Theodore Roosevelt was a great leader!

by RealPTC Expert


"The government is us...You and me!"
- Theodore Roosevelt (Morris).
Theodore Roosevelt identified himself as part of something greater. His ideas were progressive and realistic. As a student at Harvard University, Roosevelt titled his 1880 thesis “The Practicability of Equalizing Men and Women before the Law”; he wrote: "Viewed purely in the abstract, I think there can be no question that women should have equal rights with men" (Roosevelt, Theodore. 1880). Roosevelt was experienced in many leadership roles. His resume is one of the most impressive in the history of The United States. “In addition to holding elective office as a New York State Assemblyman, Governor of New York, Vice President, and President, he was also a deputy sheriff in the Dakota Territory, Police Commissioner of New York City, U.S. Civil Service Commissioner, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and Colonel of the Rough Riders” (Roosevelt, Tweed). He also “oversaw the admission of Oklahoma as the 46’th state” ("Oklahoma Journeys - Teddy Roosevelt's Birthday"). Theodore Roosevelt accomplished many things in his political career; he made a positive and long-term impact on the entire world.
Roosevelt understood that he was not always the best candidate for some leadership positions. He demonstrated this understanding during his experience with the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American war. The Rough Riders were “The First United States Volunteer Cavalry Regiment... organized by Theodore Roosevelt and Leonard Wood, M.D...
Because he lacked military experience, Roosevelt suggested that Leonard Wood be given command of the volunteer cavalry regiment; and accordingly Wood became colonel, and TR was made lieutenant colonel... The Rough Riders were landed at Daiquiri, Cuba on June 22, and saw their first action in the Battle of Las Guasimas on June 24. The Rough Riders were part of the large American force that assembled for the assault on the Spanish fortifications protecting the city of Santiago. On the night of June 30, the eve of the big battle, Colonel Leonard Wood was promoted in the field to Brigadier General and Theodore Roosevelt was made Colonel of the Rough Riders. On July 1, 1898 TR on horseback led the Rough Riders and elements of the Ninth and Tenth Regiments of regulars, African-American "buffalo soldiers," and other units up Kettle Hill. After that hill was captured, TR, now on foot, led a second charge up the San Juan Heights. This was what TR called his "crowded hour," his great moment” (The Theodore Roosevelt Association). Roosevelt was nominated for [and denied] the Congressional Medal of Honor shortly after the San Juan Heights charge, before landing in Montauk Long Island with the Rough Riders; in September he was nominated for a position as Governor of New York State by the Republican Party, and elected in November ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life").
In 1900, Roosevelt became Vice-President under President William McKinley ("Theodore Roosevelt”). On September 6 1901, an assassination was attempted on the President, and “for several days, President McKinley seemed to be getting better” (Rosenberg, Jennifer). Vice President Roosevelt decided to continue with a planned summit expedition on Mount Marcy in New York State; after several days, his group was met [while picnicking] by a man “waving a yellow envelope in his hand. Silence fell upon them all as they watched Mr. Roosevelt break it and read the message. It was brief: "The President's condition has changed for the worse.—Cortelyou." That was all.
He read it over once, twice, and sat awhile, the message in his hand, grave shadows gathering in his face. Then he arose, the food untouched, and said briefly: " I must go back at once." (The Outlook). Theodore Roosevelt was sworn into office as President eight days after McKinley was shot ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life").
Roosevelt faced crisis early in his presidency; “It was in the 1880s when coal was first used to generate electricity for homes and factories. Long after homes were being lighted by electricity produced by coal, many of them continued to have furnaces for heating and some had stoves for cooking that were fueled by coal” ("A Brief History of Coal Use in the United States"). Even in 1940, three out of every four households were still using coal or wood for heat ("Census of Housing"). America was dependent on coal when miners went on a major strike in 1902; there had already been smaller strikes in 1900, and 1897 (Grossman). “Restless miners demanded more pay and shorter hours, while the mine operators complained that profits were low, and that the union destroyed discipline. When the owners refused to negotiate with the union, miners appealed to President Roosevelt to call a special session of Congress” (Grossman). When faced with the difficult conflict between the miners and their employers, Roosevelt predicted the possibility of an “untold misery . . . with the certainty of riots which might develop into social war" (Morrison). Despite the advice of the attorney general, the President intervened; Roosevelt constructed a group of commissioners who successfully negotiated a solution to the coal conflict, although he was ready to deploy the United States army [as a last resort] to dig the nation’s coal (Grossman).
Theodore Roosevelt valued fair treatment of the common people, by organizations. “The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 was the first measure passed by the U.S. Congress to prohibit abusive monopolies...
A trust was an arrangement by which stockholders in several companies transferred their shares to a single set of trustees. In exchange, the stockholders received a certificate entitling them to a specified share of the consolidated earnings of the jointly managed companies. The trusts came to dominate a number of major industries, and were, in effect, monopolies” ("The Sherman Antitrust Act"). “While in office, Roosevelt became a "trust buster" by forcing the great railroad combination in the Northwest to break apart” ("Presidential Accomplishments"). “The first trust giant to fall victim to Roosevelt's assault was none other than the most powerful industrialist in the country — J. Pierpont Morgan. Morgan controlled a railroad company known as Northern Securities. In combination with railroad moguls James J. Hill and E. H. Harriman, Morgan controlled the bulk of railroad shipping across the northern United States... The President informed Morgan that no compromise could be reached, and the matter would be settled by the courts. Morgan inquired if his other interests were at risk, too. Roosevelt told him only the ones that had done anything wrong would be prosecuted... Who would decide the difference between right and wrong? The occupant of the White House trusted only himself to make this decision in the interests of the people... The American public cheered Roosevelt's new offensive. The Supreme Court, in a narrow 5 to 4 decision, agreed and dissolved the Northern Securities Company. Roosevelt said confidently that no man, no matter how powerful, was above the law. As he landed blows on other "bad" trusts, his popularity grew and grew” ("The Trust Buster"). Roosevelt further mediated rail companies in 1906 by signing the Hepburn Act, which gave the Interstate Commerce Commission “power to regulate railroad rates” ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life”).


