theodore roosevelt biography short

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Theodore Roosevelt

By: History.com Editors

Updated: February 7, 2024 | Original: November 13, 2009

Theodore Roosevelt unexpectedly became the 26th president of the United States in September 1901 after the assassination of William McKinley. Young and physically robust, he brought new energy to the White House and won a second term on his own merits in 1904. 

Roosevelt, a Republican, confronted the bitter struggle between management and labor head-on and became known as the great “trust buster” for his strenuous efforts to break up industrial combinations under the Sherman Antitrust Act. He was also a dedicated conservationist, setting aside some 200 million acres for national forests, reserves and wildlife refuges during his presidency. 

In the foreign policy arena, Roosevelt won a Nobel Peace Prize for his negotiations to end the Russo-Japanese War and spearheaded the beginning of construction on the Panama Canal. After leaving the White House and going on safari in Africa, he returned to politics in 1912, mounting a failed run for president at the head of a new Progressive Party.

But his complex legacy includes not just his achievements as a progressive reformer and conservationist who regulated big business and established the national park system. Like many of his time, he also believed firmly in the existence of a racial hierarchy topped by those of white Anglo-Saxon descent, a belief that shaped his attitudes—and policies—on race relations, land rights and American imperialism.

Theodore Roosevelt’s Early Life and Career

Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858, to Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. and Martha Bulloch Roosevelt, a wealthy family in New York City. Known as “Teedie”–later “Teddy”–he was frail and sickly as a boy , and as a teenager followed a program of gymnastics and weightlifting to build up his strength. Upon graduating from Harvard College in 1880, Roosevelt married Alice Hathaway Lee and entered Columbia University Law School, though he dropped out after only one year to enter public service. He was elected to the New York State Assembly at the age of 23 and served two terms (1882-84). 

Both his wife and mother died on the same day in 1884, and the grieving Roosevelt spent the next two years on a ranch he owned in the Badlands of the Dakota Territory, where he hunted big game, drove cattle and worked as a frontier sheriff. Upon returning to New York, he married his childhood sweetheart, Edith Kermit Carow. The couple would raise six children together, including Roosevelt’s daughter from his first marriage, Alice. Edith and Theodore’s other children were Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., Kermit Roosevelt, Quentin Roosevelt, Ethel Roosevelt Derby and Archibald Roosevelt.

Did you know? Early in his presidency, Theodore Roosevelt sparked a scandal when he invited the African-American educator Booker T. Washington to dine with him and his family; he was the first president ever to entertain a black man in the White House.

In 1886, Roosevelt ran unsuccessfully for mayor of New York City. Two years later, President Benjamin Harrison rewarded Roosevelt’s service to the Republican Party with a job on the U.S. Civil Service Commission; he was reappointed by Harrison’s successor, Grover Cleveland . In 1895, Roosevelt became president of the New York City Board of Police Commissioners, and in 1897 William McKinley named him as assistant secretary of the U.S. Navy. 

Upon the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898, Roosevelt left his post as naval secretary to become colonel of the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, known as the “ Rough Riders .” Once in Cuba, Roosevelt led the Rough Riders in a brave, costly uphill charge in the Battle of San Juan ; he returned home as one of the war’s most visible heroes.

Teddy Roosevelt’s Unexpected Path to the White House

The Republican political machine in New York threw their considerable support behind the returning war hero, helping Roosevelt defeat a popular Democratic candidate to win the governorship. Once elected, Roosevelt displayed his characteristic independence and unwillingness to buckle to the pressure of party bosses. 

In 1900, the leading New York Republican Thomas C. Platt conspired with national party boss Mark Hanna to get Roosevelt named as McKinley’s running mate, in order to keep him from running for a second term in the governor’s office. Roosevelt campaigned vigorously for McKinley, traveling by train for more than 21,000 miles to speak in 24 states, and McKinley and Roosevelt won in a landslide over Democrats William Jennings Bryan and Adlai E. Stevenson.

On September 6, 1901, a deranged anarchist named Leon Czolgosz shot McKinley at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. McKinley died eight days later, and Roosevelt was sworn in as the 26th president. Only 42 years old when he took office, he was the youngest president in the nation’s history, and his youth and vigor immediately transformed the public image of the presidency. 

From the time of his First Annual Message to Congress in December 1901, Roosevelt expressed the progressive belief that government should mediate between conflicting forces (including capital and labor, isolationism and expansionism and conservation and development) in order to stabilize American society.

Theodore Roosevelt’s 'Square Deal'

Roosevelt’s “Square Deal” domestic program included a promise to battle large industrial combinations, or trusts, which threatened to restrain trade. In 1902, his government brought a successful suit under the previously ineffective Sherman Antitrust Act against the Northern Securities Company, a railroad combination formed by James J. Hill, E.H. Harriman and J.P. Morgan . That same year, he intervened in a prolonged coal strike in Pennsylvania , using a combination of negotiation tactics to halt the strike and gain a modest pay increase for the miners.

Roosevelt also used his executive power to further his passion for conservationism. In June 1902, the National Reclamation Act (dedicated to large-scale irrigation projects in the American West) became the first major legislative achievement of his presidency. In addition, Roosevelt set aside almost 200 million acres–almost five times as much land as all his predecessors combined–for national forests, reserves and wildlife refuges. As part of that process, he favored the removal of many Native Americans from their ancestral territories, including approximately 86 million acres of tribal land transferred to the national forest system.

Despite his progressivism and his reputation as a “trustbuster,” Roosevelt was able to amass the support of more conservative Republicans and business interests and win a landslide victory over the Democrats in 1904. He was the first president to win reelection after gaining the White House due to the death of his predecessor.

Theodore Roosevelt’s Foreign Policy

Like McKinley, Roosevelt sought to bring the United States out of its isolationism and fulfill its responsibility as a world power. He believed that America should “speak softly and carry a big stick” in the realm of international affairs and that its president should be willing to use force to back up his diplomatic negotiations. Roosevelt followed this big-stick policy most conspicuously in his dealings in Latin America. 

In 1903, he helped Panama secede from Colombia in order to facilitate the beginning of construction on the Panama Canal , which he later claimed as his greatest accomplishment as president. The following year, after several European nations had attempted to forcibly collect on debts owed to them by Latin American nations, Roosevelt issued a “corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine stating that the United States would bar foreign intervention in Latin America and act to police the hemisphere, ensuring that countries paid their international debts.

To prepare the United States for its expanded role on the world stage, Roosevelt sought to build up the country’s defenses, and by the end of his presidency, he had transformed the U.S. Navy into a major international force at sea. Outside the Western Hemisphere, he led negotiations to end the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-05, winning the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. He also reached an agreement with Japan that traded diplomatic recognition of that country in return for Japan’s acceptance of the ongoing U.S. presence in the Philippines.

Theodore Roosevelt: After the White House

As the 1908 election approached, Roosevelt prepared grudgingly to fulfill the campaign pledge he had made in 1904 not to seek another term, and threw his support behind Secretary of War William Howard Taft . Immediately after leaving office in early 1909, Roosevelt left for a 10-month African safari and a tour of Europe, where he enjoyed international acclaim. Upon his return, Roosevelt found that President Taft had failed to follow through on the promised program of progressive reforms, instead siding with the more conservative wing of the Republican Party. 

The ‘Bull Moose Party’ and the Election of 1912

Incensed, Roosevelt campaigned against Taft for the Republican nomination in 1912; when that effort failed, he and his supporters bolted to form the Progressive Party, popularly known as the Bull Moose Party. (Roosevelt had once referred to himself in a letter as being “as strong as a bull moose.”)

While campaigning in Milwaukee, Roosevelt was shot in the chest by a fanatic, but soon recovered. With the Republican Party split, Democrat Woodrow Wilson took the White House, winning 435 electoral votes to Roosevelt’s 88 (Taft received only eight). Despite the loss, Roosevelt’s run marked the most successful third-party effort in American history, and many of Wilson’s progressive reforms over the next eight years would echo Roosevelt’s 1912 platform. 

Roosevelt was an early advocate of American entry into World War I , which broke out in Europe in 1914, and strongly criticized Wilson’s early policy of neutrality. Once the United States entered the war in 1917, all four of Roosevelt’s sons volunteered to fight; his beloved youngest son, Quentin, was shot down and killed while flying a mission over Germany. 

Theodore Roosevelt Death and Legacy

Politically and physically active until the end, Roosevelt died of a pulmonary embolism in his sleep on January 6, 1919, at his family home in Oyster Bay, New York, at the age of 60. He is buried in Youngs Memorial Cemetery in Oyster Bay Cove.

Theodore Roosevelt is remembered for his contributions to the conservation movement in the United States. His niece, Eleanor Roosevelt , would go on to be the First Lady of the United States during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Teddy Roosevelt were fifth cousins.

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Theodore Roosevelt

(1858-1919)

Who Was Theodore Roosevelt?

Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858, in New York City, to Theodore "Thee" Roosevelt Sr., of Dutch heritage, and Martha "Mittie" Bulloch, a Southern belle rumored to have been a prototype for the Gone with the Wind character Scarlett O'Hara. His family owned a successful plate-glass import business.

As a young boy, Roosevelt — or "Teedie," as he was known to his family members (he wasn't fond of the nickname "Teddy") — spent a lot of time inside his family's handsome brownstone, homeschooled due to his illnesses and asthma. This gave him the opportunity to nurse his passion for animal life, but by his teens, with the encouragement of his father, whom he revered, Roosevelt developed a rigorous physical routine that included weightlifting and boxing.

