This blog is essentially a review of the information in Chapter 28 and how it will impact American History up to and through the 1920s (Chapters 29, 30).
"When I say I believe in a Square Deal, I do not mean...to give every man the best hand. If the cards do not come to any man, or if they do come, and he has not got the power to play them, that is his affair. All I mean is that there shall be no crookedness in the dealing."
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was perhaps the single most defining President since Lincoln, as Lincoln was since Jackson, and Jackson since Washington. He was dynamic and forceful, a man who felt the weight and majesty of destiny, a man who would make America what it should be no matter what. However, he was also a man whom others felt threatened by, a man who was perhaps too consumed with his desire to "do, do, do!"
As you look over Chapters 28-30, consider the impact that Roosevelt had at first, and the long shadow of influence that his example cast over future Presidents and America itself. To what extent was Teddy Roosevelt a great President who mastered the major issues of his time, and to what extent did his performance shape and define the Presidents after him and the country's view of itself, too.
DUE DATE: Monday, March 4, 2013
Word Count: 500 words minimum
Quick Facts on His Life & Presidency:
http://millercenter.org/president/roosevelt
The Teddy Roosevelt Center:
http://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/
The White House:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/theodoreroosevelt
63 comments:
Olivia Brophy
Per. 3 & 4
Pt. 1
The United States in the early years of the 20th century had many important issues to tackle. Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, with his athletic build and larger-than-life personality, was willing to tackle nearly every issue that came his way. First, dealing the growing presence of the United States in the affairs of the world following the Spanish-American War, which Roosevelt had been very much involved in, was an important duty that Roosevelt dealt with, though not always successfully, during his Presidency; Second, Roosevelt saw that some, though not all, of the trusts of the Gilded Age needed to be reined in for the protection of the economy; Third, labor and consumer protection was also important to Theodore Roosevelt, and his dealings with this issue were an extremely important legacy that he left on this nation. Thus, for political, economic and social reasons, Theodore Roosevelt was largely a successful President who mastered the major issues of his time, and who helped to define the role that not only future Presidents would have in the country and world, but also the United States itself.
The Spanish American War proved to be the United States’ debut into world “society”. Teddy Roosevelt, who had been a key player in bringing about the war, was also left to deal with the spoils. He was a firm believer that the United States was destined to become a world power, and was dedicated to achieving that goal and spreading American ways. The country now had the Philippine Islands in Asia and the island of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean within its possessions, with its presence felt in many other places, where it could spread its message of democracy economic opportunity. Most of these countries affected by the newfound American imperialism embraced democracy by THEIR people, but not democracy by the AMERICAN people. In the Philippines, this tension developed into full scale rebellion against the American government and their officials in the Philippines. One of the countries that was not held by the United States but certainly felt the effects of its desire to be a world power was fledgling Panama. Panama, owned by Colombia, was prime real estate for the canal linking the Pacific to the Atlantic that Teddy Roosevelt so desired. However, the Colombian senate didn’t accept the American offer for territory in Panama, which caused an angry Teddy Roosevelt to help Panama achieve its independence. By aiding in the Panamanian fight for independence and stationing troops at the construction sight of that Panama canal, the United States became the single most powerful military force in Central America, causing tensions with countries of that area that are still present today. President Roosevelt’s Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, which gave the United States the right to intervene in Latin American economic affairs when it deemed fit further stimulated resentment towards the U.S. in Latin America. This resentment toward America as a result of foreign policy in the Philippines and Central America was also reciprocated in Roosevelt’s attempt to negotiate peace between the Japanese and the Russians, from with the Japanese emerged feeling cheated by their former mentor, the United States. Despite the negative effects from much of Roosevelt’s foreign policies, these dealings did in fact establish the United States as a leading world power.
Olivia Brophy
Pt. 2
A key issue that Teddy Roosevelt had to deal with during his presidency was that of the trusts. Although the American public, despising these monopolies that had ruled the country and their lives during the foregone Gilded Age, called for the destruction of all trusts, Roosevelt limited the amount of “trust busting” to protect the economy, despite the possibility of dramatically increasing his popularity among the “common man”. Instead, Roosevelt determined trusts to be either “good”, with public consciences, or “bad”, only wanting money and power. President Roosevelt did this because, unlike successor, Taft, the forward thinking Roosevelt was able to recognize that monopolies were necessary for a modern United States economy. An especially effective act passed under Roosevelt dealing with trust regulation was the Hepburn Act of 1906, which significantly strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission, especially in dealing the railroads and their rates. President Roosevelt was extremely adamant about his railroad reforms because he was able to see that the railroad was a key part of the lives of everyday people and was crucial to the success of businesses all over the country. This increase in governmental regulating power allowed for Roosevelt to quash the Gilded Age belief that large, private companies were the nervous system of the country. By establishing the power over the power of business, Roosevelt heralded in a new age for the Presidency.
Olivia Brophy
Pt. 3
Through avenues such as the Square Deal, the progressive Roosevelt made a point of making “everybody’s interest” his interest, further moving away from a nineteenth century frame of mind. During the 1902 coal miner’s strike in Pennsylvania, the Square Deal was put to work after mind owners proved to be chillingly unresponsive to the propositions of the workers. Only when faced with federal seizure of their mines did owners cooperate and give laborers a nine, not ten, hour work day and a ten percent increase in pay. While the issue of inequality between management and workers was nowhere close to resolved because of this event, it was an important step toward increasing equality. This event also provided Roosevelt with another opportunity to assert to government’s power over business, as mentioned in the previous paragraph. The Square Deal also called for the protection of consumers and the conservation of natural resources. After the discovery of tainted meat coming from American meat packing companies, as well as after reading Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle, President Roosevelt began to take the issue of the protection of the consumer to heart. Through the passage of such acts as the Meat Inspection Act of 1906 and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, Roosevelt was able to increase the consumer’s safety, but also dramatically increased the role that the government played in the everyday lives of citizens. This increase in the government’s involvement in people’s lives would become an extremely important issue as the 20th century wore on, and might have been a key that opened a door for the passage of the 18th Amendment, due to the fact that the Amendment was an enormous step in legislating the everyday lives of the common people. The Square Deal also dramatically increased the presence of preservation programs in the United States, allowing Roosevelt to protect the American public from the prospect of running out of resources. Roosevelt, an avid outdoorsman, stepped onto the presidential stage in 1901 with conservation on his mind. Legislation such as the Newlands Act of 1902 and actions including the setting aside millions of acres in federal reserves to protect the dwindling American forests, Roosevelt was able to save the land he loved dearly. However, Theodore Roosevelt also knew that natural resources were important to the economy, and, as in so many other aspects of his domestic affairs, needed to create a balance between nonuse and overuse. As a result, Roosevelt and his colleague Gifford Pinchot developed “multiple-use resource management”, so as to protect both the land and business profits. The Square Deal was clearly landmark legislation, paving the way and inspiring future reform minded “deals”.
The above evidence and analysis of select social, political and economic aspect of Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency clearly shows that despite some of the negative effects that stemmed from his foreign policies, Roosevelt was in fact a president who accomplished many good things and virtually redefined what it meant to be the President of the United States and the role that that office played in the nation and the world as a whole.
During the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt from 1901-1909, the fiery politician brought about an important change to situations beyond US government politics during the Progressive Era. With a two-term presidency, the man of the “Big Stick” philosophy gained the support of many with his zealous passion to secure the rights and recognition of the American people, while greatly increasing power of the Executive Branch from Congress. Roosevelt’s headstrong mission during his occupation of the White House brought renown of his role in the nation’s future through three key creditable actions: ending corruption within American industry; response to foreign affairs, and leading the conservation of wildlife. Theodore Roosevelt defined his era as his radical actions followed the radical movement of the Progressive Era.
Amidst the period of the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, the influence of corruption and its effect on the average worker pressured many American citizens to end sinful dealings that festered even in the federal political system, as reformers impacted many through writings. These Progressive leaders impacted Roosevelt to weaken the strength of monopolies and worker unrest as he proposed several accepted acts against corruption, including the Elkins Act of 1903 and the Hepburn Act of 1906. Through these acts, the control of many corrupt bosses and business owners were weakened under his presidency. By listening, Theodore changed the lives of workers and consumers everywhere. Through an active involvement in American issues and lifestyle, “Trust –Buster” Roosevelt set the stage for the President’s stand on national issues by tenaciously supporting the concerns of the common man and women.
When the tenacious president was not involved in domestic affairs, he was just as active in foreign affairs, even years before his rise into the presidency as Secretary of the U.S Navy, supporting the Spanish-American War of 1898. During his presidency, American power was established as a world-wide power, as he acquired a small territory of Panama in 1901 and began construction in 1904. This shows that Roosevelt was quick to pursue the expansionist passion, extending US power and capability across both the Pacific and Atlantic. He chose for the U.S. to stand amongst other world powers as military-backed world power, an important mission that historian Howard K. Beale argued was because the world was pursuing imperialism, pressuring Roosevelt to elevate the U.S. into recognition as a world power. American Imperialism was unwavering as Roosevelt used his “Big Stick” policy to promote a belief supported since Manifest Destiny.
Even the tough and hardy president Roosevelt had a soft side as concern for the loss of national natural resources grew. In his actions to preserve these resources, President “Teddy” Roosevelt now called for a conservationist movement. Amongst the steps taken to restore America’s dwindling resources, irrigation was pursued with passing the Newlands Act of 1902 and the construction of the Roosevelt Dam in 1911, while even preventing such loss by establishing several national parks across the country. As an active supporter of the great American wildlife, Theodore Roosevelt held a personal concern and attachment to American identity and its constant contact with the great outdoors; such concern was found in few presidents in such a concern.
President Theodore Roosevelt brought recognition and respect to the Republican Party from his presidency, as his actions were arguably as revolutionary as George Washington’s and Andrew Jackson’s. With the turn of a new century, Roosevelt created a greater identity and recognition f the United States as its states and territories spanned the globe, while crushing corruption and providing for a better life for Americans. “Teddy” Roosevelt was of the most memorable and recognized presidents of U.S. History as he brought change in economic, social and political issues that were models for modern presidents today.
Teddy Roosevelt assumed the office of president at the youthful age of 43 and his progressive administration left and indelible mark on America. Teddy Roosevelt was seminal to concept of the modern president and his actions forever changed the expectations of the president. Roosevelt entered the presidency during tumultuous times and his attributes as an effective leader helped guide America to prosperity. Teddy Roosevelt was an effective and defining president because his interventionist foreign policy, which will prove to be a standard amongst modern presidents; his implementation and execution of antitrust laws, helped regulate an adolescent industrial economy; and finally his regulation of the meat and drug industry increase consumer safety and the quality of life for the American people. These initiatives that Roosevelt undertook ensconced him into history as one of the greatest presidents in American history.
Theodore Roosevelt’s presidential term in the early 20th century was one of great accomplishments as well as great questionable disputes. As president he advocated many progressive reforms and ambitious goals, all to advance America’s national status in the world. First, his desire to define “public interest” led to many important measures for the regulation of industries; second, Roosevelt’s awareness of public concern both within the American country and abroad spurred him to take crucial stances on the matters of consumer protection and conservation; third, his firmness in his personal policies tended to steer his actions, especially when it came to foreign affairs. Therefore, because of his contributions to industry regulation, economy and environment, and because of his strong policies, Theodore Roosevelt was, to a large extent, a great president who mastered the major issues of his time, and who shaped not only future presidents but also America itself.
President Theodore Roosevelt believed that the controlling authority of the United States should rightfully be the government, not big business companies, who had gained even more power with the transition to the 20th century. By attempting to manage industry, President Theodore Roosevelt actually bolstered it in a new and effective way. Roosevelt, swimming with the current of the progressive movement, decided to take action by promoting a “Square Deal” to the American people, one that would address labor and capital in relation to the public. Under this program, Roosevelt persuaded Congress into forming the Department of Commerce and Labor, of which an important branch was the Bureau of Corporations. This bureau had the power to investigate businesses participating in interstate commerce, and later proved vital in Roosevelt’s monopoly “busting” of large businesses he felt did not serve the “public conscience” (“bad trusts”), such as the Northern Securities Company of J.P. Morgan and James J. Hill that was “busted” in 1902. With the creation of this division, Roosevelt was able to further tighten the lid on largely unrestrained big businesses. Industry regulation continued in 1903 with the Elkins Act and in 1906 with the Hepburn Act, the former enacting serious fines on both railroads and shippers engaged in rebates, and the latter curbing the use of corrupt free passes. The Interstate Commerce Commission was even granted the power to nullify existing rates and set maximum rates. Believing in regulating big industry rather than fragmenting it, at the end of Roosevelt’s term, the huge industries were actually healthier than before. All of these measures had lasting impacts on American business, taming them a bit more so that they would be easier to manage and keep under control. Ultimately, these measures laid the groundwork for making the American industrial sphere more fair and public-friendly, while greatly stimulating the performance of American enterprise.
