Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901 when President McKinley died in office. Vice President Roosevelt was only 42 — the youngest person ever to become president. (John F. Kennedy later was the youngest elected.) He was a Republican from New York, where he had already been police commissioner and governor. Headlines and friends called him TR and Teddy.

At home he promised a Square Deal: workers, companies, and the public should get a fair shake, not special favors. As a “trust buster,” his government sued a giant railroad combine called Northern Securities. After reports of filthy meatpacking plants, Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act in 1906. He reserved millions of acres as parks, forests, and wildlife refuges so later Americans would still have wild land.

Abroad he wanted American strength. He pushed the United States to finish the Panama Canal so warships and trade ships could skip the long trip around South America. His famous saying was “Speak softly and carry a big stick” — be polite, but keep a strong Navy ready. He sent the Great White Fleet, a world cruise of U.S. battleships painted white, to show that strength without starting a war. He served from 1901–1909 and wanted Americans to be tough, decent, and ready to lead.