Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)
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Teddy Roosevelt was probably one of the most personable men to occupy the White House. Those around him were amazed by his colorful personality and attitude toward life. Assuming office upon the assassination of President William McKinley, Roosevelt was intent on asserting U.S. influence and military power in the world, while pursuing a progressive agenda here at home. His policies and rhetoric shaped 20th century politics, as his progressive views influence future Presidents Wilson, Roosevelt, and Johnson to pursue similar domestic agendas. As President, it is obvious that Roosevelt respected and sought to defend the average American worker, promising a square deal for all. He mobilized the resources of the federal government to regulate big businesses that were taking advantage of American workers, filing suit on over forty corporations that were violating trust-busting laws. Roosevelt's objective in doing this was not to punish success on the part of the corporations, but rather, he did not want a corporate success to be a worker's failure (he would not permit corporate success at the expense of American workers). When mine workers in Pennsylvania called a strike against the coal mine owners in 1902, demanding higher pay and a reasonable workday, Roosevelt threatened to use federal troops to run the mines unless the owners agreed to meet the demands of the workers. The owners backed down and granted the workers higher wages and reasonable working hours. Roosevelt's bold resolve in this matter showed just how much he respected the American worker, and that he was willing to stand up for them, ensuring a square deal for all. Roosevelt also pursued an actively progressive agenda, signing two landmark laws to ensure the safety of food and drugs sold in the United States. Roosevelt also sought to conserve our land and natural resources, setting aside nearly 200 million acres for conservation. In the areas of civil rights, however, Roosevelt, like his predacessors, backed down. Roosevelt, despite being such an activist in other areas and having the moral authority to do so, refused to pursue equal rights for women and African Americans, a major failure of his administration. In foreign affairs, Roosevelt came to office with the intention to expand U.S. power abroad with the belief that the United States should be strong and ready to defend its interests around the world. To do this, Roosevelt initiated a massive naval buildup. In supporting Panama's quest for independence, Roosevelt secured the construction of the Panama Canal, which was unquestionably his greatest accomplishment and one of the greatest foreign policy coups of the 20th century. The construction of the canal created hundreds of new jobs, helped assert U.S. influence in Latin America, and increased rapidy overseas commerce. Roosevelt successfully arbitrated peace on two separate occaions, successfully negotiating an end to the Russo-Japanese War and averting, or atleast postponing a World War in Europe. In one foreign policy area, however, Roosevelt had substantial failures. His massive expansion of the Filipino-American War was absolutely inexcusable. Following the Spanish-American War, the Spanish had ceded the Phillipines to the United States. Immediately, the Filipinos attempted to instill their own government, but McKinley and Roosevelt would have none of it, and both Presidents personally ordered the slaughtering and internment of thousands of Filipinos. Roosevelt did something similar in Cuba by pushing forward the Platt Amendment which established that the United States assumed full military control of Cuba. In both these cases, Roosevelt was so busy pursuing his imperialist agenda, Roosevelt forgot that America's job was not to rule other countries, but to give them the resources to rule themselves. Instead of granting the Cubans and the Filipinos their independence, Roosevelt pursued his imperialist agenda, and jokingly stated that it was good to give countries that stepped out of line a spanking every now and then. Riots in Cuba and the Phillipines would continue well after Roosevelt left office, and hundreds of U.S. troops died there over two decades. In the final analysis, whether you like him or not, one cannot deny Roosevelt's influence on the world as a whole and espescially on 20th century America. Despite his failures in the area of civil rights and his completely unwarranted intervention in Cuba and the Phillipines, Roosevelt was the right man to lead America into the new century. He fought for the hard working American by prosecuting those who sought to take advantage of them, preserved America's natural beauty, expanded American influence, for better or worse throughout the world, and inspired a new generation of Americans and future Presidents to seek a square deal for all.