When his father died during his second year at Harvard College, Roosevelt channeled his grief into working even harder. After graduating magna cum laude in 1880, he enrolled at Columbia Law School and got married to Alice Hathaway Lee of Massachusetts.

Political Life

Roosevelt didn't stay long at law school, opting instead to join the New York State Assembly as a representative from New York City — becoming the youngest to serve in that position. Not long after, Roosevelt was speeding through various public service positions, including captain of the National Guard and minority leader of the New York Assembly. However, the tragic deaths of his mother and his wife, which occurred on the same day (February 14, 1884), propelled Roosevelt to leave for the Dakota Territory for two years. There, he lived as a cowboy and cattle rancher, leaving his infant daughter in the care of his elder sister.

Returning to political life in 1886, Roosevelt was defeated for the New York City mayorship. Around the same time, he married his second wife, Edith Kermit Carow, whom he had known as a child (they had watched the funeral procession of Abraham Lincoln from a window in his grandfather's house on Union Square in New York City). Roosevelt soon resumed his career trajectory, first as a civil service commissioner, then as a New York City police commissioner and Assistant U.S. Navy Secretary under President McKinley.

Taking a keen interest in the Spanish-American War , Roosevelt left his government post to organize a volunteer cavalry known as the Rough Riders, which he led in a bold charge up San Juan Hill in the Battle of San Juan Heights , in 1898. A war hero, and nominated for the Medal of Honor, Roosevelt was elected governor of New York in 1898.

U.S. Presidency

Roosevelt's progressive policies in New York ran him afoul of his own party, so Republican Party bosses plotted to quiet him by naming him on the McKinley ticket in the thankless post of vice president. However, after his re-election in 1901, President McKinley was assassinated. At age 42, Roosevelt became the youngest man to assume the U.S. presidency.

Roosevelt’s presidency is distinguished by his dedication to prosecuting monopolies under the Sherman Antitrust Act. Out of this commitment grew a benchmark of his first term, the "Square Deal" — a domestic program that embraced reform of the American workplace, government regulation of industry and consumer protection, with the overall aim of helping all classes of people. Roosevelt's charismatic personality and impassioned combination of pounding fists and emphatic rhetoric undoubtedly helped in pushing his agenda.

In 1905, Roosevelt walked his niece, Eleanor Roosevelt , down the aisle (Theodore's brother, Elliott, had died in 1894) during the wedding ceremony for Eleanor and her fifth cousin once removed, Franklin D. Roosevelt .

Around the same time, believing that America needed to take its rightful place on the world stage, Roosevelt initiated a massive public relations effort. Engaging his unofficial policy of “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” Roosevelt bulked up the U.S. Navy and created the "Great White Fleet," sending it on a world tour as a testament to U.S. military power. He also helped expedite the completion of the Panama Canal by providing tacit approval of the Panama revolution with funds and a naval blockade preventing Colombian troops from landing in Panama. President Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for his role in negotiating the end of the Russo-Japanese War. Roosevelt believed that if Japan had devastated Russia, it would lead to an imbalance of power in the Pacific, one that the United States would eventually have to realign, but at a disastrous cost.

Roosevelt's international stance was the impetus for the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, which claims the right to intervene in cases of wrongdoing by a Latin American or any other nation, though some critics assert that the doctrine designates the United States as the "policeman" of the western world.

While it is true Roosevelt supported desegregation and women's suffrage, his administration took an often passive, sometimes contradictory approach to improve civil rights. He defended Minnie Cox, who experienced racial discrimination in the South while working as a postmaster and strongly supported a woman’s right to vote in 1912. Roosevelt was also the first president to entertain an African American, Booker T. Washington , as a guest at the White House. However, the political backlash from the event was so severe that he never invited Washington back again.

One of Roosevelt’s less admirable actions regarding civil rights occurred in 1906. The War Department Inspector General had investigated an incident in Brownsville, Texas, involving Black troops who had been accused of a shooting rampage that left one white person dead and another wounded. The Inspector General’s report recommended the president dismiss the solders because none would confess. Roosevelt waited until after the November elections — after hundreds of thousands of Black people cast their votes for Republican candidates across the North — and then dismissed all 167 Black soldiers from the service. None would receive their pensions.

Roosevelt has also been deemed the country's first environmentalist president. In 1906, he signed the National Monuments Act, protecting sites like the Grand Canyon and preserving countless wildlife sanctuaries, national forests and federal game reserves. He also made headway with the nation’s infrastructure, instigating 21 federal irrigation projects.

The presidential mansion officially became known as the White House when Roosevelt had the name emblazoned on his stationery. He hired the most illustrious architects of the time, McKim Mead and White, to renovate the decrepit mansion. During his presidential term, the White House served as a lively playground for the Roosevelts' six children; due in no small part to the president's passion for sports and books, each room of the home was enlivened with activity, from crawl space to library. "Giving the pony a ride in the elevator was but one of many stunts" of the Roosevelt White House, according to memoirs published in 1934 by Ike Hoover, the White House's chief usher.

Travel and Post-Presidency Politics

When Roosevelt left office in 1909, he felt assured that he was leaving the nation able hands; Roosevelt's successor was his friend, former Secretary of War William Howard Taft . Having enjoyed his travels in Europe and the Middle East with his family as a young boy, as well as his two years as a rancher in the Dakotas and countless hunting trips, it seems only logical that Roosevelt's next move would be embarking on an African safari.

But after two years of collecting specimens, speaking engagements and traveling — including as special ambassador to England for the funeral of King Edward VII — Roosevelt became disgruntled with Taft’s weak enforcement of progressive policies and decided to make another run for the presidency. To do so, though, meant launching a third-party initiative, as Taft was running on the Republican Party ticket. So Roosevelt formed the Progressive Party, also known as the "Bull Moose Party," and began campaigning for the 1912 election. While delivering a speech on the campaign trail in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Roosevelt was shot in the chest in an assassination attempt by John Nepomuk Schrank. Shockingly, he continued his speech for 90 minutes before seeing a doctor, later chalking up the incident to the hazards of the business.

Roosevelt lost to Woodrow Wilson in the 1912 election, in a rather close popular vote. He considered running again in 1916, winning the Progressive nomination, but bowed out in favor of Republican Party nominee Charles Evans Hughes.

His political aspirations, however, would soon prove to be far from over. In 1914 when war broke out in Europe, Roosevelt became frustrated with Wilson’s stance on neutrality and continually criticized the president’s policy. When the U.S. finally declared war, Roosevelt requested permission to head a volunteer division for service in France in World War I , but Wilson had the Secretary of War turn him down.

Roosevelt was proud that all four of his sons enlisted for service during WWI, but brokenhearted when his youngest son, Quentin, was shot and killed in Germany.

Death and Legacy

When Roosevelt was a young boy, doctors discovered that he had a weak heart, and advised him to get a desk job and not strain himself. However, he lived a more active life than most. Outside of his political career, Roosevelt published more than 25 books about a range of subjects, including history, biology, geography and philosophy. He also published a biography and an autobiography, including The Winning of the West , comprised of four volumes.

Roosevelt died in his sleep on January 6, 1919, at his Long Island estate, Sagamore Hill , after suffering a coronary embolism. He was 60 years old. He was buried at the Youngs Memorial Cemetery in New York.

Although he was denied the Medal of Honor for the Battle of San Juan Heights, Roosevelt posthumously received the honor — the highest award for military service in the United States — more than 100 years later, on January 16, 2001, Roosevelt was the first president to receive the Medal of Honor, conferred by President Bill Clinton .

Roosevelt's energetic vision helped bring the nation into the new century. America owes nearly 200 million acres of national forest and parkland to his foresight — some of which can be viewed atop Mount Rushmore, where Roosevelt's visage is carved in memorial.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Theodore Roosevelt
• Birth Year: 1858
• Birth date: October 27, 1858
• Birth State: New York
• Birth City: New York
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: A New York governor who became the 26th U.S. president, Theodore Roosevelt is remembered for his foreign policy, corporate reforms and ecological preservation.
• U.S. Politics
• Astrological Sign: Scorpio
• Harvard College
• Columbia Law School
• Death Year: 1919
• Death date: January 6, 1919
• Death State: New York
• Death City: Oyster Bay
• Death Country: United States

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CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Theodore Roosevelt Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/political-figures/theodore-roosevelt
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: January 11, 2022
• Original Published Date: April 3, 2014
• I do not believe there ever was any life more attractive to a vigorous young fellow than life on a cattle ranch in those days. It was a fine, healthy life, too; it taught a man self-reliance, hardihood, and the value of instant decision ... I enjoyed the life to the full.
• Far and away, the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.
• Speak softly and carry a big stick. You will go far.
• There is delight in the hardy life of the open.
• A man's usefulness depends upon his living up to his ideals insofar as he can.
• It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.
• Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground.
• Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike.
• A great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be great or a democracy.
• Ours is a government of liberty by, through and under the law.
• If I must choose between righteousness and peace, I choose righteousness.
• Courage, hard work, self-mastery and intelligent effort are essential to successful life.

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Theodore Roosevelt

With the assassination of President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, age 42, became the youngest president in the nation’s history. He brought new excitement and power to the presidency, as he briskly led Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and an aggressive foreign policy.

