Political Heights Achieved by Theodore Roosevelt - Essay Example

Theodore Roosevelt Born to an affluent Dutch family in New York City on October 27, 1858, Theodore Roosevelt went on to become the youngest president of the United States at the age of 42. Yet, his fame is not just limited to his accomplishments while in office. Theodore Roosevelt, or ‘Teedie’ as he was nicknamed, is equally admired for his exploits as a naturalist, author, explorer, hunter, rancher, and soldier. Roosevelt describes his childhood self as a “sickly, delicate boy”, who suffered “much from asthma”, and who frequently had to be taken on trips to places where he could breathe (20). He had a comfortable childhood, owing to his family’s affluence and he was home schooled because of his health complications. Much of his childhood was spent in reading and in the exploration of natural history (Thayer 22). At the age of 18, he joined Harvard for four years, and excelled both at academics and in sports, following which he studied in Germany for a year and ultimately entered politics in his hometown by joining the Republican Party in 1880 (“Theodore Roosevelt – Biography”; “Timeline”). Upon being elected into the Assembly of New York State in 1881, Roosevelt held office for 3 years during which he introduced many reforms (Pringle 70). He became the youngest man ever to be elected into the Assembly (“Timeline”). His first book, The Naval War of 1812, was published during his stint at the Assembly. During his tenure, he also joined the National Guard and was the Chairman of the Committee on Cities, during which his efforts led to major modifications in the Charter of New York City (“Timeline”). In 1884, Roosevelt suffered great personal loss with the demise of his mother and wife on the same day, after which abandoned his political endeavors for a while (“Theodore Roosevelt”; “Theodore Roosevelt – Biography”). Recuperating from this double tragedy, he stayed on his cattle ranch in the Dakota Badlands, spending his time as a ranchman and hunter. Apparently, he “hiked away to the wilderness” so that he could “get away from the world” (Pringle 92). His book, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman, was published during his days at the ranch. In 1886, he married Edith Carow and re-entered politics (“Theodore Roosevelt”). In 1887, his third book, Life of Thomas Hart Benton, was published, followed by the publication of four other books, Life of Gouverneur Morris, Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail, and Essays in Practical Politics in 1888 and 2 volumes of The Winning of the West in 1889 (“Timeline”). Roosevelt was appointed as a US Civil Services Commissioner in Washington until 1895, after which he became assistant secretary of the Navy under President McKinley’s administration (“Theodore Roosevelt – Biography”). Several of his books including the History of New York, The Wilderness Hunter, and American Ideals were published during this period. Upon the outbreak of the Spanish-American war in 1898, he left for Cuba as lieutenant colonel of the first US volunteer cavalry regiment called the Rough Riders, raised by himself from among the cowboys and hunters from the West (“Timeline”; “Theodore Roosevelt – Biography”). After the Battle of San Juan Heights, he was nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor, which he denied (Pringle 460). In 1898, Roosevelt was nominated as Governor of New York State by the Republican Party, after which he was elected as Governor and served for two years. He was then elected as the Vice President of the United States after which he went on to become the president following the assassination of President McKinley (“Theodore Roosevelt – Biography”). He became the 26th president of the United States, and the youngest one at that. In 1994, he was again elected as President for full term. Under Roosevelt’s presidency, international Court of Arbitration was opened at The Hague (“Theodore Roosevelt – Biography”). Many prominent events took place under his presidency, which include the antitrust suit for the dissolution of the Northern Securities Company, establishment of five National Parks, signing of the Newlands Reclamation Act that led to the first ever federal irrigation projects, signing of the Isthmian Canal Act, settlement of the Anthracite Coal Strike and the Venezuelan Affair, establishment of the Department of Commerce and Labor, signing of the Elkins Anti-rebate Act for railroads, establishment of 51 bird reserves, settlement of the Alaskan Boundary dispute, construction of the Panama Canal, establishment of the National Forest Service, among many others (“Timeline”). Roosevelt played an important role in encouraging the employment of arbitration for international problems, leading to the conclusion of many arbitration treaties (“Theodore Roosevelt – Biography”). He was a strong believer in the ideal that the – …Government should be the great arbiter of the conflicting economic forces in the Nation, especially between capital and labor, guaranteeing justice to each and dispensing favors to none… Roosevelt steered the United States more actively into world politics. He liked to quote a favorite proverb, "Speak softly and carry a big stick”… (“Theodore Roosevelt”) In 1905, he was elected for a second term as president. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for acting as a mediator during the Russo-Japanese War, which concluded with a peace treaty (“Theodore Roosevelt”). He sent the Great White Fleet around the world for circumnavigating the globe. He left the presidency in 1909 and led a hunting expedition on an African Safari for gathering specimens for the Smithsonian Institution (“Timeline”). He reentered politics in 1912 forming a new party, Bull Moose. He survived an assassination attempt when he was shot in the chest during a campaign in Milwaukee. Until the end of his life, he wrote twenty six books, and established himself not only as one of the most admirable American Presidents but also as a credible naturalist, writer, soldier, explorer and hunter. He also approved a request by a toymaker to lend his nickname to Teddy Bear. At the age of sixty, in the year 1919, his eventful and marvelous life ended, as he died in his sleep due health complications. Works Cited “Theodore Roosevelt – Biography”. Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media, 2012. Web. 9 April. 2012. “Theodore Roosevelt”. Whitehouse.gov. White House Historical Association, 2009. Web. 9 April. 2012. “Timeline”. Theodoreroosevelt.org. The Theodore Roosevelt Association, 2001. Web. 9 April. 2012. Pringle, Henry Fowles. Theodore Roosevelt: A Biography. New York: Kessinger Publishing, 1931. Roosevelt, Theodore. Theodore Roosevelt-An Autobiography. N.a: Plain Label Books, n.d. Thayer, William Roscoe. Theodore Roosevelt: An Intimate Biography. Iowa: 1st World Publishing, 2007. 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