Theodore Roosevelt

When 42-year-old Theodore Roosevelt became the youngest U.S. president in 1901, he had already led an interesting life. As a child, he had willed himself to overcome poor health. As a young politician, he oversaw the reform of a corrupt New York City police department. He resigned from his position as assistant secretary of the navy to organize and lead a group of soldiers known as the Rough Riders in the Spanish–American War in 1898. Elected governor of New York, he rooted out corruption in the state. He brought energy and enthusiasm to each of these roles. But it’s his two terms as the 26th president that earned him a place in this issue. Roosevelt redefined the power of both the president and the executive branch.

Roosevelt came to office when the nation was experiencing rapid industrialization. The immense wealth generated by a few major industries was controlled by a handful of rich and powerful men. These men and their monopolies were the first things the new president addressed. Roosevelt sought a “square deal,” where government would assume the role of ensuring fair play by businesses and offering equal opportunity to working people. He filed more than 40 antitrust suits that mostly succeeded in breaking up the large monopolies. For this, he earned the nickname “Trust-Buster.”

Roosevelt continued to challenge Congress to pass legislation that looked out for the public’s general welfare. He pressured Congress into enacting laws to address unhealthy conditions in the meat-packing industry. In addition, beginning in 1902, he fought for conservation legislation, using the power of the executive office to protect millions of acres of land by setting them aside as national reserves. One of his greatest domestic legacies as president may be the preservation and development of America’s natural resources.

At the same time that Roosevelt was changing how the government looked out for the welfare of its citizens and its natural resources, the United States also was emerging as a world power. Adopting a philosophy to “speak softly and carry a big stick,” Roosevelt moved the United States from an isolated nation to a global power. While he firmly warned the rest of the world not to interfere in the Western Hemisphere, implying that the United States would “police” this part of the world, he also used the United States’ new influence to encourage peaceful solutions to conflicts.

Roosevelt expanded the powers of the presidency to improve international travel and trade. He supported construction of the Panama Canal, which allowed ships to travel through Central America instead of around the tip of South America. Linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, it was the greatest engineering feat of its time.

A man of forceful action, Roosevelt also became known as a person of peace. After several months of stalemate in the Russo–Japanese War, Roosevelt personally brokered long and difficult negotiations into the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth on September 5, 1905. Because of his efforts, he was awarded the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize, making him the first American to win a Nobel Prize.

In 1907, Roosevelt sent the U.S. naval fleet—painted white for peace—around the world. This left no doubt in the minds of foreign leaders that the United States would be a force to reckon with, just as Theodore Roosevelt himself became a force in expanding the powers of the U.S. presidency in the 20th century.