He took the view that the president as a “steward of the people” should take whatever action necessary for the public good unless expressly forbidden by law or the Constitution. "I did not usurp power," he wrote in 1913, “but I did greatly broaden the use of executive power."

Roosevelt's youth differed sharply from that of the log cabin presidents. He was born on October 27, 1858 in New York City into a wealthy family, but he too struggled—with asthma and other health ailments—and in his triumph became an advocate of the strenuous life.

In 1884, his first wife Alice Lee Roosevelt and his mother Martha died on the same day and only two days after the birth of his daughter, Alice. Roosevelt spent much of the next two years on his properties in the Dakota Badlands. There he mastered his sorrow as he lived in the saddle, driving cattle, hunting big game—he even chased outlaws as a local sheriff. Feeling reinvigorated, Roosevelt returned from the West and began courting his childhood friend Edith Carow. The couple married in London in December 1886. They raised six children together, including Alice.

During the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt resigned his position as assistant secretary of the Navy to command the U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, more famously known as the Rough Riders. Roosevelt led his company’s charge up Kettle Hill during the Battle of San Juan, and his military exploits brought him considerable attention, elevating his profile within the Republican Party. In 1898, he ran for governor of New York and won; he then was asked to join the 1900 Republican ticket as a vice-president under President William McKinley.

As president, Roosevelt held the ideal that the government should be the great arbiter of the conflicting economic forces in the nation, especially between capital and labor, guaranteeing justice to each and dispensing favors to none.

Roosevelt emerged spectacularly as a “trust buster” by forcing the dissolution of a great railroad combination in the Northwest. Other antitrust suits under the Sherman Act followed, and his willingness to take on corporations and monopolies enhanced his popularity with the American public.

Roosevelt also steered the United States more into world politics. He liked to quote a favorite proverb, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” Aware of the strategic need for a shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific for American vessels, Roosevelt facilitated the construction of the Panama Canal by sending naval ships to support the Panamanians' independence movement. Once Columbia recognized Panama's independence, the new government gave the U.S. control of the canal for $10 million and a yearly payment. Additionally, the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine prevented the establishment of foreign bases in the Caribbean and arrogated the sole right of intervention in Latin America to the United States.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize for mediating the Russo-Japanese War, the first American president to receive this honor. Roosevelt also believed that a powerful navy was key to maintaining peace. In 1907, he sent the “Great White Fleet” around the world to demonstrate U.S. naval power and gain valuable experience on the open seas.

Some of Theodore Roosevelt's most enduring achievements were in conservation. He added enormously to the national forests in the West, reserved lands for public use, and fostered great irrigation projects.

He crusaded endlessly on matters big and small, exciting audiences with his high-pitched voice, jutting jaw, and pounding fist. “The life of strenuous endeavor” was a must for those around him, as he romped with his five younger children and led ambassadors on hikes through Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.

Leaving the presidency in 1909, Roosevelt went on an African safari, then jumped back into politics. In 1912 he ran for president on the Progressive Party ticket. To reporters he once remarked that he felt as fit as a “bull moose,” the nickname of his new party.

While campaigning in Milwaukee, he was shot in the chest by a fanatic. Roosevelt soon recovered, but his words at that time remained applicable at the time of his death on January 6, 1919: “No man has had a happier life than I have led; a happier life in every way.”

Related Information

• Edith Roosevelt

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Theodore Roosevelt

The 26th President of the United States

The biography for President Roosevelt and past presidents is courtesy of the White House Historical Association.

With the assassination of President William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, not quite 43, became the 26th and youngest President in the Nation’s history (1901-1909). He brought new excitement and power to the office, vigorously leading Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and a strong foreign policy.

With the assassination of President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, not quite 43, became the youngest President in the Nation’s history. He brought new excitement and power to the Presidency, as he vigorously led Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and a strong foreign policy.

He took the view that the President as a “steward of the people” should take whatever action necessary for the public good unless expressly forbidden by law or the Constitution.” I did not usurp power,” he wrote, “but I did greatly broaden the use of executive power.”

Roosevelt’s youth differed sharply from that of the log cabin Presidents. He was born in New York City in 1858 into a wealthy family, but he too struggled–against ill health–and in his triumph became an advocate of the strenuous life.

In 1884 his first wife, Alice Lee Roosevelt, and his mother died on the same day. Roosevelt spent much of the next two years on his ranch in the Badlands of Dakota Territory. There he mastered his sorrow as he lived in the saddle, driving cattle, hunting big game–he even captured an outlaw. On a visit to London, he married Edith Carow in December 1886.

During the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt was lieutenant colonel of the Rough Rider Regiment, which he led on a charge at the battle of San Juan. He was one of the most conspicuous heroes of the war.

Boss Tom Platt, needing a hero to draw attention away from scandals in New York State, accepted Roosevelt as the Republican candidate for Governor in 1898. Roosevelt won and served with distinction.

As President, Roosevelt held the ideal that the Government should be the great arbiter of the conflicting economic forces in the Nation, especially between capital and labor, guaranteeing justice to each and dispensing favors to none.

Roosevelt emerged spectacularly as a “trust buster” by forcing the dissolution of a great railroad combination in the Northwest. Other antitrust suits under the Sherman Act followed.

Roosevelt steered the United States more actively into world politics. He liked to quote a favorite proverb, “Speak softly and carry a big stick. . . . ”

Aware of the strategic need for a shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific, Roosevelt ensured the construction of the Panama Canal. His corollary to the Monroe Doctrine prevented the establishment of foreign bases in the Caribbean and arrogated the sole right of intervention in Latin America to the United States.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize for mediating the Russo-Japanese War, reached a Gentleman’s Agreement on immigration with Japan, and sent the Great White Fleet on a goodwill tour of the world.

Some of Theodore Roosevelt’s most effective achievements were in conservation. He added enormously to the national forests in the West, reserved lands for public use, and fostered great irrigation projects.

He crusaded endlessly on matters big and small, exciting audiences with his high-pitched voice, jutting jaw, and pounding fist. “The life of strenuous endeavor” was a must for those around him, as he romped with his five younger children and led ambassadors on hikes through Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.

Leaving the Presidency in 1909, Roosevelt went on an African safari, then jumped back into politics. In 1912 he ran for President on a Progressive ticket. To reporters he once remarked that he felt as fit as a bull moose, the name of his new party.

While campaigning in Milwaukee, he was shot in the chest by a fanatic. Roosevelt soon recovered, but his words at that time would have been applicable at the time of his death in 1919: “No man has had a happier life than I have led; a happier life in every way.”

Learn more about Theodore Roosevelt’s spouse, Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt .

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Biography Online

Theodore Roosevelt biography

Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909. He was a driving figure of the Progressive Age , helping to reform the excesses and corruption of big business and a supporter of liberal reforms.

Roosevelt was a striking personality; keen on outdoor life, he was a great hunter and worked to set up the first American National Parks. He was also a literary figure, penning several books on military history. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for his successful efforts to end the Japanese-Russian war. At home, he expanded the US Navy and supported the US entry into the First World War.

His brother Elliot was father of first lady Eleanor Roosevelt , wife of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (a distant cousin of Theodore)

Theodore’s childhood was marked by ill health and nighttime bouts of asthma which give him a feeling of suffocation. However, despite ill health, he was vivacious and active. He found strenuous physical exercise helped him to overcome his asthma.

He admired his father, Theodore Roosevelt Rr. who was a businessman and philanthropist. His father encouraged his four children to cultivate fearlessness, good morals and honesty. Roosevelt credited his father and others for helping to overcome his natural timidity and weakness. He later wrote a book “Strenuous Life” (1901) explaining the benefits of hard physical exercise.

Roosevelt was nominally Christian. He was brought up in the Dutch Reformed Church and later switched to his wife’s Episcopalian Church. In political terms, he rarely invoked traditional religion, preferring instead the appeal of reason and goodwill of men.

In his childhood, Roosevelt was home-schooled by tutors and parents. This allowed him to focus on areas of interest, such as geography, natural history and languages. Aged 17, he entered Harvard College, where he graduated with an A.B. He was a good student, despite deficiencies in the classics and mathematics. He was also a keen sportsman, partaking in boxing and rowing.

Whilst at Columbia High School, Roosevelt wrote the “Naval War of 1812” (1882). It was well received as a scholarly portrayal of America’s naval war. It illustrated Roosevelt’s multifarious capacities; it also illustrates his patriotic viewpoint of America’s destiny. The successful naval episode also encouraged him to build up America’s navy when he became President.

His father died whilst he was at Harvard; this was a great shock to Theodore because he had been so close. However, his passing gave him a comfortable legacy to be financially self-sufficient.

After his Harvard degree, he moved to Columbia Law School, but he didn’t enjoy the study of law, and he was attracted to political office.

Early political career

Despite his young age, Roosevelt was successful in becoming a Republican state assemblyman in New York beginning his political career.

As a state assemblyman in New York, he forged a reputation for being anti-corruption – exposing cases of corruption by wealthy individuals and judges. This helped raise his profile, and by the 1884 Presidential Campaign, he was a leading figure in the state Republican party.

However, after his reforming candidate lost the nomination to James G. Blaine and the shock of family members passing away, he temporarily retired from politics and moved to a ranch in Medora, North Dakota.

Family life

In 1880, aged 22, he married Alice Hathaway Lee. In 1884, Alice gave birth to their daughter Alice Lee Roosevelt, but his wife died shortly after. It was a devastating time for Roosevelt because his mother had died the previous day.

