The “Strenuous Life” was not just the mere title of Theodore Roosevelt’s famous speech; it was a lifestyle Roosevelt introduced to an evolving America. Nearing the turn of the twentieth-century, America was experiencing an industrial metamorphosis. In this urbanizing nation, Americans felt suffocated by Victorian ideals and sought a solution. Traditional values of masculinity were converging with women's rights movements, thus, social culture was shifting. Roosevelt’s famous notion of the “Strenuous Life” embodied proverbial values by highlighting the importance of a successful work ethic and overcoming struggles and hardships. Instead of the Victorian ideals of self-control, character, and scarcity, the “Strenuous Life” presented empowerment …show more content…
The “Strenuous Life” was Roosevelt’s idea that exalted remedial virtues embraced by Americans, such as the importance of overcoming hardships to better oneself. This changed American culture through increased self-fulfillment. Anti-Victorian in nature, Roosevelt’s speech aimed to restore America’s relaxed culture, through the fear of other nations surpassing the United States. Roosevelt stated:
“I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate
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Replacing Victorian control, character, and individualism, this new culture introduced self-fulfillment, personality, and bureaucracy. Americans were enlightened to chase their full potential in life. The idea that men should be able to not spend so many hours at work and still be able to provide for their families ensured that they would no longer be slaves of the workplace. Because of the “Strenuous Life” idea, Americans began to realize that filling the gaps in their lives was how they were going to release themselves from Victorianism. As the Victorian Era officially ended with Queen Victoria’s death in 1901, America had already found itself slipping from the Victorian Era’s
Chief among the qualities necessary for the continued health of American democracy was, according to Roosevelt, "manliness." For Roosevelt, conservation was in part the preservation of American manhood. He wrote, "Every believer in manliness and therefore in manly sport...should strike hands with the farsighted men who wish to preserve our material resources, in the effort to keep our forest and game beasts..." (Internet 3) Roosevelt's construction of masculinity was one of self reliance, hard work, and courage. Roosevelt said of manliness, "...these qualities are all important... It is necessary absolutely to have them.
First, Theodore explains American exceptionalism, social mobility, and body politic throughout American Ideals. Roosevelt describes a facet of American Exceptionalism and body politic, “But where immigrants, or the sons of immigrants, do not heartily and in good faith throw in their lot with us, but cling to the speech, the customs, the ways of life, and the habits of thought of the Old World which they have left, they thereby
In America, the late 19th Century was known as the Victorian Era. It was a time when pro-private upper class culture dominated the nation, a time of liberation from the burden of the past and a time when the development of science and technology flourished. The Victorians believed that the advancement in science and technology served as a mean for protection, and could bring in an abundant of wealth and power, something they desired. The middle-class admired those from the upper-class, as they imitated the lives of the wealthy families. It was a period of competition and the survival of the fitness for the Victorians. While these neighbors, friends and families competed against each other for wealth, there was competition between workers and machineries in the cities, as labor was gradually being replaced by modern technology.
Teddy Roosevelt was Vice President of the United States when President McKinley was assassinated in 1901, leaving Roosevelt as the youngest U.S. President ever. Politically it was a time of progressivism and change, but like all past affairs, things can get lost or interpreted differently by different people. It’s not just about Roosevelt, it 's about the people responsible for shaping America during the time of his presidency. This is evident in the two excerpts, “Prosperity” by Nell Irvin Painter in her political history Standing at Armageddon and Kolko’s “Roosevelt as Reformer”, from his political history Triumph of Conservatism. Although they are both political histories of the time during Roosevelt’s presidency, they have sharply contrasting components, such as a use of
David, Kyvig E. Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1939: Decades of Promise and Pain. Westport: Greenwood P, 2002.