A significant trait about Roosevelt was his “common touch” when it came to public relations. Conscious of the views of the masses both within his own country and overseas, he responded to the people through key legislations that greatly revolutionized the American country inside and out. When consumers abroad expressed concern over “tainted” American meat, Roosevelt answered with the Meat Inspection Act of 1906, which required that all meat prepared in the U.S. for exportation be subject to thorough federal inspection. In ensuring the health safety of importers of American foodstuffs, crucial progress was made in making industries more honest and just, thus reinforcing the international market. Furthermore, when the panic of 1907 sent the country into chaos, America’s economy was forever changed by the passing of the Aldrich-Vreeland Act, which provided for collateral-backed emergency currency. Such a backup security system helped to stabilize the economy more in the case of future financial problems. The environment was also something Roosevelt addressed. As the western lands increasingly became settled and discovered, the nation began worrying about the closing of the frontier. Roosevelt tackled this issue by setting aside millions of forest land, coal deposits, and water resources into the federal reserves to be protected and conserved. He even presided over the Newlands Act in 1902 that authorized the government to undertake the irrigation of western lands to make the lands productive. To this day, all those conservation measures help keep our country’s true form alive, and work as a restrictive reminder to the fast pace of industrialization. This ability of Roosevelt to respond to the people’s fears and desires made him effective in addressing the problems of his time.
A man of forceful determination, having served as assistant secretary of the navy for President McKinley in 1897, Roosevelt advocated an aggressive foreign policy as well as military and naval “preparedness.” Despite being good in responding to emerging crises, his firm belief that the presidency should be able to “take any action in the general interest that is not specifically forbidden by the laws of the Constitution” made his methods of handling foreign business sometimes seem debatable. An example of such issues can first be seen when the Latin American nations fell behind on their debts to European creditors. Fearing that the Europeans might remain in Latin America as bill collectors, Roosevelt instituted the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, which not only provided a way to keep the European nations out of the Western Hemisphere but also justified future military interventions. In the case of the Panama Canal, when the Panamanians revolted after the Colombian government’s refusal of America’s offer for a Panamanian zone, the American navy prevented Colombian troops from suppressing the uprising, soon after which Roosevelt recognized the new Panamanian administration. He wanted a canal for quicker mobilization of the U.S. navy, and in both aforementioned foreign affairs, ambition seemed to be the factor leading his decisions. Such actions by Roosevelt did help to promote America’s status in the world, but at the price of U.S. relations with those countries. When exploitation of Roosevelt’s Corollary ensued, Latin American relations soured. The same thing happened to American relations with Russia and Japan after the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) when Roosevelt’s negotiations left both European nations unsatisfied. On the other hand, some of Roosevelt’s foreign management did prove fruitful, such as the “Gentleman’s Agreement” of 1907-08 between the San Francisco school board and its Asian students that resulted in the rescinding of the segregationist school measure in exchange for the halt of Japanese laborer immigration. All in all, Roosevelt’s adamant stand in his policies and beliefs allowed him to effectively manage the foreign issues of his time, and thus shaped the direction of America’s future.
Beckett Lee
Periods 3 & 4
As the 19th century faded into history and the bright new 20th century dawned, America faced a new chapter in its destiny. The Gilded Age had demonstrated the power that could be attained by a few men with vision and determination, who were willing to put everything on the line to achieve their goals. The world was a place ripe with change, nationalism, and lands available to those who were willing to take them by force. On to this scene stepped Theodore Roosevelt who was determined to be America’s Chancellor Bismarck, America’s Tsar Nicholas, America’s Queen Victoria. He combined the growing nationalism and power of the European nations with the exponential growth rate of American population, industry, and military might to make America a major world power, analogous to Britain, France, Germany, and Russia, that would make a lasting mark on America’s future. First, Roosevelt bolstered the American Navy to take control of the vast seas that protected it from foreign threats; second, he promoted sound financial practices that would ensure a secure economic future for the United States; third, he set the precedent for a strong and aggressive Federal Government that would encompass every aspect of America from its businesses to its resources and even its neighbors. By accomplishing these things, Teddy Roosevelt set the stage for America to become a global power that would obtain glory and riches throughout the 20th century.
One of the greatest focuses of Roosevelt’s political life was the American Navy. As the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Roosevelt followed the same doctrine as Alfred T. Mahan which stated that “he who controls the seas controls the world.” This principle had been exemplified by the Greeks, the Romans, the Spanish, and the British. Now, Roosevelt was ready to make America the next great power by using the same techniques. Under Roosevelt, military spending, especially for the Navy and the building of new ships, was a key fiscal policy. He built the Great White Fleet to circumnavigate the world and demonstrate to all of the world’s nations that America was ready to contend with the Old World for global dominance. His battleships contained some of the newest gun and engine technologies and sent a clear message that the Americans could contend with anything the world had to offer. In building the Panama Canal, Teddy Roosevelt allowed the fleets in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans to quickly move to support each other. By extending the Monroe Doctrine, he allowed America to secure the shores and ports of any nearby land that could pose a threat to American naval dominance. By securing the American shores with a strong Navy, he essentially made the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans two large moats that could protect America as the English Channel had protected England for centuries. His naval policies were a huge contribution to the success of future American endeavors around the globe. (Continued).
(Continued) Theodore Roosevelt also encouraged the stout financial policies that would give America the economic stability that it would need to survive the Great Depression, two World Wars, and several foreign wars after that. While America would face economic downturns, the precedent of Roosevelt’s Square Deal would ensure that America would bend and not break with the monetary gale force winds that would come. Roosevelt’s use of the Panama Canal as a source of American economic stability and expediency would also give America a huge commercial advantage in the critical economic system of trade. However, he is also very well known for his busting of the trusts that attempted to monopolize the American free market. He knew that an uncontrolled monopoly could crush the spirit of the investors on the stock market and the banks that managed the nation’s money. To prevent this, he worked to ensure that all trusts were under Federal control that could kill the trust if it got out of hand. This strengthening of the Federal Government into a bastion of economic control is maintained to this day and his influence has allowed America to ride the stormy seas of the markets as well as of the oceans.
Finally, Theodore Roosevelt looked to the future and gave birth to the system of rejuvenating resources and the economy by any means that the Federal Government had in its power. By instituting his Square Deal policies he ensured that the people looked to the Federal Government as the final say in all major economic matters. This would be carried on and compounded by his cousin’s New Deal several years later. His financial centralization in the Federal Government allowed America to quickly deal with economic downturns with unified and all-encompassing policies. By instituting the National Park system and making the preservation of resources a focus for the Federal Government and the free market, Theodore Roosevelt created what could be argued to be his most lasting influence. Almost for the first time in American history, it was realized that the end of the Western frontier also meant the end of endless expansion with endless resources. It was realized that the universal slash-and-burn techniques of dealing with resources would not allow America to maintain its economic growth. This was clearly demonstrated by the struggles of England to maintain its own self-sufficiency. By establishing national parks and regulating the use of resources, Theodore Roosevelt safeguarded the assets that he knew future generations of ambitious Americans would need. By looking to the future, Theodore Roosevelt allowed the future to look back to him as the example of success. He set the precedents that generations of Americans and American politicians would follow to this day. It could be said that Theodore Roosevelt was the great trailblazer that created the trailhead at the beginning of the century that the Americans who came after would continue to blaze and develop into a great highway of American prosperity and global dominance.
Theodore Roosevelt was president in the very early 1900s, at the age of 43. the young politician brought about an abundance change to the situations beyond The United States government political view and into the more social part of being president, his progressive administration left behind a mark upon the expectancy of any other president like Lincoln, and before that Andrew Jackson. Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt served two terms, and gained many supporters with his over-zealous man with a"big stick" idea. When he became president it was a hard time for all Americans, he used his natural leadership abilities to lead America to a more peaceful time. Roosevelt was a attractive and effective in his ideals of the foreign policies, which did indeed become standard for most modern presidents to worry about. To regulate an adolescent industrial economy he implemented and executed the antitrust laws which were needed for him to be able to do anything in the industrial world. He also lead the conservation of wildlife movement, to protect the nature and replant what one cuts down to keep it for later generations. Amidst the period of the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, the influence of corruption and its effect on the average worker pressured many American citizens to end sinful dealings that festered even in the federal political system, as reformers impacted many through writings. When the president was not involved in domestic affairs, he was just as active in foreign affairs, even years before his rise into the presidency as Secretary of the U.S Navy, supporting the Spanish-American War of 1898. Theodore Roosevelt held a personal concern and attachment to American identity and its constant contact with the great outdoors; such concern was found in few presidents in such a concern. With the turn of a new century, Roosevelt created a greater identity and recognition f the United States as its states and territories spanned the globe, while crushing corruption and providing for a better life for Americans. These changes that Roosevelt under took engraved him into history as one of the greatest presidents in American history, since Abraham Lincoln and George Washington before him.
In 1901 Theodore Roosevelt, or “Teddy,” as he was affectionately called, was hastily sworn into office after the death of President McKinley. Roosevelt had a huge personality and flair, and during the 8 years he served as President he revolutionized the Presidency and the country by addressing major issues occurring in the country at that time. First, Roosevelt in his presidency broke up some of the monopolistic trusts in order to ensure more of a chance for the common man; second, he created more laws to help with consumer and labor safety; and third he created an image of the modern day President, and greatly influenced the future politicians of America. Therefore, because of the economic, social, and politically reasons Roosevelt was one of the most influential presidents ever, and changed the face of the country.
Theodore Roosevelt, after confidently stepping up to the Presidency, delivered a 20,000 word address to Congress urging them to “curb” the power of large trusts, in order to create greater chances for the common man. This single act shows the supreme confidence of Roosevelt and the air of maturity he conducts himself with. This shows there is a reason he is gets the nickname “trust buster,” but his push for equality and freedom created a larger and more open market which majorly bolstered the economy. This act shows the knowledge and wisdom of Teddy, as well as the straight forward decisiveness he is famous for; this was him proving he knew what he was doing. Teddy in doing this shows the evolution of the President who now “pulls strings” to benefit the economy and ultimately the people.
Roosevelt, after proving he could “politick” (as he would say- see Edmund Morris biography trilogy on Teddy) by not only breaking up trusts, but also by wining the 1904 elections by a landslide, set about further improving the stance of the “common man.” With almost a Jacksonian thoughtfulness Teddy passed the Meat Inspection Act of 1906, after reading Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, and sent a “fact finding commission” in 1902 to settle a strike, which ended up obtaining higher pay for the workers. These two acts ultimately show the foresight of the literally near-sighted Teddy. These two acts also show the fight, and care Roosevelt has for the common man.
Roosevelt’s ultimate legacy is the example he set for future politicians of what the modern President looked like. No longer would there be the “forgotten Presidents” of the previous decades, the modern President was a defender of the weak, and was extremely confident and assured- we see this in Roosevelt’s “big stick” proclamation for the U.S.’ involvement in foreign affairs. Roosevelt showed future generations of office seekers that the people will vote for someone who is popular, athletic, and smart, as well as young (Teddy was 42 when sworn in, making him the youngest president ever). Theodore Roosevelt set the mold for the modern President, and reasserted the power of the White House.
Teddy Roosevelt was a magnificent man, which enough accomplishments to fill many lifetimes, however, his largest legacy will be the influence he left on the country and ultimately the Presidency. His Jacksonian policies created an “even playing field” for the common man, ensured better rights for labor and consumers, and revolutionized the Presidency. Therefore, because of the economic, social, and political reasons Teddy Roosevelt revolutionized and changed the Presidency, and forever put his name down as one of the greatest Presidents ever.
-Christian Filbrun
In America, from 1901 to 1909, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt was an extremely proactive president conquered the issues of his presidency, but to a lesser extent, he was not good in the long run. Teddy Roosevelt, being the active politician and man he is, tackled any and all problems that would dare cross his path, which there was several of; first, he wanted to ensure the government would improve the lives of Americans; second, slowed the progression of monopolization of companies and improved the economy of, not only America, but the world; thirdly, was an actively intimidating figure in the world of politics. Therefore, for social, political, and economic reasons, Theodore Roosevelt was an ideal president but after was NOTHING MORE THAN A LONG SHADOW (metaphor) standing over those to follow him.
Theodore Roosevelt clearly states he will take whatever course of action is necessary for the good of the public as long as it abides to the federal law, thereby giving the public a “square deal.” In this square deal for America, Theodore would take control of many corporations, consumer protection and the conservation of natural resources (leading to the creation of the first national parks). He felt in order to serve all the people equally he needed to better regulate big businesses thereby creating better working conditions for workers, leading to him gaining the name the “Trust Buster.” Because Theodore was such a proactive president many politicians and businessmen felt threatened by him and his view of how the country should be shaped.
At the end of the Spanish-American war the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam were ceded to the United States by Spain. The United States had basically adopted a small empire, and with America on the edge of the global stage Theodore Roosevelt built strong foreign policies so the country could stand as an example to the rest of the world. The Roosevelt Corollary was added to the Monroe doctrine to keep European debt collectors out of Latin America and if Europeans attempt to interfere the United States has the right to exercise police power. This is the first instance where the United States has been seen as the “global police.” Roosevelt was also mainly responsible for the Panama Revolt, in which Latin Americans attempted to sever their ties with Panama and Columbia, which made it possible for the construction of the Panama canal.