After temporary retirement from politics, he moved West, where he was active in leading the life of a frontiersman; he wrote three books on Ranch life and hunting. This included a best-selling book “The Winning of the West”, which celebrated America’s move into the Wild West.

After two years in the West, he returned to the East Coast and shortly after re-married, Edith Kermit Carow. The couple had five children.

Anti-corruption

In 1886, he stood as a Republican candidate for New York Mayor but finished 3rd behind the Democrats and United Labor Party. Again he retreated from frontline politics, but after the election of Benjamin Harrison to Presidency in 1888, Roosevelt was appointed to the United States Civil Service Commission. Roosevelt began attacking the system of political patronage for well-paid jobs (known as spoilsmen). Roosevelt’s high profile principled stance created a storm of publicity as the spoil system was deeply embedded in the political culture. It marked out Roosevelt as a reforming politician, with the capacity to take on vested interests.

“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

– Theodore Roosevelt

New York City Police

In 1895, he was appointed a position on the board of the New York City Police Commissioners by William Lafayette Strong. Roosevelt began his characteristic high-minded reform to root out corruption and promote officers on meritocracy rather than political affiliation. Roosevelt took his job seriously; he was moved by a book by journalist Jacob Riis on the crime-ridden districts of New York. Roosevelt took a special interest in these crime infested areas and sought to improve the application of the law. He would even walk streets late at night to check police officers were fulfilling their duties. His reforms led to conflict with Tammany Hall and the police commissioners were later legislated out of existence.

Assistant Secretary of the Navy

After the 1896 Presidential election, Republican president William McKinley appointed Roosevelt to the assistant secretary of the Navy. In practice, Roosevelt acted as the real secretary of the Navy because he had so much more energy and dynamism than his nominal boss.

In 1898, Roosevelt was instrumental in mobilising the navy to engage with the Spanish navy currently in Cuba. Roosevelt advocated war more strongly than President McKinley. Roosevelt wanted European ejected from the Americas and wanted to support the Monroe doctrine.

Theodore Roosevelt with his rough riders in San Juan

On the outbreak of war, Roosevelt resigned his position so that he could signup for active duty – forming the First US Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. Known as the Rough Riders, this newly formed regiment was a diverse mixture of volunteers. Roosevelt used his national guard training to teach his men elementary military skills. On 1 July 1898, Roosevelt led his men on a mission to capture Kettle Hill. He was the only man with a horse and rode frequently between gun positions. The campaign was a success and the regiment captured the position, despite advancing over open ground. Later he recalled this as  “the great day of my life”

New York Mayor

In 1898, Roosevelt was narrowly elected to be governor of New York. He used his position to pursue greater regulation of companies, especially those who benefited from a state franchise. Roosevelt passed the Ford Franchise-Tax bill which taxed these companies who had support from the state. He successful trod a middle road position between free-market capitalism and socialist radicalism.

In 1900, Roosevelt’s political prominence meant he was chosen as vice-president for President McKinley. Despite major differences between the two, McKinley hoped Roosevelt would help capture the popular vote. Roosevelt’s tremendous energy and vociferous campaigning helped the Republicans to victory. He also campaigned on his war record and supported the annexation of the Philippines.

President of US

In September 1901, President McKinley was shot by a lone anarchist, dying later from his injuries. It meant Roosevelt became President just several months into the Presidential cycle.

As President, Roosevelt was more vigorous in supporting regulation of large companies (Trusts) which were considered to be exploiting their monopoly power. He brought 44 trusts, including the highly symbolic investigation of J. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil.

‘Square deal’

In 1902, he also supported the creation of the US Department of Commerce and Labour. After a coal strike broke out in May 1902, Roosevelt personally intervened to negotiate a solution. It involved concessions for both sides, including moderate pay increases for workers. Roosevelt stated he sought a fair ’square deal’ with both labour and capital. Towards the end of his presidency, he became more progressive, suggesting progressive income tax, tax on inherited wealth and ideas for the formation of a welfare state.

Roosevelt was active in other areas. He regulated railroads, investigated corruption and brought in new deals to outlaw dangerous chemicals in food. Roosevelt was one of the most activist Presidents of his generation. His zeal for reform and regulation extended to many areas, though Congress did not always support him, especially in his second term. He issued over 1,000 executive orders, a record number. By 1907, after the Financial Crisis, Congress was increasingly rebellious with conservative Republicans vetoing the president’s proposals.

Press briefings

Roosevelt’s success was partly attributable to his personal charisma and also a good relationship with the Press. He had daily briefings in the White House and instigated the first White House press briefings. Roosevelt was an instrument in placing the President at the forefront of the American political system. His prominence can be contrasted with the weaker presidencies of the late Nineteenth Century.

He hated the term ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt, though it was widely adopted by the press and popular culture. Those close to him used his preferred term – ‘colonel’.

Immigration

Roosevelt presided over a period of mass immigration. He stated that:

“we cannot have too much immigration of the right sort, and we should have none whatever of the wrong sort”

He reorganised the federal immigration depot at Ellis Island, which processed millions of people. He was a strong believer in the Americanisation of immigrants. He expected immigrants to revere only the American flag. He was critical of Irish and German immigrants for their hostile approach to the Allies in the First World War.

On the issue of race, Roosevelt appointed some African Americans to federal offices but did nothing to challenge existing policies in the south. He said slavery was a great sin

“a crime whose shortsighted folly was worse than its guilt” because it “brought hordes of African slaves, whose descendants now form immense populations in certain portions of the land”

Speaking on the question of race, Roosevelt considered America’s mixed race society a challenge, but in characteristic fashion argued for fair treatment

“I have not been able to think out any solution of the terrible problem offered by the presence of the Negro on this continent, but of one thing I am sure, and that is that inasmuch as he is here and can neither be killed nor driven away, the only wise and honorable and Christian thing to do is to treat each black man and each white man strictly on his merits as a man, giving him no more and no less than he shows himself worthy to have.”

However, towards the end of his presidency, he raised racial tensions by crusading against ‘race suicide’ – Roosevelt was concerned at the low birth rates amongst white voters, leading to a decline in the white share of the US population.

Conservation

During Roosevelt’s presidency, he enacted a series of policies to promote conservation. He created five new National parks and 18 new national monuments. He also created many new areas of preservation from forests to game reserves. As a great outdoors man, he considered it one of his greatest legacies.

Foreign Policy

As president, Roosevelt sought to further build up the US Navy. Despite being a vocal imperialist – supporting the annexation of the Philippines, he lost interest in Asia. His most significant project was perhaps the Panama Canal, which would be a vital trading route for sending goods from the East Coast to West coast by ship rather than cross-country. Roosevelt was criticised for paying too much money to the Panama Canal Company.

Roosevelt had considerable success in foreign policy – acting as an international mediator. He played a crucial role in mediating a solution to the Russian-Japanese war. For his role, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906. Under Roosevelt, relations with Great Britain were vastly improved, overcoming any remaining sources of conflict since the war of Independence.

In 1902-03, Roosevelt was instrumental in seeking an arbitration at the Hague between European powers and Venezuela

Roosevelt articulated his view of American foreign policy.

“Chronic wrongdoing or an impotence which results in a general loosening of the ties of civilized society, may in America, as elsewhere, ultimately require intervention by some civilized nation, and in the Western Hemisphere, the adherence of the United States to the Monroe doctrine may force the United States, however reluctantly, in flagrant cases of such wrongdoing or impotence, to the exercise of an international police power.”

After two terms as President, Roosevelt decided against running a third time, instead of supporting his preferred candidate William Taft. Roosevelt went on a tour of Europe and Africa, engaging in a large hunting expedition and meeting several European Heads of State. After building up the US Navy, he now gave a speech calling for limits on naval armaments. He also gave a speech to strengthen the Permanent Court of Arbitration and to support a new league of Peace for major countries.

1912 Progressive Party

By 1912, Taft had become a disappointment to Roosevelt. He felt Taft was too weak and conservative. So he stood for the Republican nominee again. However, when it was clear he would lose to Taft, he set up his own progressive party with like-minded Republican progressives. It was popularly known as the “Bull Moose Party”

Whilst campaigning for the presidency, Roosevelt was shot in the chest. He continued to give a speech for ninety minutes and the bullet resided in his chest for the rest of his life.

After finishing 2nd in the 1912 presidential election to Woodrow Wilson , Roosevelt went on an expedition to South America. During the trip, Roosevelt damaged his leg badly and contracted malaria. He would suffer ill health the remainder of his short life.

At the outbreak of the First World War, Roosevelt was vocal in condemning German aggression and supporting the Allies. He criticised Wilson’s neutrality, but until 1917, most Americans did not support Roosevelt’s position of entering the global conflict. In March 1918, Roosevelt lost his youngest son, shot down over German lines.

Roosevelt is credited with reforming American political life and instituting liberal reform which counter-balanced the power of monopoly trusts. He was commemorated at Mount Rushmore with George Washington , Thomas Jefferson , and Abraham Lincoln , designed in 1927.

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “Biography of Theodore Roosevelt”, Oxford, www.biographyonline.net , 8th January 2017. Last updated 24 Feb 2018.

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U.S. Presidents

Theodore roosevelt.

26th president of the United States

Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858, to a wealthy New York family. During his childhood, Roosevelt had asthma and was often sick, so he went to school at home. Finally his father encouraged him to improve his health through physical exercise. By the time Roosevelt attended Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts , he was fit enough to compete in the college’s boxing program. Roosevelt graduated with honors, married, and became a member of New York’s state assembly. 

