History concepts and applications

¶ … Theodore Roosevelt

Elected as President of the United States in 1901 and 1904, Theodore Roosevelt, while being one of the most ambiguous political figures in American history, was also extremely influential, both culturally and socially, and reflected the times in which he lived as no other President. His political beliefs and attitudes, both progressive and conservative, 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 and foreign nations were based on the continuing struggle between the poor and the wealthy classes and the expansion of "Manifest Destiny" into foreign lands. Domestically, America was burdened by a financial panic in the 1890's which upset 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 labor unions, political corruption in local and state governments, child labor laws, inadequate wages and most importantly the on-going concentration of wealth by such "Robber Barons" as J.P. Morgan and the Vanderbilts. But by the time Roosevelt was President, his ideals "that the government should be the great arbiter of the conflicting economic forces in the nation" took hold, thus "guaranteeing justice to each and dispensing favors to none." 1

By 1896, American expansion into the western regions of the country had greatly diminished; settlers from the eastern portions of the U.S. had literally taken over all of the lands once occupied by the American Indian. But due to the lingering effects of "Manifest Destiny" and the War of 1896, America expanded into many foreign territories, such as the Philippine Islands, Wake Island and Guam in the Pacific and Puerto Rico in the Atlantic. By 1898, as a result of the Spanish-American War in which Roosevelt triumphed with his "Rough Riders," America also took hold of Cuba which contributed to the victory over the Spanish. But as President, Theodore Roosevelt "is almost universally remembered for his brash foreign policy" and during his tenure as President, "with the same type of bullishness as he exhibited in the international arena, he established an empire the like of which the world had never seen." 2

As President of the United States between 1901 and 1909, Theodore Roosevelt applied his progressive beliefs toward 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" with a vengeance and demanded that they cease their monopolistic activities, especially in industry and the manufacture of commodities, such as steel, iron and the raw materials taken from the natural environment. At this 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 laws to protect company employees from utter ruin and poverty once they lost their jobs, two very important social aspects that even today are still affected by the laws proposed and endorsed by Roosevelt almost one hundred years ago. Roosevelt also proposed the Pure Food and Drug Act to protect American consumers from unsafe "patent medicines" and contaminated meat which is still in effect and has literally saved millions of lives.

Yet in contrast to these progressive beliefs, Roosevelt was a staunch supporter of "Manifest Destiny," first promoted by President James Madison in 1822 through the Monroe Doctrine which appointed the U.S. As the sole protector of all the lands in the western hemisphere. Yet Roosevelt went one step further with his Roosevelt Corollary which in effect declared that the U.S. could intervene in any legal contract between a major country and a smaller country in order to assure that the best interest of America was always at the forefront. Thus, with America controlling as a "middle man" the affairs of its neighbors, the argument maintained that America would control its own destiny. Although the U.S. has not "invaded" nor attempted to take over any other nation since the time of Roosevelt to spread its territory, the effects of this action continues to be felt in not only the U.S. But also in many foreign countries.

Of course, as a progressive leader, Theodore Roosevelt will always be equated as a dedicated environmentalist, for during his Presidency, he set aside more than 190 million acres of federal land, made up of national forest, coal and water reserves and wildlife refugees, to make certain that future generations of Americans would be able to enjoy and explore the natural beauties of the country. For example, under Roosevelt's administration, Yellowstone National Park, the country's first such entity, was established and given federal protection for all times. But in light of this, Roosevelt also oversaw the construction of the Panama Canal in Central America which after its completion greatly enhanced U.S. And global commerce; however, it also destroyed many lives and much of the natural environment of Panama.

Yet as an environmentalist, Theodore Roosevelt left a great legacy and went on to "become America's first conservationist President, responsible for five new national parks, 18 national monuments and untold millions of acres of national forest." 3

Despite the fact that Theodore Roosevelt as a "bully' activist proposed and supported many important issues during his lifetime, 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 embraced many racist viewpoints. Roosevelt did not believe that African-Americans, native American Indians or Asians were equal to white Americans, for he subscribed to the racist view that people of "color" were a burden that the white man must carry as part of his Christian duty. But unlike his other political/social views, this particular aspect has been proven to be utterly incorrect; however, his opinions on race obviously inspired others to overthrow them in the latter years of the twentieth century when equal rights and civil rights for all Americans became the law of the land.