After his two terms as president, Teddy Roosevelt was still a strong leader and had never seemed to leave the presidential state of mind. He was still actively apart of U.S. politics and was used mainly as an advisor to the president, William Taft, and many politicians (some foreign). With those presidents who came after him not being as productive as he was, Teddy was always around to push them in the directions which he saw fit, which only made them feel more intimidated by him continually casting his shadow upon them.
Kyle McCormick per 1/6
here is what i have so far i finished it but decided to redo what i had because i didn't like it.
In 1901-1909, the often outlandish and always cunning President, Theodore Roosevelt, brings about change to the United States government that signified the Progressive Era. During Theodore Roosevelt’s two-term presidency, he was able to gain the backing individuals of great influence and wealth as well as the majority of middle class voters. His keen passion to secure the recognition and voice of the American people made him a popular leader and successful politician. However, President Roosevelt’s policies greatly increased the power of the Executive Branch shifting the legislative weight away from those representing the voice of the general populace - Congress. President Roosevelt’s popularity was furthered by his ambitious goals including three key actions. President Roosevelt was a catalyst to reducing monopolies and general corruption within American commerce. Additionally, as the first true environmentalist in the white house, he led the movement to protect wildlife and create nature preserves. Lastly, Roosevelt’s innovative foreign policy dramatically impacted the nation’s position as a world power. Roosevelt and his bold political action seemed to be tailor made for what is known as the Progressive Era.
Part 1
During the early nineteen hundreds the twenty-sixth President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt rose to power as the youngest President in the Nation's history. Despite the political dominance of Congress in addition to the presidency itself, Roosevelt became one of the greatest enduring Presidents, leading Congress and the future of America into new unprecedented progressive transformation as well as a sturdy foreign policy. First, Roosevelt held the firm belief that it was his fate to transform the existing government into a sponsor of a “square deal”; second, he completely altered the government’s affiliation with big business; and third, he essentially rebooted the nation's connection to foreign affairs. Thus, for these intellectual, economic, and social reasons, Roosevelt placed a considerable emphasis on American's ability to accomplish what they set out to do, and beyond. First, due to Roosevelt’s firm belief that it was his destiny to make the government what it was back then, setting an example still followed strongly to this day. One of the primary theories he acted upon was the idea that government served as a mediator of reform for the American populous. For instance, during the course of the American Spanish War, Roosevelt led the Rough Rider Regiment into battle with San Juan, presenting himself as a fearless war hero, unafraid to display his non-verbal passion towards reaching a goal set for his country. This was the basis of his appeal to multiple ethnic, cultural, and congressional groups which came to be known as the “Square Deal” upon declaration of fairness to all (excluding whether or not they actually openly accepted these balance opportunities was still entirely up to the individual however) (PARENTHESIS). Second, Roosevelt’s revision of the federal government’s association with big business corporations was a major aspect of his time as president. Shortly before his presidential election, the industrial giants had comprehensive freedom to set and attain whatever goals they saw fit; so he went forth and argued that business regulation should not affect the general public in an undesirable way. He also reserved the right to defend labor organizations, stepping in on behalf of the United Mine Workers Strike, facilitating them in binding negotiation. By successfully breaching monopolies, Roosevelt later exchanged scattered trust-rupturing for perpetual directives, such as the Hepburn Act of 1906 in which he sanctioned the Interstate Commerce Commission to set higher railroad rates in addition to thorough inspection of railroad companies’ financial records. This appeared to be the work of someone who clearly did not care about the future that lay ahead for not only his own presidency, but so too for the sake of the country. (SARCASM).
Part 2
And third, Roosevelt provided a new beginning concerning the establishment of foreign affairs. Seeing as his time as president was directly in line with a time period of unmatched and vastly influential international control, he continued to play his role as the “big stick” ruler, that is to say, decidedly “Speak softly and carry a big stick”. He was a steady advocate of foreign responsibility on a global scale. For example, the supervision of the Panama Canal in addition to superseding Venezuela and Santo Domingo in order to maintain consistency. He still continued to aid Congress even after the end to his presidential reign. Most notably the protection of the Progressive Party’s New Nationalism in 1912, giving substantial support to eventual movements of the 1930’s and 1960’s. This ideal was incorporated into several other fast approaching progressive ideals such as the Fair Deal of Harry S. Truman, the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the New Frontier of John F. Kennedy. The supremacy of the nation had reached an all-time high. So, as a result of these intellectual, financial, and communal reasons, Theodore Roosevelt placed a generous stress on American's potential, all while incorporating his own unique twist on the shape of the country, shedding new light on the wings of the nation’s infinity (PROSOPOPEIA).
Part 1
To a great extent Teddy Roosevelt was a fantastic president during his terms from 1901 to 1909, and he sure had some strong opinions about his successors in the years following his presidency. These opinions intimidated the following and was to a lesser extent effective in the long-run. Teddy had a massive impact on regular American life; 1st, socially, Theodore encouraged Americans to take charge of their own problems as shown by the creation of the Women Christian Temperance Union, in addition, to go out and find their own frontier in the expanses that he sat aside as national parks; 2nd economically, Theodore was famous as well as infamous for busting trusts and big business, this infuriated greedy and unlucky monopolists but raised the overall economy of America and made more items cheaper and therefore available to more Americans; 3rd, politically, TR casted a long shadow over his successors, and since he was not assassinated like the last great president, he had plenty to say about the habits of the new presidents. Although Teddy had great and positive influence while he sat in the Oval Office, he had a mostly negative influence after he left.
Being a popular president, even among children, (parenthesis) Teddy left quite a mark on the American public. He had a large concern for the quality of the common man’s lifestyle. However he would not give handouts. He encouraged the working class to go out west like he did and find their own wealth. Persuading with company owners to provide their employees with better working conditions was carried out with only a few emotional outbursts. The funniest and most well known instance is when Teddy was a Henry Clay (metaphor) and helped coal miners reach an agreement with their bosses in the coal strike of 1902, but the president complained about the stupidity of the representatives, and stated had it not been for the dignity of his position he would’ve taken one of them “by the seat of the breeches and chucked him out of the window.” Theodore was well aware of the disappearing frontier, if it was not gone already. So he set aside 46 million acres of land to be preserved as reservations. The presidents following the Rough Rider had a tough time trying to be remembered by the public like Roosevelt was. This task was only partially accomplished by Wilson, and he had a boost because he was a wartime president. Theodore had a profound effect on the mindset of Americans, giving them the push and the infant thought that America was a great power.
A large part of Theodore’s concern for the American people was not only a concern, he acted upon it. Around this time it could be said that big business owned the country and not the government. Large companies could charge whatever prices the desired, not caring about whoever needed the item. The Elkins Act of 1903 was a bill passed by congress to stop the rebate evils. Rebates are sales promotions involving a kind of refund, and railroads would give them to the shippers. However the Elkins Act now could now impose heavy fines on those railroads that gave out rebates as well as the shippers who accepted them. TR took it upon himself to crush these big businesses or bad trusts. Though he did not swing his “Big Stick” mindlessly and obliterate anything in sight, Roosevelt only went after those monopolistic companies. A good example is the Northern Securities Company organized by the monopolistic giant J.P. Morgan and James J. Hill. The supreme court case concerning the Northern Securities Company stuck to the presidents antitrust suit and ordered the company dissolved. A few ripple effects on wall street did occur but nothing too serious. Theodore had a profound effect on the presidents after him concerning business. Taft, Teddy’s had picked successor, busted more monopolies than his predecessor did in only one term. The other following presidents held a tighter leash on private business, else it would run wild.
Part 2
Probably the biggest influence that Teddy had on America and his successors was after he was president. Lincoln was the last memorable president before Roosevelt, and he was assassinated before his second term. Not only did Teddy get his two terms, he was in great health after he stepped down. Taft was left in charge of all of Theodore’s policies for America, and Theodore went lion hunting. However, Taft was not really suited for presidency. Although he did get rid of a lot of monopolistic companies, he had a hard time getting congress to agree with him on bills, and was overall incompetent. Teddy soon realized his heir was not cut from the same cloth as he was, and actually challenged Taft for the presidency and ran against him as a member of the progressionist party. This split up the republican party and thus, the democrats won with Wilson. Although the old cowboy was not the president anymore, he could still voice his opinion as loud as he wanted. One of his favorite topics was complaining how badly the current president was running the country. Closing in on the war of 1914, Wilson had tried very hard to keep America out of the European wars, while Teddy frothed at the mouth for war. Eventually, Wilson gave in and asked congress to declare war, and America released its manly disciples of Roosevelt that had travelled west and became the rough, manly men that Theodore had hoped for. America that manly world power that TR strived for, showing just how much America wished to make its Teddy Bear proud of his country.
Theodore Roosevelt had a lasting effect on his country before and after he became president. I personally believe that his influence was greater while he was in the big seat, but one could argue that he did some more good afterwards. However, one can not doubt that Theodore Roosevelt changed America and its presidents to follow permanently.
Teddy Roosevelt assumed the office of president at the youthful age of 43 and his progressive administration left an indelible mark on America. Teddy Roosevelt was seminal to concept of the modern president and his actions forever changed the expectations of the president. Roosevelt entered the presidency during tumultuous times and his attributes as an effective leader helped guide America to prosperity. Teddy Roosevelt was an effective and defining president because his interventionist foreign policy, which will prove to be a standard amongst modern presidents; his implementation and execution of antitrust laws, helped regulate an adolescent industrial economy; and finally his regulation of the meat and drug industry increase consumer safety and the quality of life for the American people. These initiatives that Roosevelt undertook ensconced him into history as one of the greatest presidents in American history.
At the close of the Spanish American War, America had attained a newfound power and a stronger sense of international respect. Roosevelt capitalized upon this newfound power by implementing the Roosevelt Corollary which not only affirms American superiority in Latin America but also fundamental shifts American foreign policy towards social Darwinism. Roosevelt intervened in Latin American affairs when it involved European powers and he even sanctioned the U.S to send troops if need be in order to enforce the Monroe Doctrine. This policy Roosevelt laid out will be the justification for many future interventions in Latin America. A lasting effect of the Roosevelt Corollary was the Dollar Diplomacy policy which Taft undertook in order to stabilize the finances in Latin America to keep European powers out; this is very similar to Roosevelt’s policy except Taft’s policy had an emphasis on finances. Roosevelt’s foreign policy will not only shape Taft’s foreign policy but most of the modern presidents will have also have interventionist foreign policies.
The Gilded Age was characterized by meteoric rise of the American industrial economy and at the helm of this new industrial giant were the trusts. Roosevelt was not an enemy of big business; he sought to bust the goliaths of industry that make it impossible for competition. Roosevelt believed that excessive trust busting was not a sound economic policy and he preferred to regulate big business than fragment it. The policy of trust busting became a staple in Taft’s economic policy and Wilson implanted more anti-trust laws carrying on the tradition of fighting big business. Over the 20th century many more trusts will be busted and the government will try to bust even more. Roosevelt tackled the horrors of big business which plagued America during the Gilded Age and accomplished what his predecessors failed at. Roosevelt set the stage for trust busting for future presidents but he also tamed a raucous economy coming out of the Gilded Age.
Before the times of the progressive reforms of Teddy Roosevelt, the meat industry did not have mandated sanitary conditions in their plants which caused many people to fall ill. The passage of the Meat inspection Act of 1906 was crucial in the development of consumer safety and this bill also helped the large meatpackers because it prevented smaller unsanitary plants from undercutting them in domestic markets. At a time when of rapid industrialization and mass production of food products Teddy Roosevelt saw the need to regulate food in order to protect the American people and he also did it to protect the meatpacking plants that already had sanitary standards at their plants. The issue protecting the American people was central to Roosevelt’s presidency as shown economic and foreign policy and this is merely an extension of his progressive reforms, which were aimed at bettering the lives of the American people.
Teddy Roosevelt will be remembered as one of the greatest presidents in our history because of the progressive reforms he undertook and because of his work to solidify America as a world power. Roosevelt strived to have America finally be that city on the hill that people aspired to be. TR’s presidency saw the transformation of America into an international power that demanded respect from the rest of the world. Roosevelt was a defining president because he took action and stood up to the problems that plagued the Gilded Age and his personality turned the presidency into potent figure it is today.