Then tragedy struck. Roosevelt’s mother and wife both died from illnesses on Valentine’s Day in 1884. Roosevelt moved to the western United States and worked as a cowboy and a rancher. That’s when he developed a love of the outdoors that would continue throughout his presidency.

FROM WAR HERO TO PRESIDENT

In the fall of 1886 Roosevelt returned to New York. He remarried, took up writing, and re-entered public service.

When the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898, Roosevelt formed a volunteer company of cowboys, college football players, New York City police officers, and Native Americans . These "Rough Riders" became famous for their charge near San Juan Hill in Cuba, where they fought to help the island gain independence from Spain .

Roosevelt’s popularity after the war helped get him elected governor of New York in 1899. In 1901, Roosevelt was elected to serve as vice president to President William McKinley after his vice president passed away. But barely six months into McKinley’s second term, the president was assassinated by an angry citizen at a fair.

TEDDY THE TRUSTBUSTER

Following McKinley’s assassination in 1901, Roosevelt became the 26th president of the United States. He immediately focused on monopolies, which is when several companies join together and become so powerful that the new company doesn’t have any competition. Also called trusts, these monopolies controlled the railroad, beef, oil, and other industries. Trusts had become so powerful that people were suffering from high prices, low wages, and poor working conditions. (For instance, if a company is the only company that sells beef, then that company can charge as much as they want and pay workers as little as they want.) Roosevelt became known as a "trustbuster" for breaking up these monopolies.

He also made conservation a top priority during his administration. He created the United States Forest Service and established 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, four national game preserves, and five national parks during his time in office.

 MAKING FRIENDS OVERSEAS

Roosevelt was a problem solver when other countries had disagreements. In fact in 1905, he became the first U.S. president and first American to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in negotiating an end to a war between Russia and Japan .

He also continued to oversee construction of the Panama Canal, a waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across Central America. He visited the construction site in 1906, but it wouldn’t officially open until five years after he left office, in 1914.

LASTING LEGACY

Roosevelt served a second term, then left the White House in 1909. He attempted to regain the presidency in 1912 by running as a third-party candidate for the Progressive, or Bull Moose, Party. During a campaign speech in Wisconsin , he was shot in the chest by a saloonkeeper who disagreed with his policies. Roosevelt refused to go to the hospital until he finished his speech, over an hour later. He survived the assassination attempt but lost the presidential race to Woodrow Wilson.

Roosevelt spent his retirement on safari in Africa and exploring the jungles of Brazil . But after the death of his youngest son, Quentin, in World War I, Roosevelt’s health became bad. He died the following year on January 6, 1919.

Roosevelt was the first "accidental" president to later win outright election to the office. During his presidency, he expanded the reach of the U.S. government into such areas as industry, labor, the environment, consumer rights, and foreign affairs. He’s been called by many historians the first modern president and is generally remembered fondly.

• The teddy bear was named after Roosevelt by a toymaker who heard how the president had saved the life of a bear cub.

• Roosevelt was the first president to fly in an airplane and dive in a submarine.

• Roosevelt went blind in his left eye when he was injured in a boxing match during his presidency.

From the Nat Geo Kids books  Our Country's Presidents  by Ann Bausum and  Weird But True Know-It-All: U.S. Presidents by Brianna Dumont, revised for digital by Avery Hurt

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President Theodore Roosevelt (Teddy)

• He won the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in negotiating peace between Russia and Japan.
• He established the U.S. as the "police power" for the Western Hemisphere stating that the U.S. would protect threatened countries in North and South America. This was called his "Big Stick Diplomacy".
• He helped to increase the government regulation and safety standards of food and medicine with the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act.
• He worked on conservation by setting aside large areas of land out west for national forests and public use.
• He saw to it that the Panama Canal was built, creating a short cut between the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean.
• At 42 years, 10 months, 18 days old he was the youngest man to hold the office of president.
• After sitting out a term, he ran for president again in 1912 for the Bull Moose Party. He made a strong showing, but did not win.
• He didn't like the nickname Teddy, but preferred TR or Colonel.
• When he traveled to visit the Panama Canal in 1906 he became the first U.S. president to leave the country while in office.
• He was blind in his left eye due to an injury in a boxing match.
• He was shot in 1912 while campaigning for president for the Bull Moose Party. He continued with his speech stating that "it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose".
• Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Help inform the discussion

Theodore Roosevelt: Impact and Legacy

Theodore Roosevelt is widely regarded as the first modern President of the United States. The stature and influence that the office has today began to develop with TR. Throughout the second half of the 1800s, Congress had been the most powerful branch of government. And although the presidency began to amass more power during the 1880s, Roosevelt completed the transition to a strong, effective executive. He made the President, rather than the political parties or Congress, the center of American politics.

Roosevelt did this through the force of his personality and through aggressive executive action. He thought that the President had the right to use any and all powers unless they were specifically denied to him. He believed that as President, he had a unique relationship with and responsibility to the people, and therefore wanted to challenge prevailing notions of limited government and individualism; government, he maintained, should serve as an agent of reform for the people.

His presidency endowed the progressive movement with credibility, lending the prestige of the White House to welfare legislation, government regulation, and the conservation movement. The desire to make society more fair and equitable, with economic possibilities for all Americans, lay behind much of Roosevelt's program. The President also changed the government's relationship to big business. Prior to his presidency, the government had generally given the titans of industry carte blanche to accomplish their goals. Roosevelt believed that the government had the right and the responsibility to regulate big business so that its actions did not negatively affect the general public. However, he never fundamentally challenged the status of big business, believing that its existence marked a naturally occurring phase of the country's economic evolution.

Roosevelt also revolutionized foreign affairs, believing that the United States had a global responsibility and that a strong foreign policy served the country's national interest. He became involved in Latin America with little hesitation: he oversaw the Panama Canal negotiations to advocate for U.S. interests and intervened in Venezuela and Santo Domingo to preserve stability in the region. He also worked with Congress to strengthen the U.S. Navy, which he believed would deter potential enemies from targeting the country, and he applied his energies to negotiating peace agreements, working to balance power throughout the world.

Even after he left office, Roosevelt continued to work for his ideals. The Progressive Party's New Nationalism in 1912 launched a drive for protective federal regulation that looked forward to the progressive movements of the 1930s and the 1960s. Indeed, Roosevelt's progressive platform encompassed nearly every progressive ideal later enshrined in the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Fair Deal of Harry S. Truman, the New Frontier of John F. Kennedy, and the Great Society of Lyndon B. Johnson.

In terms of presidential style, Roosevelt introduced "charisma" into the political equation. He had a strong rapport with the public and he understood how to use the media to shape public opinion. He was the first President whose election was based more on the individual than the political party. When people voted Republican in 1904, they were generally casting their vote for Roosevelt the man instead of for him as the standard-bearer of the Republican Party. The most popular President up to his time, Roosevelt used his enthusiasm to win votes, to shape issues, and to mold opinions. In the process, he changed the executive office forever.

Sidney Milkis

Professor of Politics University of Virginia

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My Journey Through the Best Presidential Biographies

The Best Biographies of Theodore Roosevelt

19 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by Steve in Best Biographies Posts , President #26 - T Roosevelt

≈ 28 Comments

American history , biographies , Candice Millard , David McCullough , Doris Kearns Goodwin , Edmund Morris , H.W. Brands , Henry Pringle , Jean Yarbrough , John Blum , Kathleen Dalton , Nathan Miller , Patricia O'Toole , presidential biographies , Presidents , Pulitzer Prize , Theodore Roosevelt , William Harbaugh

He almost makes Andrew Jackson look tame.

Roosevelt was a prolific author, part-time science nerd, rancher, conservationist, legislator, reform-minded police commissioner and government bureaucrat, soldier, governor, naval enthusiast, thrill-seeking adventurer, Nobel Peace Prize winner…and the youngest president in American history.

Theodore Roosevelt is easy to caricature, but extremely difficult to study, unravel and adequately interpret. At once he could be both brilliant and insane, logical and yet completely delusional. He was remarkably self-confident, a quick study in the art of politics, a gifted communicator, extremely sociable and enormously devoted to his family and his country.

Unfortunately, his incredible life story has a less-than-perfect ending. After letting go the reins of political power and concluding that his successor wasn’t quite up to the task, Roosevelt worked himself into a perpetual state of agitation and, eventually, became almost unhinged.

Over 18 weeks I read 14 books on Roosevelt: Edmund Morris’s three-volume series and 11 one-volume biographies, totaling about 7,000 pages. Among other things, I walked away absolutely convinced it would be difficult to write an uninteresting book about Teddy Roosevelt.

* I began with Edmund Morris’s beloved three-volume series on Roosevelt. Published between 1979 and 2010, this series remains enormously popular – and for good reason.

