Matt Gross
Mrs. Parrott / Mr. Gross
1 st
hour
10/28/14
Teddy Roosevelt
Gross 1
Existence:
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Born 10/27/1858
 Witnessed Abraham Lincoln’s funeral procession as a child
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Had a really good memory – could recite poetry
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Franklin Roosevelt and Teddy were fifth cousins
 Republican leaders didn’t want TR as President
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TR was republican
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Was a prolific writer
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Dropped out of graduate school
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Blind in one eye after a boxing injury
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Died 1/6/1919
Accomplishments:

Governor of New York

Became youngest U.S. President at age 42
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Was the 26 th
President of the U.S.
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Graduated magna cum laude from Harvard in 1880
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Captain of the National Guard
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Father of the modern U.S. Navy

Was the first President to win the Nobel Peace Prize
 “Square Deal” established rules of the American workplace

Was first president to have an African-American visit the White House

Strong supporter of environmentalism

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Summary:
Theodore Roosevelt’s early life lead no one to believe that he would one day become
President of the United States. He was home-schooled, due to his severe asthma but he eventually graduated from Harvard College with academic honors, despite experiencing the death of his beloved father during his sophomore year. He didn’t stay in law school long before jumping into New York’s politics. Early on, tragedy struck when both his mother and wife died on the same day, (2/14/1884), so Roosevelt moved west to the Dakota Territory where he lived a cowboy and cattle rancher life. This was significant because he developed a great respect for our environment, which showed in his politics. He is known as the first environmental president because he made sure public lands were protected from private investors. He is a big reason we have green space in our country.
During his term as President, Roosevelt developed a notorious reputation. Theodore
Roosevelt’s policy was to “speak softly, but carry a big stick.” He was very influential in enlarging the U.S. Navy. He helped complete the digging of the Panama Canal and countless other international endeavors. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for helping end the Russo-
Japanese War. While his stance with women’s suffrage and some civil rights issues weren’t as strong as most hoped, he was still the first President to invite an African-American into the
White House as his guest. Finally, he penned the name of the White House during his
Presidency.

My Opinion:
President Roosevelt is a great candidate for “Person of the Room” because what he did has positively affected generations. He built our Navy into a formidable fleet. He provided land for us to interact with wildlife and he made sure that land would be protected. He was more than a President; he was a proud American citizen who loved his country and left it better than how he found it. He dealt with issues greater than himself with the idea that those issues will one day provide peace and opportunity to our world.
Despite difficult experiences, Roosevelt overcame obstacles and still achieved greatness.
He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College, despite losing his father during his sophomore year. Instead of dropping out of school and succumbing to depression, he pursued his political goals. He married and soon after experienced another tragedy when his wife and mother died on the same day. He stayed on course to become the 26 th
leader of our land and he provided us today with the environment we enjoy and some of the defenses we have in order to enjoy our freedoms.
Sources:
“10 little-known facts about President Theodore Roosevelt.” www.news.yahoo.com
“Theodore Roosevelt.” www.biography.com