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In the United States of America, during the time spanning between 1901 to 1909 Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt functioned as a strong-minded/willed and aggressively outgoing leader who started his career in office as president with a “shot heard around the world”, despite his ideals and vision of America’s future and all that he made himself to represent, he terrified many with his great...enthusiasm as it were. President Roosevelt tackled both domestic and foreign problems in a head-on sort of fashion, managing to bring the government to it’s knees in ensuring improved conditions for Americans, as well as temporarily suppressing the monopolization of both small and large businesses. Theodore also successfully enhanced the standing economy of America’s time, (as well as the world economy). With his straightforward and objective thinking, Roosevelt dominated the political center left and right, none could hold a candle to him without risking it being snuffed out (metaphor). The degree to which Theodore Roosevelt was a truly ideal American President ends only after he failed to secure the golden age that he had planted. The true legacy that President Roosevelt has trailed behind is the establishment of the first National Parks in America, as Teddy was a big game hunter and thoroughly enjoyed creeping through the woods... in good sport that is. The extent to which he would go to ensure the good of the public is clearly defined in his “Square Deal” in doing whatever was necessary so long as it abided by the federal law. Theodore ran a very efficient and successful empire having taken control over natural resource conservation and many corporations, he felt this was necessary to provide liable working opportunities as well as conditions to the public where large businesses having had all the say in the matter may become lenient and push primarily towards company interests. During this time the United States became known as the “world police” as the Roosevelt Corollary was added to the Monroe Doctrine in order to prevent European debt collectors out of Latin America, or else papa America would give them the belt where the sun don’t shine so-to-speak. Ironically enough, post-presidency only increased the pressure to be great onto the presidents following Theodore Roosevelt and his impactful career of putting things in their place and raising Americans to strive to reach for the future, rather than reflecting on the past. Even in passing on himself.
Tristan Mauricio
Periods 1&6
Part 1
At the turn of the nineteenth century, young Theodore Roosevelt would become the President after President William McKinley had been assassinated. Originating from a strong proud back round “Teddy” Roosevelt had already surpassed the expectations and the challenges he faced, from conquering asthma to becoming a war hero in the Spanish American War. His new approach to foreign policy reflected the attitude of the United States after becoming an imperialistic nation; the end of the Gilded Age’s corruption underneath his financial and economical policies; and the massive power surge of the executive branch underneath his administration. Theodore Roosevelt’s influence during his presidency would expand the role of the President and set the standard for the United States clearly displayed throughout the 20th century.
After Mckinley had died before his term would have ended, Teddy Roosevelt inherited an Empire in the making and perflectly reflected the time period early establishing his “ Speak softly but carry a big stick” approach to foreign policy. After the Spanish American War in 1898 the Spanish ceded the Phillipines, Puerto Rico, and Guam to the United States all the while annexing Hawaii and watching over Cuba. Theodore Roosevelt understood the importance of a strong navy that would “police” the Western Hemisphere establishing a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine saying that we can and will protect ours. Perhaps his greatest feat was the Contruction and establishment of the Panama Canal, in which we would throw our support towards a Panamanian Revolution to supercede the Colombian Presence established there. The Colombian government had owned Panama up until that time and refused the offer we had presented which led to the construction of the Canal which Americans had been craving for decades. Before the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty with Panama no one in the Stares would have never thought of such enforcement nor the metamorphosis we had gone through.
Part 2:
Througout the remaning decades of the Nineteenth century Americans had gone through inflation, depression, and msot would have lived dismal lives all because of the Gilded Age, componies, monopolies, and even lone businessmen would tear up the Nation’s economy through corruption and gaining huge profit most had been cheated out of. The lower and middle class would face uncertain futures as our country would spiral down into chaos and confusion because of these big businesses, Teddy Roosevelt would be a President who would be characterized as a Trust Buster and strongly encouraged Social Systems for the lower classes. Underneath his Presidency, Roosevelt would bring the end to the Gilded Age and reset the American Economy to prosper until the Great Depression and also inadvertently preparing the States for “The Great War”.
Ever since Abraham Lincoln had been assasinated in 1865 Congress would wield the majority of Power within the Government, and although Presidents during and after the 1880’s had begun to regain some of the power, Roosevelt would make the final push to re-establish the Executive Branch at the center of Governemnt with the President as its head. Theodore Roosevelt like any of his precursors, had his own views on what an ideal President was, he believed that the President should use all of the powers he was granted with and that serving as the President he believed that it was his duty to serve the people. Although he recognized that big business was the center of the American Economy and once it is well off prosperity would come to all, he would force a lockdown on the Monopolies as to prevent a second Gilded Age. Former Presidents encouraged Big Business and would hand feed the Companies to buffer them up but Roosevelt was the exact opposite, he was on the backs of the CEO’s and directors to put them into place. Theodore Roosevelt had been a President who would redefine the role of the President and his legacy would be present throughout the 20th century.
Michael Wakeley
Periods 1 and 6
As the nineteenth century ended and faded away from the gilded age, America began a new chapter with the progressive era of the twentieth century, a major turn of the span of American power in the world. Where the nation had been lead by economic juggernauts in the years before the new age would be marked by brilliant and charismatic leaders that would prove to represent the era. Theodore Roosevelt lead the time and revolutionized the nation to match that of the powers of the rest of the world, by combining the new American wealth, and industrial power with the booming population and nationalistic fervor of the young nation. Firstly, his expansions to the American navy expanded our “sphere of influence” throughout the world and allowed for the protection of oversees interests as well as protecting our borders. Secondly, his concerns of national industry and for sound economic and domestic practices provided for a secure foundation for the future of the nation. Thirdly he created a role model that future politicians could look at as a representation of how they should act.
Over Seventy percent of the map is covered in water, and is stretches and covers every landmass, and with the pushing of Theodore Roosevelt America became a world power with a formidable military. The massive navy created by Roosevelt had given American the ability to show its force and to represent the economic power that had been created in the revolution. As well as the new navy allowed for the protection of our boarders and their expansion. With the creation of the Panama Canal American forces are able to spread our navy to protect our interests around the world and claim new territories around the globe with access to both oceans.
President Theodore Roosevelt believed the nation should be controlled by the government rather than the industry that fed it, and in the process continued to expand their industrial growth. Swept by the tides of the progressive movement that had spoken for the fair rights of the American people president Roosevelt had created the “Square Deal System’ and in doing so had created a system that would speak for labor and capitol in the interest of the people rather than the corporations they worked for. In doing so Roosevelt had created the department of commerce and labor. Of which the bureau would take to the busting of large corrupt organizations that had no positive effect on the public conscience such as branches owned by JP Morgan. As well as Roosevelt would use this organization to back the Sherman Anti-Trust act to regulate and “bust” monopolies. Under Roosevelt’s instruction capitalism gained its boundaries from complete corruption, regulations where placed to prevent companies from cutting too many corners to create a profit, such as creating regulations of processed foods and meats. Roosevelt was also the nation’s first conversationalist president and went across the nation in an effort to save the country from the companies that were destroying important national environments.
Roosevelt thought that as President, he had a special connection with and a responsibility to the people, and as such he constantly strived to serve and improve the nation. Theodore cast a long shadow over the new presidents and with his big shoes, created a difficult situation for his replacement. In fact he was so underwhelmed with his replacement that he lobbied against him, and he would continue to speak his mind and show his voice for long after he was president. Roosevelt created the transition of making the president a truly strong and effectual leader, as opposed to the unimportant presidents of years past. In his actions he made the president a center of political authority as opposed to the political parties or Congress.
Theodore Roosevelt, or "T.R.," as he liked to be called, was a complicated man, a mass of contradictions, and he could not be bullied. He was a conservative, yet he fought for reform. He was a hunter who started the conservation movement; a hawk on war who won the Nobel Peace prize.
Perhaps the only thing that can be easily understood about him is that he was an original. T.R. never identified himself as a Republican. Roosevelt never thought in terms of pure party politics, and instead thought about what was right for the American people. From Roosevelt, we learned that the president doesn't represent their party as much as they represent the people. If a president does what's right for the most people what you think is right, they're going to be a great president.
Exciting and impossibly energetic, Roosevelt was constantly doing things, constantly reading things, constantly thinking about things and constantly talking about things. A "tea totaller," Roosevelt didn't drink alcohol, but instead drank a gallon of coffee a day. Exuding charisma in a way that required everybody to pay attention, Theodore Roosevelt, without question, was one of the most, if not the most, electrifying politician of his generation.
Roosevelt was also a shrewd politician. Roosevelt knew politics were driven by personality, and he used the sheer force of his personality to get what he wanted. Every issue with Teddy Roosevelt was affected by his personality, perhaps more so more than any president before or since then. His personality was infused with his politics and either won him supporters or bitter enemies. He also believed in good and evil. He believed that a single individual could have a large impact on the course of affairs. He held the belief that there was room in national life, even in the modern, industrial age of his time, for the same kind of selfless heroism that one would read about in stories.
Roosevelt did not waste much time going after what he thought was America's greatest evil: too much power in the hands of corporate America. When Roosevelt became president, it was a toss up who the most powerful man in the country was. It might have been Theodore Roosevelt, the President of the United States, or J. Pierpont Morgan, the most powerful financier in the country. Roosevelt came to believe that the great industrialists in the United States did, in fact, wield too much power. And he decided that this needed to be curbed.
Five months into office, Roosevelt took J.P. Morgan head on. He sued the tycoon's northern securities corporation to halt its monopolization of the Western railways. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, and in a close decision the government was successful. Morgan's monopoly was crushed. As a result, Roosevelt gained a reputation as a "trust-buster," but in truth, he was a trust regulator.
His underlying view was that large size in industry was something that came with the territory of the Industrial Revolution. However, it was necessary to remind these corporate barons that the people, not the trusts, not the capitalist system, but the people, controlled affairs in the country. The thing that T.R. feared was that, if he couldnt get corporate America to let release some of it's constricting power, it would blow up in the form of social dysfunction. This proved to be true.
During Roosevelt’s presidency, lingering societal ills came to a boiling point. There were no sanitation systems, highways, or social welfare. In New York, starvation among the poor was rampant. Across America, one child out of every five worked in a factory, mine, or sweatshop. Conditions for laborers were miserable, particularly for coal miners. So it was no surprise when the anthracite coal miners went on strike in 1902.
Management and labor were hopelessly dead-locked and winter was looming. Without coal, the entire northeast would freeze. Fearing untold misery and riots, the president personally intervened. Roosevelt took the view that the president of the United States was uniquely positioned to act on behalf of the American people. In his opinion, it was only the president who could see, who must see things in terms of the entire national interest.
And when he saw what the coal strike threatened to do to America as a whole, he felt obliged to take action. After threatening to nationalize the coal mines, Roosevelt brought the two sides together and forged a settlement that favored labor over management. The coal strike was over and Roosevelt’s first great domestic crisis was averted, much to the relief of the nation. Roosevelt wanted to make sure that a single tycoon, a single billionaire, could never shut the whole railroad system down or could knock out the entire coal industry. Such a situation would cripple America. Roosevelt wanted to never see anybody have the kind power that could hurt the entire country.
Roosevelt's resolution of the strike was a crucial turning point in labor relations, paving the way to better working conditions. It would be one triumph in many of social and economic reforms that Roosevelt called his "Square Deal." What Roosevelt had in mind for foreign policy, however, would be much more radical.
Theodore Roosevelt proved to be the greatest political force behind the Spanish-American war. He saw America’s emergence as a world power not only necessary for survival, but a duty. He felt Americans had a responsibility to civilize the rest of the world. Roosevelt made the country realize that they, now in a post-Spanish-American war era, had a global responsibility. America was no longer a country being born, it was now a world leader. And with that came a new kind of global responsibility.
Roosevelt, more than anybody, believed that America needed a canal through the central American isthmus owned by Columbia. The hope was that the canal would be a way to protect both seas of America. At any moment, if the east coast was attacked, the west coast fleet could quickly come to its aid. Roosevelt believed that the Panama Canal would not only be a very good thing for the United States, but also a very good thing for the world. The Columbian government didn't exactly agree with Roosevelt, at least not at the price he was offering.
So, once again, Roosevelt took unorthodox measures. He backed a local revolution and helped create the nation of Panama in exchange for the right to build a canal there. He was criticized very heavily for his high-handed role in dealing with the government of an independent American republic, and for inciting revolution, but he never apologized, stating: I didn't steal the Panama Canal, I built it. It was the largest engineering project ever undertaken and when it was completed, it became one of the great wonders of the world. When it opened, Roosevelt believed that it was his major contribution to world civilization, and he never changed his opinion on this.
But America was not the only one infiltrating Latin America. Increasingly, European powers were moving into the region, ostensibly for the purpose of forcing debtor nations to repay their loans. Roosevelt found their presence a strategic threat. Without consulting Congress or asking permission from Latin America, Roosevelt invoked the "Monroe Doctrine" and stated that the U.S. was now in charge of the Western Hemisphere. Roosevelt announced that, henceforth, the United States would consider itself as holding a "police power," to enforce good behavior on the countries of the Western Hemisphere. This was Roosevelt’s way of saying, if somebody had to clean up the neighborhood, it's going to be the United States.
In 1904, Roosevelt was elected by the largest popular margin in American history up to that time. Joyous, Roosevelt told the country he considered this to be his second term and he promised not to run again. It was a public statement he would come to regret.