The trilogy’s first volume “ The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt ” covers TR’s pre-presidency and is filled with adventure, discovery and political maturation (to the extent Roosevelt ever really “matured”). This volume won the 1980 Pulitzer Prize for biography and fully captures TR’s spirit and soul spirit. It demonstrates the author’s affinity for Roosevelt, is a bit lengthy, and doesn’t exhibit the smoothest style…but it is hard to imagine a better introduction to this larger-than-life character. ( Full review here )

The second volume, “ Theodore Rex ,” is more sober and serious and focused on Roosevelt’s presidency. Although less lively and exciting than the first volume, Morris’s writing style in this volume is more fluid and natural. I was surprised Morris didn’t have more to say about Roosevelt’s political legacy, but this volume is clearly intended more as a historical narrative than a political analysis. It performes its task admirably. ( Full review here )

The final volume “ Colonel Roosevelt ” covers the last decade of Roosevelt’s life. This period offers an author a panoply of wonderful topics to cover: TR’s African safari, his journey through the Amazon forest, his third-party presidential campaign and his vitriolic attacks on Taft and Wilson. Morris proves up to the task, and this volume exhibits the vitality and engagement of the first volume along with the literary sophistication of the second volume. ( Full review here )

* Next I read Henry Pringle’s Pulitzer Prize winning “ Theodore Roosevelt: A Biography .” Published in 1931, this was long considered the definitive study of Roosevelt. I found this biography both frustrating and rewarding: it spends too much time knocking TR off his pedestal but is liberally infused with thought-provoking insights and observations. In the end, its non-linear journey through TR’s life, its over-weighted focus on TR’s political career and its distracting negativity wore me down. But it makes a very good “companion” book to a more modern, and balanced, biography. ( Full review here )

* John Blum’s “ The Republican Roosevelt ” was my next biography. Published in 1954, this comparatively brief review of Roosevelt helped establish TR’s reputation as a president of consequence. Far less a biography than a 161-page analysis of TR’s moral and political core, readers new to Roosevelt will not find his complete portrait here. But anyone interested in this complex political figure will find this an intriguing study. ( Full review here )

* William Harbaugh’s 1961 “ Power and Responsibility: The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt ” is considered by many scholars the best single-volume biography of TR. I’m inclined to agree. Despite some shortcomings – the book focuses far more heavily on TR’s political career than on the numerous other fascinating events of his life – it is a careful, penetrating and thoughtful study of Roosevelt. Harbaugh is a careful observer and an excellent writer. But as good as this biography was, some readers may prefer to first digest a biography of TR that more fully captures his early years (and his family life) before moving on to this excellent book. ( Full review here )

* David McCullough’s 1981 “ Mornings on Horseback ” is a colorful and engaging account of the first twenty-eight years of Teddy Roosevelt’s life and was the 1982 Pulitzer Prize finalist for biographies. This book provides a fascinating window into the young TR and should prove entertaining to even the most picky reader. While much of TR’s life is uncovered, the years of focus are explored with uneven intensity. And, regrettably, the book is not able to fully capture the soul of this future president. But while this may not be McCullough at his very best, “Mornings on Horseback” is endlessly colorful and entertaining, if not interpretive and revealing. ( Full review here )

* Nathan Miller’s “ Theodore Roosevelt: A Life ” was the first comprehensive biography of TR in over three decades when it was published in 1992. It is well-balanced between Roosevelt’s personal and professional lives and provides a thorough introduction to nearly every aspect of TR’s life. But it lacks a sense of vitality and, compared to other TR biographies, feels somewhat lifeless and antiseptic. More a matter-of-fact review than a colorfully descriptive or keenly insightful review of his life, readers can do better elsewhere. ( Full review here )

* “ TR: The Last Romantic ” is H.W. Brands’s 1997 comprehensive review of Roosevelt’s life. This biography is both detailed and exceptionally readable. Brands offers a sober, penetrating perspective on TR’s life and provides a far less complimentary view of Roosevelt than many other biographers. But the author’s theme of TR as a philosophical “romantic” eventually feels forced, and there is no escaping that the book’s first half is far better than its second half. ( Full review here )

* Kathleen Dalton’s 2002 “ Theodore Roosevelt: A Strenuous Life ” was next. Unlike most biographies of TR, Dalton’s book is extremely balanced in its opinion of Roosevelt. But in order to avoid over-dramatizing TR’s most bombastic, dramatic and adventurous moments, she abbreviates or extricates too many of the most important events in his life. As a result, the book often feels austere and bland – and Roosevelt almost certainly would not recognize himself in these pages. In an effort to reveal the real TR and avoid the caricature, Dalton fully conveys neither. ( Full review here )

*Next up was Candice Millard’s “ The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey .” This enormously popular 2005 narrative follows Roosevelt on his post-presidential adventure through the Brazilian rainforest. Millard’s writing style is vivid and gripping and there appear to be no details of TR’s journey that were overlooked in her research. Although it is not a comprehensive biography of Theodore Roosevelt and only briefly reviews TR’s earlier life, it is a dramatic and compelling tale of adventure and perseverance. Anyone fascinated by TR, or just enchanted by a great story, will want to read this book. ( Full review here )

* Jean Yarbrough’s 2012 “ Theodore Roosevelt and the American Political Tradition ” proves to be, at best, a semi-biography of Roosevelt. Although it proceeds chronologically through Roosevelt’s life, touching at least briefly on each event of significance, the emphasis is always on TR’s political philosophies. But while readers seeking a thorough introduction to Roosevelt will do better to look elsewhere, Yarbrough provides a great service to TR scholarship with this book and its analysis. ( Full review here )

* I looked forward to Doris Kearns Goodwin’s 2013 “ The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and the Golden Age of Journalism ” above all other TR biographies. Often described as three biographies in one (of Roosevelt, Taft and the journalists of their era) “The Bully Pulpit” is heavier on facts than on colorful description or keen insight. But it proves very well-written, often extremely interesting, and quite clever in in the way it follows TR and Taft in parallel throughout their early lives.

Fans of Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals” will recognize much of her style in this book. But although it offers a unique and compelling way to weave together the lives of TR and Taft, Goodwin probably tries to cover too much ground in one place…and I was eventually annoyed by its heavy use of embedded quotes and phrases. Nevertheless, this is a great book and a must-read for anyone interested in Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft or this period of American history. ( Full review here )

*At the end of my TR journey I read Patricia O’Toole’s 2005 “ When Trumpets Call: Theodore Roosevelt after the White House .” Published five years before the final volume of Morris’s three-volume series (and covering nearly the same ground), this biography is relatively lively and fast-paced. To her credit, O’Toole takes the time to expertly review the huge portion of TR’s life which falls outside the book’s primary scope. And while there seemed to be little new about TR in this biography, O’Toole tells a mostly-familiar story in a new and interesting way. If not for the final volume in Morris’s series, O’Toole’s “When Trumpets Call” would perform a unique and invaluable service. ( Full review here )

– – – – – – – – – – –

Best Biography of Theodore Roosevelt: Edmund Morris’s three-volume series

Best Single-Volume Bio of TR: “ Power and Responsibility ” by William Harbaugh

Best “Unconventional” Bio of TR: Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “ The Bully Pulpit ”

Most Exciting Read about TR: Candice Millard’s “ The River of Doubt “

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28 thoughts on “the best biographies of theodore roosevelt”.

July 10, 2015 at 3:06 pm

I want to think you for your in depth study of Theodore Roosevelt, I unfortunately have only read the one volume on TR, Theodore Roosevelt A Life by Nathan Miller and enjoyed it. I have The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin which I have not began to read as of yet. I will take your suggestion in the future as I further my studies the Presidents.

Thank you Scott La Mar

July 10, 2015 at 3:36 pm

Good luck on your next biography! I think you’ll enjoy The Bully Pulpit. It is not only an interesting bio of TR, but also of Taft…so you get two-for-the-price-of-one. While far from perfect, it held my attention quite well!

July 17, 2015 at 9:55 pm

Great summary Steve! I think I will pick up the O’Toole book on your recommendation. I’m sure this seems odd, but I actually, for some reason, have a keen interest in what the Presidents have done AFTER their time in office.

April 29, 2016 at 3:33 pm

Have you read Douglas Brinkley’s “The Wilderness Warrior”? It looks very interesting.

May 4, 2016 at 10:50 am

I have not. Looks interesting, although it obviously doesn’t qualify strictly as a “biography.” But I’ll have to find time at some point to read this behemoth..!

October 21, 2016 at 1:12 pm

Would like to know if anyone read THE RISE OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT by Edmund Morris what they thought of this book.

November 5, 2016 at 3:40 pm

Super helpful and thorough assessment. Thanks! Hadn’t heard of Harbaugh. Wish it was available on Audible. I mostly only listen to books now. I suppose I’ll start with Morris though the 3 volumes is a bit of a commitment. I’m in the middle of Goodwin’s Team of Rivals and its good, but a bit slow for me.

November 6, 2016 at 5:37 am

Oddly enough – especially given how much time I spent in the car where I can’t “read” – I haven’t gotten into Audible. In part this is natural since I still take notes on a laptop when I come across a particularly clever one-liner or an interesting new fact. But it really boils down to my need to have a physical book and to be able to read at my own pace. Separately, I didn’t find Team of Rivals slow at all, but I might have if forced to listen at someone else’s pace for reading it aloud?

January 6, 2017 at 4:00 am

No fans of “I Rose Like a Rocket”? Grondahl vividly shows how rough Albany politics sharpened TR’s political edge.

January 8, 2017 at 11:40 am

Fascinating – one I haven’t encountered before! I was such a fan of TR biographies I may have to add this one to my follow-up list sight unseen!

