lost his youngest son,
Quentin, who was killed in France in 1918.
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Roosevelt became ill and died on January 6, 1919, at the age of
60. Edith Roosevelt lived on in Oyster Bay for almost 30 more
years. She died September 30, 1948, at the age of 87.
WHAT DID HE LOOK LIKE? Roosevelt was 5 feet 8 inches tall and
had a powerful, muscular body. He had thick glasses and a full
mustache.
FAMOUS QUOTE:
“No man has had a happier life than I have led;
a happier life in every way.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THEODORE ROOSEVELT:
Historic Sites:
Birth site:
28 E. 20th St.
New York, NY 10003
Phone: 212-260-1616
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
20 Sagamore Hill Rd.
Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Phone: 516-922-4447 or 516-922-4788
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
641 Delaware Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14202
Phone: 716-884-0095
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Theodore Roosevelt Island Park
George Washington Memorial Parkway
McLean, VA 22101
Phone: 703-289-2500
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Maltese Cross Cabin
Box 7
Medora, ND 58645
Phone: 701-623-4466
WORLD WIDE WEB ADDRESSES:
The White House offers young readers information on the U.S. government and the Presidents on a Web site called “White House
101.” The address is:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/white_house_101/
The Internet Public Library has a site on the Presidents. The
address is:
http://www.ipl.org/div/potus
American Memory is a site maintained by the Library of Congress
that contains biographical and historical information on the
Presidents. It also provides links to Presidential portraits.
For Theodore Roosevelt:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/feb03.html
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site
http://www.nps.gov/thrb/
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
http://www.nps.gov/thro/
Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial
http://www.nps.gov/this/
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