As popular as Roosevelt was, progressive-minded Americans thought he could do more for social and economic reform. The influx of new immigrants, over eight million in the first decade of the 20th century alone, had turned life for the working class from bad to intolerable. Intending to expose the horrific conditions experienced by immigrant workers inside a Chicago meat plant, author Upton Sinclair sent shockwaves across the nation with his book, "The Jungle," an expose of the terrible conditions of the meat packing industry. It was filled with descriptions of the absolute negligence for any sort of hygiene in these meat packing factories, exemplified by the absence of any bathrooms, toilets, and sinks. On top of that, lurid stories of rats running in and out of the meat packing factories and dropping down into the big grinding meat machines, along with workers falling in there and other numerous kinds of bad things, propelled Roosevelt to respond immediately, as he realized that this was an opportunity for the federal government to act on behalf of the consumer. In 1906, he obtained passage of the Meat Inspection Act as well as the "Pure Food and Drug Act.
Also in 1906, Roosevelt created the Antiquities Act. This was the authorization he needed to halt the destruction of the American landscape. There was a sense that as the frontier closed, the wildness of America was disappearing. Roosevelt noticed this on as well on his western trips. In fact, there were evens plans to destroy the Grand Canyon, until T.R. intervened.
Roosevelt adamantly declared that the pristine wilderness was the heirloom of America, on par with the priceless masterpieces in the Louvre. He believed that it was important to save the wilderness for future generations. By the end of his term, Roosevelt had preserved more than 230 million acres of land, but this was only one part of his legacy. He also created better labor conditions, business regulations, and strengthened America's position on the world stage. Teddy Roosevelt was a good, if not great, president, and the main reason for that is foreign policy.
Roosevelt had a vision, he had plans, and he made them happen. Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to realize what an important moral position the president had simply by being president. He showed that the president represented the American people, and is someone who can articulate the views of the American people. Roosevelt showed that the president can also influence those views, and mobilize the American people to stand behind important reforms.
Theodore Roosevelt's legacy is with us every time someone turns on a faucet and takes a sip of water that's not contaminated. It's with us every time someone cooks a hamburger on a grill and can be assured that they're not going to die from it. It's with us every time one wants to take a hike through the Sierra Nevada Mountains or go for a swim in the Great Lakes. Roosevelt agonized over leaving the presidency, since there was so much more he wanted to do. But, true to his word to the American people, he did not run for re-election in 1908. It was a decision that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
Krizelle DeGuzman
Period 1 and 4
At the dawn of the new century Theodore (or Teddy as he was popularly known) Roosevelt was hastily sworn into office. Roosevelt was a man who possessed the desire to eliminate any further corruption that lasted from the Gilded Age with good intentions for the United States. First, Roosevelt saw that some, but definitely not all, trusts were corrupted and needed to be controlled in order to protect the economy; second, he made the effective choices when it came to the after effects of the Spanish American War on the United States; third, Teddy Roosevelt established new laws for everyone’s benefit (consumer and labor safety). Thus, for economic, political, and social reasons, Theodore Roosevelt was, at a large extent, a great president that defined the role of a president while also shifting the views of how the U.S. saw itself.
Throughout the Gilded Age, trusts (or monopolies) were despised for their unlimited power and control over a majority of things, basically controlling the people’s lives. Even though it was widely believed that trusts were all corrupt from the desire of power and riches, Roosevelt still believed that there were still some good trusts that cared for the public and still had a moral compass leading Roosevelt to take care of limited “trust busting” in order to stabilize the economy. While recognizing that trusts were needed for a stable government, Teddy believed that big business should be contained and regulated rather than getting completely destroyed. Before even 10 years into the 20th century, the Hepburn and Elkins Acts were passed in order to regulate industry. In particular, the Hepburn Act of 1906 improved the power of the Interstate Commerce Commission when it came to railroads and their rates. Teddy Roosevelt had always believed in America’s destiny of greatness and was dedicated to making greatness a reality such as the before and after the Spanish American War. Before the war had started, Roosevelt supported a more advanced, powerful navy to take control of the seas as well as push for a new, aggressive foreign policy. After the Spanish American War, the United States gained superiority and imperialism along with the Philippines islands and Puerto Rico. Because America had emerged victoriously from the war, eyes from around the world watched as Americans began to take advantage of their new sense of presence and spread the word about democracy as Americans continued to believe in Manifest Destiny. Aware of the new reputation that the country had to uphold, Roosevelt passed the Meat Inspection Act of 1906 when foreign consumers expressed worries of contaminated American meat. This act required that all meat prepared inside the U.S. go through thorough federal inspection (thank God), and ensured consumer health within the United States as well as out of it. Besides the Meat Inspection Act, the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 continued to help American citizens maintain a healthy body which in turn would help them stay/keep jobs. President Theodore Roosevelt was a man who greatly believed in the greatness of his country and always proceeded to make it a reality through his accomplishments in economic, political, and social dealings.
Really? You still haven't posted this blog, yet?
Cammie Gelbuda
Period 1 & 4
Mr. Korling’s
AP Eng. Lang/APUSH
Theodore Roosevelt was a strong, athletic person. He loved people and mingled with all types of people. He was a person that was full of personality. Above everything, Theodore Roosevelt believed that a president should lead, boldly. As president he was willing to tackle every problem full on! He changed the way America thought about itself and set the stage for the United States to become a great global power both in the 20th century and beyond. Of the issue that he tackled the first one was very important to the safety of America and its citizens. Theodore Roosevelt was determined to make the United States strong through its military especially the Navy forces. If he could control the seas and oceans and protect our shores from foreigners then all Americans would be safe. Secondly, he felt that the regular laborers and farmers and business people needed protection from corruptions, bad business practices and tried to ensure a good economic future for everyone. Third, Mr. Roosevelt wanted a strong federal government to help manage the affaires of the people in a fair and trusting way. Many of the practices that he put in place would help shape the way future Presidents operated.
Theodore Roosevelt always loved the Navy. He was the Assistant Secretory of the Navy. He thought, “ He could control the seas controls the world.” Roosevelt expanded the Navy very much during his time by putting a lot of money aside and built a lot of new ships, calling them the Great White Fleet. This huge modern Navy told the world that we had a great power in the seas. Theodore Roosevelt also had the Panama Canal built which let is protect both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts much better. This Navy was a very important part in protecting Americans future.
President Roosevelt also worked very hard to protect some trust and get rid of other trusts that were not good for the American business. He helped fix problems with the Standard Oil Company, the railroads and helped out even with the government power. Overall he allowed increases in some governmental power to allow the President to have control over some business.
Finally, Theodore Roosevelt wanted the people of the United States to look to the government to protect its natural resources and its economy. He protected and made National Parks. He took great care with all our natural resources by regulations the west. He centralized the banking and financial systems within the government which made the banking systems safer for all Americans.
Though Theodore Roosevelt had no real respect for the delicate checks and balances among the three branches of the government, as President he felt he might take any action in the best interest of people that was not completely forbidden by the laws of the Constitution. By being this bold, strong President, Theodore Roosevelt set the stage for a powerful America that still exists
Annika Newman
Periods 1 & 4
After President William McKinley's sudden assassination in September of 1901, Theodore Roosevelt (popularly known as Teddy Roosevelt) (parenthesis) assumed the role of the twenty-sixth President of the United States just prior to his 43th birthday. Roosevelt brought forth a fresh excitement and power to the United State's government, as he fearlessly led America as well as Congress in the direction of a sturdy foreign policy and progressive improvements. First, Roosevelt effectively renovated the Federal government's relationship with big business by breaking up monopolies and trusts, thereby attaining the nickname “Trust-Buster”; second, the President believed that it was his duty to convert the present government into a supporter of the Square Deal, which was based off of the notorious “three C's” of this domestic program; and thirdly, Roosevelt had a profound influence on the nation's foreign policy by insuring the construction of the Panama Canal. Therefore, for economic, political, and diplomatic reasons, Teddy Roosevelt largely influenced the future of the American people and their leaders to a great extent.
A major distinguishing aspect of Roosevelt's presidency was his modification of the Federal government's affiliation with big business corporations. Prior to his inauguration, big industrial businesses had the liberty to create and accomplish any goals they pleased. However, when Roosevelt took office, he reasoned that the regulation of big businesses by the government would not have a negative direct effect on the majority of the American populous. Additionally, the President preserved the existing right to protect and defend labor institutions by involving himself with the United Mine Workers Strike. Roosevelt was able to break up monopolies effectively and would later exchange disorganized trust-breaking for permanent directives. An example of this is through the Hepburn Act of 1906, in which the Interstate Commerce Commission was authorized by President Roosevelt to raise railroad rates, as well as conduct a more accurate and detailed investigation of the railroad companies' fiscal archives.
Continued...
President Theodore Roosevelt strongly believed that it was his own duty to reinvigorate moral into the government and provide a good example for the American people to follow after. He held a strong belief that the government was essentially an advocate of change for America. Roosevelt showed time and time again that he was a fearless leader, someone that anyone could no doubt (sentential adverb) look up to. During the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt represented a true American hero as he marched into battle against San Juan and led the “Rough Rider Regiment” to victory. He proved himself a courageous war hero and leader, without any fear to show his passion to obtain the goal he created for America. This was the foundation of his ambitions that eventually evolved into the Square Deal. This system contained “three C's” as its basis - conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protection. Interestingly, a similar program was to emerge just a couple decades later in Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. FDR, a cousin of Teddy Roosevelt, named his program the “New Deal,” which contained the “three R's” as its foundation – relief, recovery, reform (asyndeton). FDR's New Deal was without a doubt influenced by his cousin's Square Deal, in which both systems were created in order to promote a better well-being for the American populous. Thus, Teddy Roosevelt left a profound influence on the country through his presidency by leaving an excellent example of a human being who made a huge difference in his lifetime, and greatly inspired future leaders of the country to follow in his steps.
Roosevelt's presidency marked a fresh start in regards to foreign policy and foreign affairs. The early 1900s was a time of incomparable and exceedingly significant global control, and Roosevelt took every opportunity he could to advocate foreign authority on an international scale. During the Spanish-American War, it became a great difficulty for American ships located in the Pacific to travel around the tip of South America in order to join the United States forces off the coast of Cuba. In fact, it would take nearly two months to make this journey. Roosevelt worked tirelessly to ensure the construction of the infamous Panama Canal in order to rid the U.S. military of this extensive voyage and create a more effective way of attack. Thus, Roosevelt is notorious for the making of the Panama Canal. Amazingly, Roosevelt's good works did not end with his presidency. He continued to help Congress through his support even as late as the 1960s. Theodore Roosevelt's legacy continued on for many years, arguably even to this day, and has made a influential difference in the presidencies of Franklin D. Roosevelt (the New Deal), John F. Kennedy (the New Frontier), Lyndon Johnson (the Great Society), and Harry S. Truman (the Fair Deal).
In 1901, when Theodore Roosevelt gets into office as the new President of the United States, he brings about lots of different changes to the U.S. Most of which were for the U.S.’s economical benefit. First, Theodore Roosevelt supported safe financial policies that would secure a safe future (economically) (parenthesis) for the U.S.; Second; he set an example of what future presidents should live up to; third, Theodore Roosevelt made the Navy much greater which allowed the U.S. able to expand its horizons throughout the world and allowed the U.S. to influence other countries
Theodore Roosevelt had ‘busted’ forty four trusts that were trying to create a monopoly on Americas market during his time as the president. Theodore Roosevelt did not want the small investors to be discouraged by the monopolization of the market. Instead Theodore Roosevelt wanted them to invest their money to help the economy. Roosevelt helped stabilize the economy with safe financial policies that would last for many years to come. Such as all of the trusts being controlled by the government to watch them all in order to make sure they were not getting out of control, and to be able to get a handle on things if they did end up getting out of control.
Theodore Roosevelt had a vigorous and very strong personality, as well as being vigorous and very strong in his politics, which he was able to set the standard, even higher than before, for what the president of the U.S. should be. Roosevelt made the age for the forgettable presidents a thing of the past, and Roosevelt made sure he was anything but a forgettable president. He made a lasting impression on the U.S., being the youngest president up to that time, as well as having confidence not only in himself, but in his country. He was also a strong defender of his country when dealing with foreign affairs.
Theodore Roosevelt had added onto the Navy, making it bigger than ever before. Theodore Roosevelt did this for the U.S. in order for us to show not only the military power that we have, but the economic power that we have to fund it. This much larger Navy was a major start of America becoming one of the largest world ‘super powers’ and being able to not only protect itself but also to protect other countries, if needed. Being able to protect and secure American interests and foreign territory, as well as being able to increase the horizon of expansion for the U.S was also a benefit of having such a large and strong navy, that also helped lead to the rise of America.
tyler pomeroy period 1
In the early 20th century America was becoming what now a days a world power but we didn't have the leadership to guide us that we had when Lincoln was president but then we elected one of the greatest presidents of all Theodore "teddy" Roosevelt who; was the first president to strive to "go green" by declaring certain areas national parks; was one of the most active presidents; and was unrelenting in dealing with the great depression.
First off Roosevelt was the first president to declare certain areas as protected land where we still had a wilderness to go to. Later on more and more presidents founded national parks such as Woodrow Wilson who supported the national park organic act which created the national parks service. Also after Roosevelt many other nations followed suit and created national parks. Today many of Roosevelt’s parks are still here for example Yellowstone national park is one of the largest parks in the US. Another example is Yosemite national park. The first effort by a United States president to protect lands was President Andrew Jackson who signed legislation that Congress had enacted to set aside four sections of land around what is now Hot Springs, Arkansas, to protect the natural, thermal springs and adjoining mountainsides for the future disposal of the U.S. government. It was known as the Hot Springs Reservation.