In addition to national conflict resolution, Roosevelt “mediated a dispute between France and Germany over Morocco, preserving Moroccan independence and the European balance of power, thus for a time saving the peace in North Africa and Europe” ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life”). One of Roosevelt’s most famous achievements involves the development of the Panama Canal. “In 1901, the United States negotiated with Britain for the support of an American-controlled canal that would be constructed either in Nicaragua or through a strip of land—Panama—owned by Colombia. In a flourish of closed-door maneuvers, the Senate approved a route through Panama, contingent upon Colombian approval. When Colombia balked at the terms of the agreement, the United States supported a Panamanian revolution with money and a naval blockade, the latter of which prevented Colombian troops from landing in Panama. In 1903, the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty with Panama gave the United States perpetual control of the canal for a price of $10 million and an annual payment of $250,000” ("American President: Theodore Roosevelt"). “If taking land from Colombia was the fastest and most favorable solution, then it was the only option as far as he was concerned” (Ragone, Nick, and Ali Velshi, 108). In addition to connecting the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Roosevelt settled a dispute between Britain and The United States regarding Alaska’s border [in favor of the U.S.] (Ricketts, Bruce).
Roosevelt expanded The Monroe Doctrine. “The Monroe Doctrine, put forth in 1823 by President James Monroe, called for an end to European intervention in the American continents (both north and south). This applied only to independent governments in the Americas however, not to areas that were colonies at that time.