Nationwide, it is known that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the one to serve the longest time that any President has ever done so before and he was great at what he accomplished. Roosevelt was like a “grandparent” to the American people with the way that he would speak to them, acknowledge them, and explain what was going on in the world to them (Franklin, American). Each time that Franklin was elected, he had to give the nation an inaugural speech, each president does. However, his second, third, and fourth speeches all related to the topic of what he was going to change in his upcoming presidency compared to the courses of action he had taken in previous events. Within his Second Inaugural Speech, Franklin D. Roosevelt describes to the American
President Theodore Roosevelt became the twenty sixth president of the United States of America in September 1901. During his time in office many changes took place, reflecting his own social and political beliefs. These social and political beliefs, as well as the domestic policies of his administration reflect how progressive he was as president. In this essay I will firstly discuss what being progressive entails. I will then discuss Roosevelt’s social and political beliefs as well as the domestic policies of his administration, which will reflect how closely Roosevelt can be associated with the progressive movement.
Theodore Roosevelt was well known by the people for being for the people and willing to stand shoulder to should with “anyone who had a forward-thinking vision of the future and intense convictions,” he called them Progressives (Bowles, M.D., 2011). In 1912 TR and his Progressive Party had already accepted that their chances of winning the Presidential Race were very small. "Although I expect to lose I believe that we are founding what really is a new movement, and that we may be able to give the right trend to our democracy,” (Kraig, R.A., 2000). TR’s hope was to get his message out to as many Americans as possible to lay the groundwork for the future of his political pa...
He achieved so many of his dreams and lead his life in a such a magnificent way. To me his statement speaks the truth. To lead your life in the best way possible for you, is to pursue and achieve your dreams first. By doing this, you can lead your life doing what you love and living in the way you want. No one wants to live their life not pursuing something.
“The way [one] expresses both the agony of life and the possibility of conquering it through is the sheer toughness of the spirit. They fall short of
Theodore Roosevelt stepped into head of office on September 19, 1901 when President William McKinley was assassinated. He was the youngest man to become president. His motto was “speak softly but carry a big stick.” President Roosevelt would come into power offering America the square deal. He would take the power away from the industrialists as he controlled big business from the White House. He would soon become known as a TrustBuster. Roosevelt used American power for American interests and was quoted as saying, “I am an American first and last. “ Although some historians argue that Roosevelt acted like a six-year-old throughout his presidency and that he didn’t think things through, ie “he thought with his hips”, one can admire the tremendous leadership qualities that Teddy Roosevelt had. First, he was a very bold man who graduated magna cum laude from Harvard. The average citizen was aware of what a “positive, warm and tough, authoritative and funny” president that they had leading them. His leadership qualities stemmed from his time as a New York state Assembly man, a deputy sheriff, a ...
As one of the presidents during the Progressive Era, Theodore Roosevelt led the United States of America through a series of dramatic changes that interrupted the lives and ideologies that Americans during the time were more than familiarized with. Industrialization, women’s suffrage, the sexual revolution, imperialism, and “muckraking” journalism were just a few of the controversial, yet significant characteristics of this era. However, perhaps one of the largest and most vital influences during this time period came from the outside. Immigration was an issue that Roosevelt himself addressed rather perceptibly in his paper entitled “True Americanism,” which first appeared in a magazine called The Forum in April, 1894. However, it is not the idea of immigration that vexed Roosevelt; rather it was his concern and fear of the possibility that the increase in immigration of foreign people and cultures would culminate the concept of American patriotism, or “Americanism” as a whole. This paper will analyze the different elements of Roosevelt’s “True Americanism” by exploring the historical context of the document, highlighting Americanism as Roosevelt explicates it, observing the rhetoric used throughout the document, and discerning Roosevelt’s intended audience.
Carlisle, Rodney P. Handbook To Life In America. Volume VI, The Roaring Twenties, 1920 To 1929. Facts on File, 2009. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 30 May 2012
The Victorian era was an extremely difficult time for women in Great Britain. They were subject to gross inequalities such as, not being able to; control their own earnings, education, and marriage. As well as having a lack of equality within marriage, women had poor working conditions, and an immense unemployment rate as well. Not only was the fact that women were viewed as second-class citizens and had limited rights compared to men during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries a major problem, but women were also held to a much different standard, and expected to carry out many
quote: "For the secret of man's being is not only to live... but to live for something