Secondly Roosevelt was one of the most legislatively active presidents in history; he was the first president to use the first hundred days of his presidency to show how effective his presidency would be. In the first hundred days of Roosevelt’s first term he had 15 major bills put through congress. And the public seemed to like how his first hundred days turned out for example, "The first hundred days of the New Deal have served as a model for future presidents of bold leadership and executive-legislative harmony,", wrote Cambridge University historian Anthony Badger in ,“FDR: The First Hundred Days”. This set the bar for all future presidents though today many presidential advisors dislike the hundred day goal. But none the less modern day presidents still strive to meet or surpass Roosevelt’s hundred day “challenge”. Roosevelt’s first hundred days were during one of the hardest times in united states history, the great depression, a time where government was floundering to try and help the economy rebound but during this time in history we were in a definite bust economy but Roosevelt attacked the depression with definite ferocity for example he would try one thing and if that didn’t work he would keep trying, he had the most backing from congress in his first hundred days out of any president to date.
Finally Roosevelt was unrelenting when it came to the great depression. As I stated before he attacked it with all the congressional approval he could muster and it seemed to pay off for example he created the civil works administration to give jobs to the unemployed and he pumped cash into the economy on long term projects to keep Americans employed.
Steven Fraser
period 6
In 1901 Theodore Roosevelt, or “Teddy,” as he was affectionately called, was hastily sworn into office after the death of President McKinley. Roosevelt had a huge personality and flair, and during the 8 years he served as President he revolutionized the Presidency and the country by addressing major issues occurring in the country at that time. First, Roosevelt in his presidency broke up some of the monopolistic trusts in order to ensure more of a chance for the common man; second, he created more laws to help with consumer and labor safety; and third he created an image of the modern day President, and greatly influenced the future politicians of America. Therefore, because of the economic, social, and politically reasons Roosevelt was one of the most influential presidents ever, and changed the face of the country. Theodore Roosevelt, after confidently stepping up to the Presidency, delivered a 20,000 word address to Congress urging them to “curb” the power of large trusts, in order to create greater chances for the common man. This single act shows the supreme confidence of Roosevelt and the air of maturity he conducts himself with. This shows there is a reason he gets the nickname “trust buster,” but his push for equality and freedom created a larger and more open market which majorly bolstered the economy. This act shows the knowledge and wisdom of Teddy, as well as the straight forward decisiveness he is famous for; this was him proving he knew what he was doing. Teddy in doing this shows the evolution of the President who now “pulls strings” to benefit the economy and ultimately the people. Roosevelt, after proving he could “politick” by not only breaking up trusts, but also by wining the 1904 elections by a landslide, set about further improving the stance of the “common man.” With a Jacksonian thoughtfulness Teddy passed the Meat Inspection Act of 1906, after reading Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, and sent a “fact finding commission” in 1902 to settle a strike, which ended up obtaining higher pay for the workers. These two acts ultimately show the foresight of Teddy. These two acts also show the fight, and care Roosevelt has for the common man. Roosevelt’s ultimate legacy is the example he set for future politicians of what the modern President looked like. No longer would there be the “forgotten Presidents” of the previous decades, the modern President was a defender of the weak, and was extremely confident and assured- we see this in Roosevelt’s “big stick” proclamation for the U.S.’ involvement in foreign affairs. Roosevelt showed future generations of office seekers what the people will vote for. Theodore Roosevelt set the mold for the modern President, and reasserted the power of the White House. Teddy Roosevelt was a great man, with many accomplishments, however, his largest legacy will be the influence he left on the country and ultimately the Presidency. His Jacksonian policies created an “even playing field” for the common man, ensured better rights for labor and consumers, and revolutionized the Presidency. Therefore, because of the economic, social, and political reasons Teddy Roosevelt revolutionized and changed the Presidency, and forever put his name down as one of the greatest Presidents ever.
As America lunged forward into the twentieth century, a whole new world of progressivism and improvement began to take hold. President Theodore Roosevelt’s firm leadership shaped the nation in an immediate and a far reaching sense, creating a legacy that would echo throughout the country’s future. First, the many federal programs he created effected instant, positive change for the populace; Second, his fierce competitive spirit reinvigorated the election process; and Third, his Square Deal created an ideal that would be fully realized some thirty years later as a way to save the country from the ultimate depression. As a whole, Teddy stands alone as the definitive president until that point.
Emerging from the corrupt depths of the Gilded Age, American industry was in desperate need of reform. Through programs like the Department of Commerce and Labor, the Interstate Commerce Commission, and the Hepburn Act, Roosevelt was able to increase the power of the federal government in order to ensure that the monopolies that had been allowed to grow during the final decades of the 19th century maintained fair business practices. His tireless crusade of “trust busting” helped open up the market and fostered a fairer environment that at least gave the common man the hope of striking it rich. In an era of muckraking and social upheaval, Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle exposed the horrors of the meat packing industry shedding light on the need for reform. With the Meat Inspection Act of 1906, that reform came through. These little victories add up to a larger picture of a healthier and safer start for the country.
When his hand-picked successor, William Howard Taft, took office in 1909, Roosevelt was looking forward to the peaceful continuation of his plan for the country. However, when Taft began to take Roosevelt’s practice of “trust busting” too far, old TR wasn’t about to let his design fall to pieces. The campaign of 1912 marked the first time a democrat had entered the White House since Grover Cleveland in 1893. Roosevelt’s fierce competitive attitude created a rift in the Republican vote that ensured Wilson’s victory, an important step for the country as it was Wilson who led the country through the tumultuous years of The Great War. If Roosevelt had chosen to stay out of the ring, then Wilson would never have been able to put forward the idea of the League of Nations that would one day morph into the more successful United Nations. Even without the title of President, Roosevelt managed to influence some of the biggest steps in American politics, reflecting his inordinate amount of sway, both politically and socially.
Perhaps his most important political contribution was his concept of the Square Deal for America; a platform that would help the middle class, protect business from assault by organized labor, and directly attack the growing plutocracy. Based on the Three C’s of control of corporations, consumer protection, and conservation, Roosevelt created a model that his cousin Franklin Delano would later utilize, under the new name of the New Deal, to stimulate the economy during the Great Depression. This is a direct representation of the longevity of the Theodore Roosevelt’s influence on the country and epitomizes his strong influence on American politics.
Through immediate action and far reaching influence, Theodore Roosevelt completely changed American politics in the beginning of the twentieth century, making him a uniquely powerful president.
Theodore Roosevelt was above all, a man of action. During the time he was President, from 1901 to 1909, he altered American Foreign and Domestic Policy–and even the presidency itself–in ways that would influence the nation for many years to come. When Roosevelt became president, the nation was completely powered by business and political machines. The president yielded as much power as these machines allowed, so Roosevelt swore that he would empower the presidency, and that’s exactly what he did. Soon, Roosevelt would launch the first salvo of his war against the machines, filing an anti trust action against J.P. Morgan’s Northern Securities Company. Later the Rambunctious Roosevelt would push the presidency to unprecedented limits by making it clear that his interpretation of the constitution allowed the president to wield broad powers in the face of National crisis.
In seven years as president, Roosevelt would institute numerous progressive reforms. The Hepburn Act gave the government the power to set freight rates the Bureau of Corporations took action against unscrupulous monopolies. As an ex-president and Progressive Party candidate, Roosevelt lobbied for policies that would form the core of the future federal government. Roosevelt also understood the power of Diplomacy. He brokered peace between Russia and japan in 1906, stabilizing Asia, increasing America’s international prestige, and winning the Nobel Prize. He arbitrated a Franco-German conflict over Morocco which possibly delayed World War I by a decade.
Perhaps Roosevelt’s most enduring legacy is an expanded national conservation system. As business interests ravaged America’s natural resources, Roosevelt moved to protect them with scientific management techniques. Using his executive powers, Roosevelt created scores of national monuments, refuges, and parks. Overall, he placed 230 million acres under federal protection. During Theodore Roosevelt’s political career, the United States evolved from a weak, domestically-oriented nation into a country with imperialistic aspirations, from a conservative nation to a more progressive one, from a nation bent on destroying its natural resources to one that had begun to preserve them. The office of the presidency changed as well, expanding its powers and becoming a popular obsession. The Politics of Theodore Roosevelt shepherded America into the 1900's. Much of his legacy also shepherded it out of that century as well.
In terms of Presidential style, Roosevelt introduced “charisma” into the political equation. He had a strong rapport with the public and he understood how to use the media to shape public opinion. He was the first president whose election was based on more on the individual than the political party. When people voted Republican in 1904. They were generally casting their vote for Roosevelt the man instead of for him as the standard-bearer of the Republican Party. The most popular President up to his time, Roosevelt used his enthusiasm to win votes, shape issues and mold opinions. In the process he changed the executive office forever. I believe than if any other president took place of “Teddy” Roosevelt, the issues or conflicts of the time would never be solved as well as Roosevelt did. Because of his charisma to the Presidency Theodore Roosevelt was able to shape the future presidencies for years to come.
Bella Crosson
Period 1 & 4
Theodore Roosevelt (affectionately know as “Teddy” Roosevelt) PARENTHESIS assumed the role of the President of the United States just before his 43rd birthday after the sudden assassination of President William McKinley in September of 1901. Roosevelt heroically led America, her people (personification), and Congress in a new direction filled with progressive and foreign policy improvements. First, he believed it was his responsibility to rework the current government into supporters of the Square Deal; second Teddy efficiently reworked the relationships between big businesses and the United States government by breaking up trusts and monopolies, thus securing the name “trust-buster”; and third, Teddy Roosevelt had a insightful impact on the nations foreign policies by insuring the construction of the Panama Canal.
The twenty-sixth President of the United States Teddy Roosevelt was thoroughly convinced it was his duty to bolster a new sense of moral in the government to set a good example for the American people to guide themselves with. He felt very strongly that the United States government held a position as the promoter of change for the country. Roosevelt himself showed tremendous leadership many times, and many people saw him as a role model, and this was shown through the Spanish American War. Roosevelt, in this, truly represented the hero (a sort of Captain America if you will) PARENTHESIS as he marched with his “Rough Rider Regiment” into battle against San Juan and won. This was the foundation of a plan that ultimately developed into the Square Deal. This new system contained the “three C’s” at its foundation– conservation of natural resources, consumer protection, and control of corporations. A couple decades later, his cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt based a similar program on these ideals. FDR named his version the New Deal, which had the “three R’s” at its heart – relief, recovery, and reform (asyndeton). Both systems were created in order to promote a sense of a better life for the American people at two crucial hard times in United States history. In these ways, Theodore Roosevelt left a giant mark on the country and its government. His presidency left an example of a man whose leadership skills and his handling of many trials; one that would inspire future presidents down the road.
Teddy Roosevelt not only modified the Federal government, but also changed their associations with big business organizations. Previous to his inauguration, the big industrial corporations were legally able to create and fulfill any goals they desired. However, after Roosevelt assumed the presidency, he figured that a new regulation of large businesses by the government would not inadvertently have a negative affect on the American population. He also well maintained the pre-existing right to protect and defend labor organizations, as shown with the United Mine Workers Strike. The president effectively broke up many monopolies, and later exchanged trust breaking for enduring instructions. One example of this was through the Hepburn Act of 1906, in which Roosevelt authorized the Interstate Commerce Commission to raise railroad rates, and also administer a more thorough and precise investigation of many railroad companies’ financial records.
Teddy Roosevelt’s presidency marked a new start as far as foreign policy and relations go. This period in the early 1900s was described as a time of significant global control, for Roosevelt snatched every opportunity that he could in order to advocate foreign authority. As shown in the Spanish American War, it was nearly impossible for American ships, located in the Pacific, to travel around South America in order to rejoin the rest of the United States forces off the Cuban coast. The trip alone took a minimum of two months. The president himself worked nonstop to insure that the construction of the Panama Canal was on schedule. This shortcut would rid the United States’ naval military of a ridiculous journey and would also benefit them in future attacks.
Amanda Jerd
Periods 3 and 6
Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency, from 1901 to 1909, is one that altered American history and the system of checks and balances forever. The power he assumed for himself and future presidents could not be withdrawn. Roosevelt was unprecedented. Roosevelt used his power to solve crises both nationally and globally; he set a new standard for future presidents; finally, he changed America’s view about itself. At a time when America was still in the process of defining who it would be – at home and abroad – this Rough Rider was the author of the future of the United States.
Amanda Jerd
Periods 3 and 6
Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency, from 1901 to 1909, is one that altered American history and the system of checks and balances forever. The power he assumed for himself and future presidents could not be withdrawn. Roosevelt was unprecedented. Roosevelt used his power to solve crises both nationally and globally; he set a new standard for future presidents; finally, he solidified America’s view about itself as “strong” after winning the Spanish American War. At a time when America was still in the process of defining who it would be – at home and abroad – Rough Rider Roosevelt became the author of the future of the United States.