March 15, 2017 at 9:51 am

Very helpful article. Thanks! I didn’t really reach a conclusion on which one I should read though. I’ve never read any political biographies, so I want something relatively small in size and somewhat “easy” to read and comprehend. It seems to me that moriss’ trilogy is the fullest (and propably most exciting) choice, but its length is scary to me. Mornings on horseback seems a decent alternative the way you describe it (I would like a rather adventurous version for now). What about his autobiography. I thought one existed. Was I wrong?

March 15, 2017 at 10:06 am

I understand your dilemma! Morris’s series is best, but longest. Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “The Bully Pulpit” is fantastic, but admittedly not 100% focused on TR. Brands’s “TR: The Last Romantic” is a fine 100%-focused, single-volume bio but was just “fine” and not “great” for me. “Mornings on Horseback” checks off the “adventurous” box but only covers the early portion of his life…

You are absolutely correct that TR wrote an autobiography ( which can be found here ). It is, by most accounts, typical Teddy Roosevelt – stream-of-consciousness, often fascinating, etc. I have not read it since I have my hands full just reading biographies, never mind autobiographies and memoirs! But I do plan to go back and read those later, particularly those of Eisenhower, Truman, Coolidge, TR,…

Good luck choosing a TR book to read – you will be absolutely fascinated by his life no matter what you read-

September 4, 2017 at 8:54 pm

Your evaluations of the various biographies was super helpful and exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!

September 5, 2017 at 4:22 pm

Fantastic, thanks! If you read one on TR let me know which one you chose and how you liked it-

June 16, 2018 at 11:27 pm

So I’m making my way through the presidents and am just about up to TR. I am jumping ahead a little order-wise to read Mornings on Horseback “early.” I love McCullough’s books and maybe it will help me learn about the times when his immediate predecessors were in the executive mansion.

Anyway, thinking about a womb to tomb biography to read I am stuck by a certain irony. TR is fascinating, and has attracted some of the most talented writers around, yet—to be honest—your reviews leave me thinking none of them stand out as being great. They’re all OK, but they also seem to all have some pretty big flaws.

Do you think I am being unfair?

June 17, 2018 at 5:39 am

By the time I got to TR I had read just over 100 presidential biographies, so my expectations for the perfect one were pretty well-defined at that point. It’s fair to say I didn’t find any TR biographies “perfect” (according to my subjective definition) but given how my scoring has worked itself out, anything “4” stars or higher is excellent – and there TR biographies I thought were excellent.

It’s also worth pointing out that something like “Mornings on Horseback” can make for a fantastic read but not quite provide the historical or analytical impact that a perfect presidential biography provides for me. So although I rated it 3 3/4 stars, I really really enjoyed it and would gladly read it again – but for me it erred slightly on the side of entertaining rather than penetrating.

In general, TR was a phenomenally interesting biographical subject so almost anything covering some aspect of his life is bound to be interesting 🙂

June 27, 2018 at 10:49 pm

The Edmund Morris series is fantastic. I’m about halfway through Theodore Rex after devouring The Rise of TR and they’ve both been excellent reads. I agree with Steve above that The Rise is the more entertaining book, simply because of the incredible, eclectic life TR lived before becoming president.

Additionally, I did not plan on reading the full three volumes (I actually bought the first book on amazon thinking it was a single volume biography, whoops!) but after finishing the The Rise, I felt compelled to see TRs life through. I’d recommend reading The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt and if you like it, finish books 2 and 3. Book 1 is one helluva yarn all on its own.

One more thing. I got into Roosevelt because of Millard’s The River of Doubt. I agree with Steve that the River of Doubt is also a fascinating story. I couldn’t put that book down. Of course, this book only covers a thin slice of TRs life, but it certainly inspired me to find out more!

December 12, 2018 at 6:30 pm

is Morris three volumes easy reading or is hard and dry reading?

January 30, 2019 at 11:09 am

I just finished Morris’s trilogy. I think overall they were excellent books, with a good balance of fact/historical context/entertainment that makes them worth the time investment.

The other thing I noticed is a consistency of quality from start to finish. Sometimes authors grow weary of the subject, and later books don’t have the same impact as the earlier books. I think Morris did an outstanding job keeping this trilogy consistent in tone, coverage, and writing style.

I would definitely recommend them, I think they are ‘easy’ reads, but not short books, so while the reading is easy, it will take some time to finish the series. Also, I wouldn’t stop at the end of his presidency. Unlike most other presidents I’ve read about so far, TR warrants entire books devoted to his post-presidency. The man never slowed down, and he left office quite young.

April 8, 2019 at 5:43 pm

Thank you for your reviews! Years ago I set myself a goal of at least one biography for each president and I’m just getting to Roosevelt. Again. Because I’ve already done “Mornings On Horseback” and “River Of Doubt” years ago before I started this. You’ve provided me with ideas for a volume to capture Teddy and the eras around him and to overlap those who went before as I move through history.

April 9, 2019 at 6:16 am

I *really* enjoyed Teddy Roosevelt! And given the recent “resurgence” of Grant biographies I wonder why there aren’t more authors focusing on the inimitable TR. Let me know what you finally read on him and what you thought of it-

June 9, 2019 at 11:24 am

Thank you for the great in-depth post! I was recently assigned to TR’s namesake ship and am looking for relevant reading material. I really appreciate your well written reviews!

June 21, 2019 at 6:43 am

I hope you love the USS Theodore Roosevelt as much as I loved reading about his life! That was one unbelievably fascinating guy-

July 7, 2019 at 11:34 am

I am reading through Presidents and about to start on McKinley. While in the Buffalo area recently, we visited the Theodore Roosevelt inauguration site. https://www.trsite.org/ Nice tour- gives some info on McKinley as well as Theodore Roosevelt. We found it interesting and we are trying to visit otherPresidential sites as we travel around the country.

July 8, 2019 at 9:36 am

Thanks for the tip on TR’s inauguration site! I will be in Buffalo in a couple weeks for a swim meet and may have a some free time on my hands – and it’s always good to know how I might put it to good use!

July 8, 2019 at 3:40 pm

If you like barbeque, we ate at a restaurant close to the TR site called “Fat Bob’s” which was very good.

May 4, 2020 at 10:21 pm

David McCullough writes in “Mornings on Horseback” about how an asthmatic young Teedie used to be terrified by visions of a werewolf “coming at him from the bottom of his bed”. I have been obsessed with this image ever since first hearing Jason Robards narrate about it in the American Experience documentary “TR: The Story of Theodore Roosevelt” (in which McCullough was one of the interviewees).

Would you, by any chance, know the source of where the story about TR’s werewolf nightmares first originated? I find no mention of it in Roosevelt’s autobiography, nor in the biographies written prior to McCullough’s.

The idea of this boy having delusions about werewolves seems so eerily befitting a president who would grow up to have such a profound connection to nature. I just want to make sure that it’s true, and not the invention of his biographers.

February 8, 2021 at 1:31 pm

Have just finished Edmund Morris’s ‘The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. My mark is only 2/5.

The author always uses 3 words where one would do and spends much time painting ‘imagined’ (but dull and irrelevant) scenes to the narrative. So it’s a clunky slow biography.

According to Morris, people encountering young Roosevelt foretold his great destiny: but it’s unclear if the expectations were contemporary or gathered later. And Morris writes as cheerleader for the Great Man – a distinctly partisan account.

Morris is not so blind as to ignore the heritage that Roosevelt was privileged and ill disciplined throughout his early life. Where Roosevelt claimed principles, he quickly discarded them when they were inconvenient. But Morris is exhaustive in providing explanations and justifications for the switches and is always unsympathetic to critics for example when Cleveland, as Governor of New York, vetoes Roosevelt’s Civil Service Law because the legislation is technically defective.

Roosevelt ended with a small fortune – having started with a large one. It would be good to hear more about the financial pressures and the influence (if any) but the topic is not developed.

If Roosevelt had a truly enduring principle, it was to be the showman ensuring, always, that the press was there to watch: Morris appears to envy the attention Roosevelt generated and so describes his publicity campaigns in unnecessary detail.

Roosevelt was not untypical of hyperactive privileged sons of the late nineteenth century in seeking empire (think of Rhodes) but Morris does not mention the zeitgeist of colonialism in the era. Indeed Morris ignores the similarities between Roosevelt’s initiatives and similar efforts in many Western countries: such comparisons would have been illuminating but, presumably, do not fit with the preferred Morris line that Roosevelt was a one-off.

It’s a pity; he is celebrated for taking forward, especially as President, those very issues – promoting workers’ welfare, protection of the environment, and fairness for individual citizens: it would have been interesting to hear more about the international input to a man who saw himself as a citizen of the world.

So a disappointing book and a tedious read.

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Theodore Roosevelt

With the assassination of President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, age 42, became the youngest president in the nation’s history. He brought new excitement and power to the presidency, as he briskly led Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and an aggressive foreign policy.

He took the view that the president as a “steward of the people” should take whatever action necessary for the public good unless expressly forbidden by law or the Constitution. "I did not usurp power," he wrote in 1913, “but I did greatly broaden the use of executive power."

Roosevelt's youth differed sharply from that of the log cabin presidents. He was born on October 27, 1858 in New York City into a wealthy family, but he too struggled—with asthma and other health ailments—and in his triumph became an advocate of the strenuous life.

In 1884, his first wife Alice Lee Roosevelt and his mother Martha died on the same day and only two days after the birth of his daughter, Alice. Roosevelt spent much of the next two years on his properties in the Dakota Badlands. There he mastered his sorrow as he lived in the saddle, driving cattle, hunting big game—he even chased outlaws as a local sheriff. Feeling reinvigorated, Roosevelt returned from the West and began courting his childhood friend Edith Carow. The couple married in London in December 1886. They raised six children together, including Alice.