“In what came to be known as the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, Roosevelt asserted that European nations should not intervene in countries to the south of the US, however under certain conditions, United States intervention might be justified”” ("Roosevelt Corollary and the Monroe Doctrine”). Roosevelt is also credited with signing the Portsmouth Treaty, which ended The Russo-Japanese War [he was awarded The Nobel Peace Prize in 1905 for this achievement] ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life”).
After reading an advance copy of Upton Sinclair’s whistle-blowing expose of the meat industry’s sickening practices; Roosevelt passed a meat inspection act in 1906 ("Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906"). According to www.u-s-history.com, Roosevelt’s meat inspection act implemented the following changes in the meat processing industry:
  • “All animals were required to pass an inspection by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prior to slaughter”
  • “All carcasses were subject to a post-mortem inspection”
  • “Cleanliness standards were established for slaughterhouses and processing plants”
(“Meat Inspection Act: The Power of the Pen”).
Numerous environmental conservation efforts were enacted by President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. During his administration, Roosevelt is credited with establishing the following parks: Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota, Sullys Hill in North Dakota, Platt National Park in Oklahoma, and Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado; he also made Wichita Forest in Oklahoma the first “federal game preserve”, as well as: the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Fire Island in Alaska, and The National Bison Range in Montana. ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life”). Roosevelt’s environmental efforts were genuine; they were not staged political displays of framed theatrics.
Part of Roosevelt’s vision consisted of positive creation that could prosper long after his administration’s end. In 1902, Roosevelt signed the Newlands Reclamation Act which established the following:
  • “The federal government would plan, construct and manage irrigation projects for the purpose of reclaiming marginal lands
  • Money for these projects would be generated by the sale of public lands
  • The on-going expenses of the projects would be supported by fees paid by farmers and ranchers using the water” ("Newlands Act: Early Reclamations Legislation").
In 1903, Roosevelt recognized Pelican Island, Florida as this first of 51 bird reservations that would eventually be established during his presidency ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life"). In 1905, Roosevelt founded The National Forest Service ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life"). “The Forest Service manages public lands in national forests and grasslands” and has a mission “to provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run” ("About Us"). In 1906, Roosevelt launched the Forest Homestead Act; “The Forest Homestead Act... allowed people to settle on land primarily suited for agriculture located within the national forests” ("Forest Homesteads”). At the end of his presidency, Roosevelt held the first governors conference “at the White House to consider problems of conservation” before appointing “a National Conservation Commission to prepare [the] first inventory of natural resources” ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life").




"I have always been fond of the West African proverb: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far"” (Miller). This saying suggests that Roosevelt embodied the concept of diplomacy in his foreign affairs, while wielding great power.
Theodore Roosevelt is an inspirational leader as he championed the areas of: human rights, national development, environmental conservation, and international politics. "Optimism is a good characteristic, but if carried to an excess, it becomes foolishness. We are prone to speak of the resources of this country as inexhaustible; this is not so" (Roosevelt, Theodore. Seventh Annual Message to Congress).





Works Cited
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Miller, Nathan. Theodore Roosevelt: a Life. New York: Perennial, 2003. 337. Print.
Morris, Edmund, and Edmund Morris. Theodore Rex. New York: Modern Library, 2002. 140. Print.
Morrison, Elting E. Introduction. The Letters of Theodore Roosevelt. Vol. III. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1951. 360. Print.
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The Outlook [New York] 30 Jan. 1904. Print.
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Ragone, Nick, and Ali Velshi. Presidential Leadership: 15 Decisions That Changed the Nation. Amherst, NY: Prometheus, 2011. Print.
Ricketts, Bruce. "The BC - Alaska Boundary Dispute." Mysteries of Canada. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/BC/bc_alaska_boundary_dispute.htm>.
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Roosevelt, Theodore. Seventh Annual Message to Congress. 3 Dec. 1907. Speech.
Roosevelt, Theodore. "The Practicability of Equalizing Men and Women before the Law" Thesis. Harvard University, 1880. Print.
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Rosenberg, Jennifer. "William McKinley Assassinated." 20th Century History. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://history1900s.about.com/od/1900s/qt/mckinleykilled.htm>.
"The Sherman Antitrust Act." The Linux Information Project. 17 June 2004. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.linfo.org/sherman.html>.
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"The Trust Buster." Ushistory.org. Web. 30 Dec. 2011. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/43b.asp>. 

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