Theodore Roosevelt believed all powers were granted to the president except those explicitly illegal or unconstitutional and Congress to be merely a speed bump interfering with his job to aid the public; in fact, he always appealed over the heads of Congress directly to the populace, just as his predecessor Andrew Jackson. In the Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902, Roosevelt used his control of federal troops to force the mine owners to negotiate with the strikers. Never before had a president threatened federal troops against mine owners. Roosevelt and his Square Deal were extremely progressive. He was the first conservationist, setting aside several national parks and forests and reserves and refuges. He also implemented welfare legislation and busted trusts that completely cornered markets. Most of his national reforms were well within White House power; however, escapades such as the building of the Panama Canal and the Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine more than stretched the limits of the Executive Branch. Roosevelt desired to build a canal in Panama, Columbia. The land was supposed to be leased for 100 years but Columbia hesitated, not feeling sufficiently ensured it was temporary. Threats were made that Panama would succeed and sign the treaty with the United States. When revolt did occur, America recognized Panama as a separate entity very quickly – without the approval of Congress. Other imperialistic happenings in the Pacific islands brought about wary feelings of Roosevelt, the president who took what he wanted when he wanted it because he could after America beat Spain in the Spanish American War (although Spain was already declining in power and strength). In his Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, Roosevelt took it upon himself to “protect” Latin American countries with American muscle – with or without the consent of the nations forced under its “security.” His policy of speak softly and carry a big stick was firmly ensconced, making the United States more of a global nuisance than a global power. However, Roosevelt set the standard for future presidents, especially his handpicked successor Taft. Roosevelt had expected to puppet Taft and have his progressive reforms continued, but when Taft decided to take the nation on a new course, Roosevelt was offended and went back on his word that he would not run for a third term. However, his individualism and tendency to ignore checks and balances protocol gave Taft the Republican nomination; Roosevelt then proceeded with his own party, the “Bull Moose” Progressives. From this point forward, the role of the president and the power he could wield was forever altered. To this day, Congress, the Supreme Court, and the President have continued to have the most power, but the Executive Branch was given considerably more after Roosevelt’s Presidency. His Square Deal also influenced the New Deal and the Fair Deal. The expansions into foreign lands and the increase of presidential power as well as the overall improvement of the lives of Americans with the prestige and power of the country gave America a new identity. Thenceforth, America was a superpower, not only in the minds of Americans, but also around the world – just as Roosevelt had aimed for.
After the death of President William McKinley in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt ended the era of the "Forgettable Presidents" that had prospered during the Gilded Age. He brought new energy and vigor to the presidency, and greatly increased the power of the previously scandalous executive branch, as he guided the government and the nation through Progressive reforms and changing foreign policy outlooks. First, he ended the age of no government regulation in big business by breaking up “bad” monopolies and trusts, earning the nickname “trustbuster”; second, he actively advocated for consumer protection and labor rights, starting a new era of federal protection that would be continued in years to come; and third, he had a weighty influence in foreign policy through his aggressive policies. Therefore, for specific reasons, Roosevelt transformed the presidency and set the nation on a new path through his headstrong foreign and domestic policies.
Previous to Roosevelt’s presidency, the government had had a very hands-off laissez faire outlook to big business and the economy, allowing trusts and monopolies to flourish at the expense of the people. With the introduction of Roosevelt to the presidency, this corruption came to an abrupt end. The Elkins Act was passed in 1903 which could impose heavy fines on railroads that gave rebates, as well as on shippers who accepted them. The Hepburn Act of 1906 expanded the previous act by restricting free passes-which smelled of bribery- on railroads. The Interstate Commerce Commission was actually given some teeth and it was able to abolish existing rates and set maximum rates. Roosevelt believed in a “Square Deal” where no crookedness and corruptness would be present. Although he made many advancements in the railroad industry, he is more famously known for his trust busting. His goal in busting trusts, was not-as is generally believed- to but all trusts no matter of their potential benefits. Roosevelt separated trusts into “good” trusts and “bad” trusts and only smashed those that he thought were bad. His successor, William Taft, took Roosevelt’s actions to the extreme by busting all trusts he could get his hands on. Roosevelt understood that busting all trusts would have a negative impact on the economy and that trusts and monopolies were just part of the economic progress of the age.
Unlike during the Gilded Age where labor strikes led to clashes with the police and contempt from the government, Roosevelt wanted to protect everyone’s interests, by forcing the managers and the laborers to compromise. The first shining example of this was at a coal mine strike in Pennsylvania. The mine owners had refused to negotiate with the 140,000 strikers and were confident that the government would support them; however, Roosevelt threatened to seize the coal mines and operate them with federal troops unless the managers agreed to settle the dispute with the workers. This was more than just a step toward protection for the workers; it was a huge leap toward being respected by their managers. The complaints of the workers everywhere were finally being heard and listened to by a sympathetic executive, more than they could have ever imagined just a few years before. Additionally, Roosevelt also strove for consumer protection-part of his 3 C’s. After the disgustingly realistic novel, The Jungle, was published in 1906 by Upton Sinclair, the nation revolted with new information about the repulsive meat packing industry. Hitting the president’s stomach as well, the book succeeded in passing the Meat Inspection Act of 1906 and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. Roosevelt, through his Progressive policies, was able to shape the face of the nation and start a new era of direct federal intervention in areas that would affect people’s everyday lives. This view of the presidency would be expanded upon by Franklin D. Roosevelt through his New Deal, Eisenhower through his Interstate Highway Act, and LBJ through his Great Society.
Roosevelt is most famously known for his “speak softly and carry a big stick” mentality. This attitude described his approach toward foreign policy. Roosevelt opened the eyes of Americans and showed that they shared the world with other nations. He was very aggressive in his foreign outlook and itched for his own war, which is probably why fate decided to give to the more cautious Wilson. Believing that the president should lead boldly even if the lines were colored outside the Constitution’s rules, Roosevelt secretly started a rebellion in Colombia in order for Panamanians to break off so he would be able to build his canal through Panama. The revolution was successful and building on the canal started in 1904. Roosevelt also feared for financial European intervention in Latin America. Wanting to keep the western hemisphere free of meddling Europeans, he re-interpreted the Monroe Doctrine from 1823 and added the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine- also called preventive intervention- in which the United States would intervene in a Latin American country if it was having financial issues. These policies of Roosevelt initiated the “Bad Neighbor” view of America by Latin American nations that would only be worsened by President Taft’s dollar diplomacy.
Roosevelt influenced and increased the power of America in a time where America was slowly sinking into itself. He forever changed the presidency and created a sense of awareness and care for the people that would be reciprocated in many of the presidents who came after him.
Upon the death of President William McKinley and the era of Forgettable Presidents in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt assumed the role of presidency with a brand new sense of energetic vigor. During this time in office, he achieved a multitude of accomplishments including an increase of power for the executive branch and its tainted remains of corruption, as well as guiding the nation and its government through a series of Progressive reforms and changing its foreign policy outlooks. First, he rightfully earned himself the “trustbuster” nickname as he struck down on the “bad” monopolies within big business; second, he sparked a new era of federal advocacy for consumer protection and labor rights; and third, his aggressive foreign policies granted him a heavy influence among those affairs. Therefore, Roosevelt revolutionized the presidential role and started the country down a new path through his persistent and bold foreign and domestic policies.
One of the highlights of Roosevelt’s presidential history was his amendments to the relations between big business corporations and the Federal government. Beforehand, the government’s general course of action for addressing trusts and monopolies was to look the other way and ended up not having much involvement amongst big businesses and the economy all together. However, when Roosevelt took office, he reasoned that the regulation of big businesses by the government would not have a negative direct effect on the majority of the American populous. Additionally, the President preserved the existing right to protect and defend labor institutions by involving himself with the United Mine Workers Strike. Roosevelt was able to break up monopolies effectively and would later exchange disorganized trust-breaking for permanent directives. Such engagement can be exemplified through the Hepburn Act of 1906. This act allowed the Interstate Commerce Commission to adjust railroad rates, on top of conducting more accurate and detailed investigations of the railroad companies’ financial records.
The 26th President of the United States took it upon himself to act as a role model for the American people by reinvigorating moral in to the governmental realm. He held a strong belief that the government was essentially an advocate of change for America. Roosevelt showed time and time again that he was a fearless leader, someone that anyone could no doubt look up to. During the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt represented a true American hero as he marched into battle against San Juan and led the “Rough Rider Regiment” to victory. He proved himself a courageous war hero and leader, without any fear to show his passion to obtain the goal he created for America. This was the foundation of his ambitions that eventually evolved into the Square Deal. This system contained “three C's” as its basis - conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protection. Interestingly, a similar program was to emerge just a couple decades later in Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. FDR, a cousin of Teddy Roosevelt, named his program the “New Deal,” which contained the “three R's” as its foundation – relief, recovery, reform. FDR's New Deal was without a doubt influenced by his cousin's Square Deal, in which both systems were created in order to promote a better well-being for the American populous. Therefore, the handful of years spent by Teddy Roosevelt as president proved to be of significant worth as they left behind a legacy of an idolized man and all the differences he made that inspired the country’s future leaders to follow along a similar path.
The beginnings of the 20th century saw significant amounts of attempts for global control and Roosevelt was no different as he took every opportunity provided to him to advocate foreign authority on an international scale. During the Spanish-American War, it became a great difficulty for American ships located in the Pacific to travel around the tip of South America in order to join the United States forces off the coast of Cuba. In fact, it would take nearly two months to make this journey. Roosevelt worked tirelessly to ensure the construction of the infamous Panama Canal in order to rid the U.S. military of this extensive voyage and create a more effective way of attack. Thus, Roosevelt is notorious for the making of the Panama Canal. Amazingly, Roosevelt's good works did not end with his presidency. He continued to help Congress through his support even as late as the 1960s. The legacy of Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt has been as continuous as his name is recognized by the American people and has acted as a large influence over the presidential actions and efforts of FDR, Kennedy, Johnson, and Truman.
To a large extent Theodore Roosevelt was a president who mastered the issues of his time and was able to redefine the presidency for all the presidents after him. Teddy guided the United States into the 20th century, reinvigorating and igniting some old and new ideas that would end up shaping the nation. First, Roosevelt and his administration was able to create Federal programs that would better both the general populous at the time being and the new generations in the future; second, with his passionate campaigning and eagerness to win he revitalized the election process; and third, Roosevelt’s “square deal” would begin a series of deals that would eventually lead up to his kin’s infamous “New Deal,” this evolution of thought ultimately began with him. Thus, because of Roosevelt’s legislation, campaigning and collectively his “square deal” Roosevelt redefined the presidency in a way that none of his predecessors could have done. His impact is felt even now in the presidency.
Coming out of the faux era of the Gilded Age, the American market and American Industry needed a kick to the pants. Teddy Roosevelt with his “Big Stick” foreign policy was just the man to do this. He began programs like the Hepburn Act, the Department of Commerce and Labor and the Interstate Commerce commission to reform Industry in America. Upton Sinclair’s novel “The Jungle” helped open people’s eyes to the need of reform in the meat packing industry. These helped more specific legislation like the Meat Inspection Act of 1906 pass and eventually hold industries to a higher more modern standard. Another one of Roosevelt’s most famous legacies was his “trust busting” quest to help free up the “Free Market” and support the small businesses and entrepreneurs. All of these seemingly insignificant acts would help America emerge out of the 1800’s and into the 1900’s as a better equipped and safer nation.
At the end of his presidency Teddy Roosevelt had designed and planned a “Roosevelt” legacy that could continue even after he was no longer president. His handpicked successor was William H. Taft, and so when he won the election in 1909 Roosevelt rejoiced! Little did he know that Taft would soon stray from his ways and take his plan too far. This caused Roosevelt’s passion to be reignited in the campaign of 1912 when he entered the race as a 3rd party candidate, the Progressive “Bull Moose” Party. This split the Republican vote and caused Woodrow Wilson to win making the Republican party’s biggest strength there greatest downfall but allowing significant ideas like the league of nations to be brought through Wilson. The concept of the L.O.N. would eventually be the basis of the United Nations of the modern world.
Roosevelt’s biggest political contribution was his three c’s model, control of corporations, consumer protection and conservation. This was the model of his “Square Deal” that his cousin would later use to model his own “New Deal.” This element alone is a testament to the impact of Teddy Roosevelt’s Legacy.
Edith Chavez
Periods 1&6
Theodore Roosevelt had a grand presidency in the early 1900s but also had grand controversies. [PARALLEL STRUCTURE] His greatest ambition was to make the United States into major player on the world stage and to prepare it, would advocate several reforms and add and change policies. [METAPHOR] Major ways he did this is in how he stepped up to put restrictions on the power of industries; in his devotion to the people; and in his attitude to foreign affairs. [ANAPHORA] Despite the flaws the man had, President Theodore Roosevelt proved the Era of Forgettable Presidents to be over and that a new age for his country had begun.
