History concepts and applications

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Theodore Roosevelt, elected as President of the United States in 1901 and 1904, was one of the most ambiguous characters in American history. His political beliefs and attitudes, both progressive and conservative, influenced and shaped many domestic and international events which took place in the early 1890's and into the opening years of the twentieth century. In the years prior to Roosevelt's presidency, two of the greatest social/political problems facing America were based on the continuing warfare between the poor and wealthy classes and the expansion of "Manifest Destiny" in foreign lands. Domestically, the country was burdened by a financial panic in the 1890's which complicated the lives of the urban poor and made the wealthy even more prosperous. In the cities, people demanded democratic change in many areas, such as the twelve hour work day, the dangerous conditions in American factories, the exploitation of immigrant laborers, corporate resistance to the formation of labor unions, political corruption in the leaders of the great cities, child labor, inadequate wages and most importantly the on-going concentration of wealth by such "Robber Barons" as J.P. Morgan and the Vanderbilts. By 1896, America's expansion into the western regions of the U.S. had greatly diminished but due to the lingering effects of "Manifest Destiny" and the War of 1896, America expanded into many foreign territories, such as the Philippines, Wake Island and Guam in the Pacific basin and Puerto Rico in the Atlantic. By 1898, as a result of the Spanish-American war, America also took hold of Cuba, where Roosevelt's "Rough Riders" contributed to America's victory over the Spanish. 2 As President of the United States between 1901 and 1909, Theodore Roosevelt applied his progressive beliefs towards the monopolies held by many American corporations which he felt adversely affected the divisions between the rich and the poor. As America's "Trust Buster," Roosevelt attacked big business and demanded a cessation to their monopolistic activities. At the same time, Roosevelt supported the American labor force by initiating child protection laws, aimed at preventing children from working in factories, and introduced workman's compensation in order to protect company employees from utter poverty if they were injured on the job. Roosevelt also proposed the Pure Food and Drug Act in order to protect consumers from unsafe "patent medicines" and contaminated meat. Yet in contrast to these progressive beliefs, Roosevelt was a staunch supporter of "Manifest Destiny," first promoted by President James Madison in 1822 through his Monroe Doctrine which appointed the U.S. as the prime protector of all the lands in the Western hemisphere. Yet Roosevelt went one step further with his Roosevelt Corollary which stated that the U.S. could intervene in any legal contract between a country and a smaller, less civilized country in order to assure that the best interest of America was always at the forefront. Thus, with the U.S. controlling its neighbor's affairs, the argument maintained that America would control its own destiny. Progressively, Theodore Roosevelt was also a dedicated environmentalist, for during his Presidency, he set aside more than 190 million acres of federal land, made up of national forests, coal and water reserves and wildlife refuges, in order to assure that future generations of Americans would be able to enjoy and appreciate the natural beauties of the 3 country. For example, under Roosevelt's administration, Yellowstone National Park, the country's first such entity, was given federal protection. But in light of this, Roosevelt also oversaw the building of the Panama Canal in Central America which after its construction greatly enhanced U.S. commerce; however, at the same time it also destroyed much of the natural environment of Panama. Therefore, it seems that Roosevelt was once again perpetuating his American "Manifest Destiny." Despite the fact that Theodore Roosevelt as a "bully" activist proposed and supported numerous issues, such as the elimination of corporate monopolies, child protection laws, worker's compensation and the conservation of public and federal lands, he appears to have wholeheartedly endorsed many racist viewpoints. As pointed out at the American President website, Roosevelt did not believe that African Americans, native American Indians or Asians were equal to white Americans, for he "subscribed to the racist and imperialistic view that people of 'color' were a "burden" that the white man must carry as part of his Christian duty." In conclusion, Theodore Roosevelt appears to have been a very complex character with a subtle hint of hypocrisy-progressively for the "little man" while conservatively for the on-going assault of "Manifest Destiny" against the entire world. BIBLIOGRAPHY American President. Internet. Accessed February 6, 2003. Ayers Website. Accessed February 5, 2003.