Theodore Roosevelt's Shaping of America

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Theodor Roosevelt, our 26th president, was a gruff politician who had a huge impact on America. He is known for his accomplishments in the political, social, and business world during the Progressive Era. His accomplishments helped shape America, and because of this influence, he is one of the faces found on Mount Rushmore.

Theodor Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858, in New York, New York. As a child he was frail and timid, and as a result, most of his education was through tutors in his home before he went to college. Around the age of 13 he became determined to learn how to defend himself, because while on a stage coach two other boys started to beat him up and he could not defend himself. He knew that his efforts in learning how to defend himself had paid off when he won a lightweight championship match. At 14, he went on a trip to Egypt, where he discovered his love of hunting. He even kept a diary of the birds that he shot and killed every day while in Egypt.

After high school, he applied to Harvard, and began his education there in 1876. It was there that he met Alice Lee, whom he later married. After graduating from Harvard, Roosevelt enrolled at the Columbia University Law School, but he dropped out. Instead he entered politics, which fascinated him. He believed as his father did, that men of wealth and intelligence should devote themselves to public service. At this time, New York politics were ran by corrupt party bosses. Therefore he was discouraged from entering by many of his friends and associates, by them saying “…the organizations were not controlled by ‘gentlemen’…the men I met would be rough and brutal and unpleasant to deal with…”

He did join and was soon was elected a New York assemblyman. While on th...

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...dered the construction of the Panama Canal which connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Theodore Roosevelt’s legacy as a great president, lives on today through his policies. The Panama Canal now saves ships thousands of miles, and National Parks inspire people to conserve the resources of this earth. His social justice policies keep businesses honest and force them to be fair. But like all humans he had flaws. One of his major weaknesses was he thought anyone who did not agree with him was un-American, and during World War One was suspicious of German Americans. While on state Legislature, he tried to fire a judge based on corruption because he reached a verdict Roosevelt did not agree with. But Roosevelt’s great intelligence, strength, and curiosity outweighed his flaws, and it is not surprise he is considered as one of America’s greatest presidents.

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