Teddy also signified the end to the Gilded Age. During the few decades that preceded his presidency, the government had lost a grip on the country and large corporations snatched the power, but T. Roosevelt saw that it should be the government and not the industries that should have so much influence over the lives of people. He introduced the “Square Deal” to the country to help the people and formed the Department of Commerce and Labor- a branch of the Bureau of Corporations. Through it he investigated and broke up the “bad trusts” which were the ones he felt had a negative effect on the people JP Morgan’s and James J Hill’s Northern Securities Company. Corrupt corporations [ALLITERATION] faced restraints with the Elkins Act of 1903 and the Hepburn Act of 1906. The abuse farmers had faced at the hands of railroad companies came to an end for the most part with the Interstate Commerce Commission being given the power to get rid of current rates and set maximum rates. He didn’t want to hurt large companies though and refrained from chopping them up. He also did the same with labor unions, a first for a president as in the past they hadn’t sided with the people. Teddy proved this with the United Mine Workers Strike. His allegiance with the populace went further than this though.
He was very much a man who cared about what others thought, especially the general public of not only his country but also from overseas lands. Upton Sinclair published The Jungle meant to show the hardships of the poor in the United States but instead the public was disgusted with the meat packing industry and even people outside the country were concerned about what was in the meat imported from the land of the free. In response to the worry, Teddy passed the Meat Inspection Act of 1906. T. Roosevelt also cared about the environment and its importance to people. As a hunter he realized that if all the animals became rare then he wouldn’t be able to hunt anymore. The “teddy” bear was even named in his honor because he ordered the mercy killing of a black bear. Theodore Roosevelt wanted to conserve and protect the wild and greatly felt that it was important to do so as the frontier had closed by his presidency and urbanization was leaving little green for the world to see; he opened up national parks to be protected by law and reserved just for nature to thrive. He also passed the Newlands Reclamation Act in 1902 to set up large irrigation systems in the west for farmers. It had its flaws especially in the distribution of money but was better than what had come before. His connection to the people helped his run be successful though he also had great ambition to help as well.
Roosevelt had already proven his ambition with the forceful push he made for the United States to expand during the Spanish-American War in terms of foreign policy. The Roosevelt Corollary he added to the Monroe Doctrine would not only justify keeping out the Europeans and supposedly acting on their behalf in the Americas, but also justify future intervention in Latin America. After the Spanish-American War, he knew that for ships to get from the east coast to the west coast they had to make a two month journey around the tip of South America and decided as President to complete the Panama Canal- previously started by the French- [PARENTHESIS] which would create jobs in its building and help future ships cross with greater ease. The building of the canal involved the US getting the Colombians to allow for a Panamanian zone and here Roosevelt showed the large amount of power the country had gained after the war. It was in his aggression that Roosevelt’s dark side came out as a president; the relations with Latin American grew stressful because of his exploitation of the Roosevelt Corollary. To make things worse, the way he chose to end Russo-Japanese War left the Eurasians unsatisfied with the US. Not always was he so aggressive to foreigners though as in the Gentlemen’s Agreement the schools in the San Francisco district allowed Asians but at the price of an end to Japanese laborer immigration.
Despite his flaws, he still managed to cast a large shadow that would influence future presidents such as his cousin FDR.
All graded up to this point.
-Josh
Theodore Roosevelt, a past president of the United States of America, was one of the most important presidents in US history. He was an outgoing man, a "rough rider" against the Spanish, who also had a giant smile. His politics and actions were firm, and he amplified the power of the President using his big stick. Some of these firm and sometimes bold actions included his Square Deal which had the three C's. Firstly, the conservation of national resources was to be achieved; Secondly, the country needed companies controlled to eliminate the corruption from the Gilded Age; Thirdly, the consumers needed protection from the products of greedy companies. These actions will affect the USA for decades to come and to the time this paper is written and fix the issues in his own time.
In present day, there are hundreds of national parks and movements to preserve wildlife. Teddy, using his presidential influence and power, helped bring conservation movements to a national scale. National Forests and parks were created in order to prevent them from being destroyed, and preserve both America's beauty and resources which European countries have lost (Like Britain, with major deforestation). Also, Teddy supported the recently created Boy Scout association. Today, there are many different national forests and parks that are protected by the government and there are also many Boy Scouts throughout the country seeing and helping nature in general.
The Gilded Age produced rampant corruption throughout the government, mostly due to large companies controlling parts of the government and making bribes and scams being used to generate more dirty profit. Most of all, however, were due to large companies creating Trusts, or monopolies, completely taking over whole industries, like the Standard Oil Company making and selling nearly all of the oil in the country. Teddy saw these trusts as sometimes good and sometimes harmful to the economy, and he busted the Trusts he saw as harmful to the economy. People knew him as the Trust Buster, even if he did preserve some trusts, and Teddy ran for re-election because his "successor" president Taft was busting too many trusts. I present day, Trusts/Monopolies aren't tolerated at all, due to price stagnation and lack of innovation that may happen if a monopoly was created. The present day economy like it is today because of trust busting.
Consumer protection is extremely important in the present day, and it was important to Theodore Roosevelt. By keeping companies in check, and applying new laws to create restrictions regulations on the quality of food and other products. One example, for instance, is when Teddy pushed for new laws to force meat packers to actually sell the meat they advertise, and in a cleaner way, after reading Sinclair's book, "The Jungle". This way things such as chicken, dead rats, and rat feces weren't packaged into a beef can (which today would be false advertising, to put it lightly). No lover did people have to worry about what they bought (as much, anyways), and even now the FDA has even more regulations to make present day food stuffs safe to eat. Roosevelt observed the situation after Sinclair released his book and fixed the problem, just like any great President would do.
Roosevelt was one of our greatest president since he took the initiative to fix the problems at the time and make the USA even more powerful than before. His actions were loved by the people of America so much, that when he tried to run for president, he split the entire republican party in halve.
Mob bosses thought they could get rid of Teddy, but they got more of him instead.
As we look through the past presidents, some stick out to be some of the most effective and important presidents we’ve had. One of these presidents would be “Teddy” Roosevelt from 1901, until 1909. Theodore Roosevelt’s shadow can still be seen in society even today. Three of his most effective acts or shamalamadingdongs can be summed up into the three c’s. First, he aimed toward the control of corporations; second was consumer protection; and third was conservation of natural resources. These three aspects to Theodore’s term as a president makes a huge impact on both today’s economy and the economy of when he was in office.
Corporations had grown to a corruptible level during the Gilded Age. Because of this, bribes and scandalous activities were a common thing going on in big corporations. Roosevelt saw all these trusts and judged them to be either harmful to the economy, or healthy to the economy. The ones that he saw good were left alone, unlike the others which Theodore busted, and gained his nickname as the Trust Buster. Because of what Roosevelt had done to these trusts, today big monopolies or trusts are not allowed and the present economy is the way it is because of Theodore.
Before Roosevelt had begun his second policy on consumer protection, people had been eating things such as dead rats, rat feces, and other things to this nasty level in the meat they were purchasing from the large companies at this time. Roosevelt saw the importance for consumer protection. Theodore had then required meat selling companies to actually sell the meat they advertised. In Sinclair’s book, The Jungle, the American people realized what they were eating, and as a result, they too wanted consumer protection. Today we see that the current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has even more restricting laws that require better food production.
Yet another thing Theodore Roosevelt realized was the importance of America’s resources. As seen in the previous world powers, the result of the massive deforestation leads to overpopulation in the country. This as a result leads to disease, wide-spread poverty, and other things. Theodore then created National Parks and Forest the preserve the natural landscape of America. Natural resources serve as a job or career opportunity. Studies have shown that the preservation of natural resources can offer up to more that 1,000 jobs at a time. Preserving the natural resources also shows that the area around it stands in a better economical position, than those areas that do not have a National Park or National Forest in them.
Because of the acts and bills that Theodore had passed, and his never ending “do-do-do” initiative, Roosevelt has become one of our greatest presidents. We see today that his actions had made a huge impact on the society, ranging from protecting the American people and their profit, all the way to protecting the nation’s natural landscape to create more jobs for the American people. Due to the fact that this blog was eight words short, here’s the little space filler upper for you.
Grading complete up to this point.
Nick Palmares
Per.4
young Theodore Roosevelt would become the President after President William McKinley had been assassinated. Originating from a strong proud back round “Teddy” Roosevelt had already surpassed the expectations and the challenges he faced, from conquering asthma to becoming a war hero in the Spanish American War. His new approach to foreign policy reflected the attitude of the United States after becoming an imperialistic nation; the end of the Gilded Age’s corruption underneath his financial and economical policies; and the massive power surge of the executive branch underneath his administration.
After Mckinley had died before his term would have ended, Teddy Roosevelt inherited an Empire in the making and perflectly reflected the time period early establishing his “ Speak softly but carry a big stick” approach to foreign policy. After the Spanish American War in 1898 the Spanish ceded the Phillipines, Puerto Rico, and Guam to the United States all the while annexing Hawaii and watching over Cuba. Theodore Roosevelt understood the importance of a strong navy that would “police” the Western Hemisphere establishing a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine saying that we can and will protect ours. Perhaps his greatest feat was the Contruction and establishment of the Panama Canal, in which we would throw our support towards a Panamanian Revolution to supercede the Colombian Presence established there. The Colombian government had owned Panama up until that time and refused the offer we had presented which led to the construction of the Canal which Americans had been craving for decades.
(cont.) through inflation, depression, and msot would have lived dismal lives all because of the Gilded Age, componies, monopolies, and even lone businessmen would tear up the Nation’s economy through corruption and gaining huge profit most had been cheated out of. The lower and middle class would face uncertain futures as our country would spiral down into chaos and confusion because of these big businesses, Teddy Roosevelt would be a President who would be characterized as a Trust Buster and strongly encouraged Social Systems for the lower classes. Underneath his Presidency, Roosevelt would bring the end to the Gilded Age and reset the American Economy to prosper until the Great Depression and also inadvertently preparing the States for “The Great War”.
Ever since Abraham Lincoln had been assasinated in 1865 Congress would wield the majority of Power within the Government, and although Presidents during and after the 1880’s had begun to regain some of the power, Roosevelt would make the final push to re-establish the Executive Branch at the center of Governemnt with the President as its head. Theodore Roosevelt like any of his precursors, had his own views on what an ideal President was, he believed that the President should use all of the powers he was granted with and that serving as the President he believed that it was his duty to serve the people. Although he recognized that big business was the center of the American Economy and once it is well off prosperity would come to all, he would force a lockdown on the Monopolies as to prevent a second Gilded Age. Former Presidents encouraged Big Business and would hand feed the Companies to buffer them up but Roosevelt was the exact opposite, he was on the backs of the CEO’s and directors to put them into place.
Sonia Mendonca
Per 1&4
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Theodore Roosevelt (also known as Teddy) (parenthesis) would become the President after President William McKinley had been assassinated. During the eight years Roosevelt had served as President, he revolutionized the Presidency and the country by addressing major issues occurring in the country at that time. First, Roosevelt in his presidency broke up some of the monopolistic trusts in order to ensure more of a chance for the common man; second, he created more laws to help with consumer and labor safety; and third he created an image of the modern day President, and greatly influenced the future politicians of America. Therefore, because of the economic, social, and politically reasons Roosevelt was one of the most influential presidents ever, and changed the face of the country.
Theodore Roosevelt, after confidently stepping up to the Presidency, delivered a 20,000 word address to Congress urging them to “curb” the power of large trusts, in order to create greater chances for the common man. This single act shows the supreme confidence of Roosevelt and the air of maturity he conducts himself with. This shows there is a reason he is gets the nickname “trust buster,” but his push for equality and freedom created a larger and more open market which majorly bolstered the economy. This act shows the knowledge and wisdom of Teddy, as well as the straight forward decisiveness he is famous for; this was him proving he knew what he was doing. Teddy in doing this shows the evolution of the President who now “pulls strings” to benefit the economy and ultimately the people.
Roosevelt, after proving he could “politick” (as he would say- see Edmund Morris biography trilogy on Teddy) by not only breaking up trusts, but also by wining the 1904 elections by a landslide, set about further improving the stance of the “common man.” With almost a Jacksonian thoughtfulness Teddy passed the Meat Inspection Act of 1906, after reading Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, and sent a “fact finding commission” in 1902 to settle a strike, which ended up obtaining higher pay for the workers. These two acts ultimately show the foresight of the literally near-sighted Teddy. These two acts also show the fight, and care Roosevelt has for the common man.
Roosevelt’s ultimate legacy is the example he set for future politicians of what the modern President looked like. No longer would there be the “forgotten Presidents” of the previous decades, the modern President was a defender of the weak, and was extremely confident and assured- we see this in Roosevelt’s “big stick” proclamation for the U.S.’ involvement in foreign affairs. Roosevelt showed future generations of office seekers that the people will vote for someone who is popular, athletic, and smart, as well as young (Teddy was 42 when sworn in, making him the youngest president ever). Theodore Roosevelt set the mold for the modern President, and reasserted the power of the White House.
Teddy Roosevelt was a magnificent man, which enough accomplishments to fill many lifetimes. Therefore, because of the economic, social, and political reasons, to be president had a whole new change in meaning.
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