Historians have described Theodore Roosevelt as both a 19th Century man and a 20th Century figure.

Question

Historians have described Theodore Roosevelt as both a 19th Century man and a 20th Century figure. Describe how TR bridges the gap between the two centuries and be sure to include as much about his life and career as you can.

Answer 1

TR embodied a heroic ideal of the 19th century. He was physically tough, indefatigable, well-read, and a charismatic speaker. He was a wrestler, he led the Rough Riders at the Battle of San Juan Hill, he was the president of the New York Police Commission, and he was a big game hunter traveling to Africa and South America for his expeditions. Later in his career at a campaign rally, a would-be assassin shot him, but TR insisted on giving his speech while still bleeding from his bullet wound. These kinds of moments, and many others, cast him as a romantic figure that people could be inspired by and want as their president. This was not the case for future presidents, at least not under these conditions.

TR came from well-off family, but he saw the inequality that existed between the rich and the poor and he strove to make life better for more Americans than the presidents of the Gilded Age. He thought that the government ought to take responsibility for the welfare of the people. Throughout the Gilded Age, laissez-faire policies by the national government led to powerful monopolies and unfair working conditions for laborers. TR was the first president to regulate big business and break up corporate monopolies, and he became known as a "trustbuster." When Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle, TR pressured Congress to create consumer safety laws. During the Gilded Age, corporations clear-cut forests and exploited America's natural resources, so TR began the first national environment conservation program and placed natural resources (like oil, trees, coal) under federal protection.

TR's presidency changed the United States by having the government assume responsibility for the welfare of all citizens, regulate big business, and protect the environment. His foreign policy decisions (he won the Noble Prize for negotiating peace talks to end the Russo-Japanese War) influenced the rest of the world, and led to the construction of the Panama Canal.