Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Era

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in the early 1900s? The turn of the century left Americans feeling more optimistic about life (Woog 4). People were honest and kind (Woog 5). The 1900s can be remembered as a happy time, but also a time of hardship for some Americans (Woog 5). Theodore Roosevelt, President 1901-1910, guided America in a way in which he created laws to help the social and economic problems of the time as well as improving politics by being a strong leader and recognizing the true needs of the country. Social problems of the 1900s included conservation of wildlife and forest, the creation national monuments, immigration, and child labor. President Roosevelt firmly believed that America’s forest should be preserved and cared for (Kelley 66). President Roosevelt once said, "We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune." ("Theodore Roosevelt and Conservation") Meaning we should care for nature and wildlife, because it is a gift to us. He still hunted and was often put down for it (Kelley 68). One time he refused to shoot an elderly bear and later a stuffed bear toy was developed and named after him as the “Teddy Bear.” (Kelley 68). The National Conservation Commission was formed as a result of a conservation conference in May 1908(Kelley 69). President Roosevelt is also responsible for creating 18 national monuments, one being the Grand Canyon, which was declared a national monument on January 11, 1908 ("Miller Center"). America also saw a record number of immigrants from 1900-1910. Around 8,796,000 people immigrated to America in search of “the American Dream.” (Woog 32). ... ... middle of paper ... ...L: Crossway Bibles, 2002. N. pag. Print. Shmoop Editorial Team. "Politics in Progressive Era Politics." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 05 Apr. 2014. . Sinclair, Upton. "The Jungle: Important Quotations Explained." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2014. . "Theodore Roosevelt." The World Book Enyclopedia. Chicago: n.p., 2006. 470. Print. United States. National Park Service. "Theodore Roosevelt and Conservation." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, 06 Mar. 2014. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. . Woog, Adam. The 1900s. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1999. Print.

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