During the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt resigned his position as assistant secretary of the Navy to command the U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, more famously known as the Rough Riders. Roosevelt led his company’s charge up Kettle Hill during the Battle of San Juan, and his military exploits brought him considerable attention, elevating his profile within the Republican Party. In 1898, he ran for governor of New York and won; he then was asked to join the 1900 Republican ticket as a vice-president under President William McKinley.

As president, Roosevelt held the ideal that the government should be the great arbiter of the conflicting economic forces in the nation, especially between capital and labor, guaranteeing justice to each and dispensing favors to none.

Roosevelt emerged spectacularly as a “trust buster” by forcing the dissolution of a great railroad combination in the Northwest. Other antitrust suits under the Sherman Act followed, and his willingness to take on corporations and monopolies enhanced his popularity with the American public.

Roosevelt also steered the United States more into world politics. He liked to quote a favorite proverb, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” Aware of the strategic need for a shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific for American vessels, Roosevelt facilitated the construction of the Panama Canal by sending naval ships to support the Panamanians' independence movement. Once Columbia recognized Panama's independence, the new government gave the U.S. control of the canal for $10 million and a yearly payment. Additionally, the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine prevented the establishment of foreign bases in the Caribbean and arrogated the sole right of intervention in Latin America to the United States.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize for mediating the Russo-Japanese War, the first American president to receive this honor. Roosevelt also believed that a powerful navy was key to maintaining peace. In 1907, he sent the “Great White Fleet” around the world to demonstrate U.S. naval power and gain valuable experience on the open seas.

Some of Theodore Roosevelt's most enduring achievements were in conservation. He added enormously to the national forests in the West, reserved lands for public use, and fostered great irrigation projects.

He crusaded endlessly on matters big and small, exciting audiences with his high-pitched voice, jutting jaw, and pounding fist. “The life of strenuous endeavor” was a must for those around him, as he romped with his five younger children and led ambassadors on hikes through Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.

Leaving the presidency in 1909, Roosevelt went on an African safari, then jumped back into politics. In 1912 he ran for president on the Progressive Party ticket. To reporters he once remarked that he felt as fit as a “bull moose,” the nickname of his new party.

While campaigning in Milwaukee, he was shot in the chest by a fanatic. Roosevelt soon recovered, but his words at that time remained applicable at the time of his death on January 6, 1919: “No man has had a happier life than I have led; a happier life in every way.”

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The 15 Best Books on President Theodore Roosevelt

Essential books on theodore roosevelt.

There are countless books on Theodore Roosevelt, and it comes with good reason, aside from serving as America’s twenty-sixth President (1901-1909) after the assassination of President William McKinley, he brought new excitement and power to the office, vigorously leading Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and a strong foreign policy.

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat,” he wrote in The Strenuous Life .

In order to get to the bottom of what inspired one of history’s most consequential figures to the heights of societal contribution, we’ve compiled a list of the 15 best books on Theodore Roosevelt.

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris

This classic biography is the story of seven men – a naturalist, a writer, a lover, a hunter, a ranchman, a soldier, and a politician – who merged at age forty-two to become the youngest President in history.

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt begins at the apex of his international prestige. That was on New Year’s Day, 1907, when Roosevelt, who had just won the Nobel Peace Prize, threw open the doors of the White House to the American people and shook 8,150 hands. One visitor remarked afterward, “You go to the White House, you shake hands with Roosevelt and hear him talk – and then you go home to wring the personality out of your clothes.”

The rest of this book tells the story of Roosevelt’s irresistible rise to power. During the years 1858-1901, he transformed himself from a frail, asthmatic boy into a full-blooded man. Fresh out of Harvard, he simultaneously published a distinguished work of naval history and became the fist-swinging leader of a Republican insurgency in the New York State Assembly. He chased thieves across the Badlands of North Dakota with a copy of Anna Karenina   in one hand and a Winchester rifle in the other.

Married to his childhood sweetheart in 1886, he became the country squire of Sagamore Hill on Long Island, a flamboyant civil service reformer in Washington, D.C., and a night-stalking police commissioner in New York City. As assistant secretary of the navy, he almost single-handedly brought about the Spanish-American War. After leading “Roosevelt’s Rough Riders” in the famous charge up San Juan Hill, Cuba, he returned home a military hero, and was rewarded with the governorship of New York.

In what he called his “spare hours” he fathered six children and wrote fourteen books. By 1901, the man Senator Mark Hanna called “that damned cowboy” was vice president. Seven months later, an assassin’s bullet gave Roosevelt the national leadership he had always craved.

The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin

The story is told through the intense friendship of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft – a close relationship that strengthens both men before it ruptures in 1912, when they engage in a brutal fight for the presidential nomination that divides their wives, their children, and their closest friends, while crippling the progressive wing of the Republican Party, causing Democrat Woodrow Wilson to be elected, and changing the country’s history.

The Bully Pulpit is also the story of the muckraking press, which arouses the spirit of reform that helps Roosevelt push the government to shed its laissez-faire attitude toward robber barons, corrupt politicians, and corporate exploiters of our natural resources. The muckrakers are portrayed through the greatest group of journalists ever assembled at one magazine – Ida Tarbell, Ray Stannard Baker, Lincoln Steffens, and William Allen White – teamed under the mercurial genius of publisher S. S. McClure.

Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough

Written by David McCullough, the author of  Truman,  this is the story of a remarkable little boy, seriously handicapped by recurrent and almost fatal asthma attacks, and his struggle to manhood: an amazing metamorphosis seen in the context of the very uncommon household in which he was raised.

The father is the first Theodore Roosevelt, a figure of unbounded energy, enormously attractive and selfless, a god in the eyes of his small, frail namesake. The mother, Mittie Bulloch Roosevelt, is a Southerner and a celebrated beauty, but also considerably more, which the book makes clear as never before. There are sisters Anna and Corinne, brother Elliott (who becomes the father of Eleanor Roosevelt), and the lovely, tragic Alice Lee, TR’s first love. All are brought to life to make “a beautifully told story, filled with fresh detail” ( The New York Times Book Review ).

Theodore Roosevelt: A Life by Nathan Miller

Nathan Miller’s critically acclaimed biography of Theodore Roosevelt was the first complete one-volume life of the Rough Rider to be published in more than thirty years. From his sickly childhood to charging up San Juan Hill to waving his fist under J.P. Morgan’s rubicund nose, Theodore Roosevelt  offers the intimate history of a man who continues to cast a magic spell over the American imagination.

As the twenty-sixth president of the United States, Roosevelt embodied the overwhelming confidence of the nation as it entered the American Century. With fierce joy, he brandished a “Big Stick” abroad and promised a “Square Deal” at home. He was the nation’s first environmental president, challenged the trusts, and, as the first American leader to play an important role in world affairs, began construction of a long-dreamed canal across Panama and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for almost singlehandedly bringing about a peaceful end to the Russo-Japanese War.

Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris

Theodore Rex is the story – never fully told before – of Theodore Roosevelt’s two world-changing terms as President of the United States. A hundred years before the catastrophe of September 11, 2001, Roosevelt succeeded to power in the aftermath of an act of terrorism. Youngest of all our chief executives, he rallied a stricken nation with his superhuman energy, charm, and political skills. He proceeded to combat the problems of race and labor relations and trust control while making the Panama Canal possible and winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

But his most historic achievement remains his creation of a national conservation policy, and his monument millions of acres of protected parks and forests. The book ends with Roosevelt leaving office, still only fifty years old, his future reputation secure as one of our greatest presidents.

The River of Doubt by Candice Millard

The River of Doubt – it is a black, uncharted tributary of the Amazon that snakes through one of the most treacherous jungles in the world. Indians armed with poison-tipped arrows haunt its shadows; piranhas glide through its waters; boulder-strewn rapids turn the river into a roiling cauldron.

After his humiliating election defeat in 1912, Roosevelt set his sights on the most punishing physical challenge he could find, the first descent of an unmapped, rapids-choked tributary of the Amazon. Together with his son Kermit and Brazil’s most famous explorer, Candido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Roosevelt accomplished a feat so great that many at the time refused to believe it. In the process, he changed the map of the western hemisphere forever.

Along the way, Roosevelt and his men faced an unbelievable series of hardships, losing their canoes and supplies to punishing whitewater rapids, and enduring starvation, Indian attack, disease, drowning, and a murder within their own ranks. Three men died, and Roosevelt was brought to the brink of suicide.  The River of Doubt  brings alive these extraordinary events in a powerful nonfiction narrative thriller that happens to feature one of the most famous Americans who ever lived.

When Trumpets Call by Patricia O’Toole

Drawn from a wealth of new materials, this gem among books on Theodore Roosevelt is an analysis of the final ten years of the President’s life and describes how he went on safari after leaving the White House, unsuccessfully strived for another presidential term, worked to support Liberty bonds when the U.S. entered World War I, and lost his son on Bastille Day.

The Naturalist by Darrin Lunde

Perhaps no American president is more associated with nature and wildlife than Theodore Roosevelt, a prodigious hunter and adventurer, and an ardent conservationist. We think of Roosevelt as an original, yet in The Naturalist , Darrin Lunde shows how from his earliest days he actively modeled himself in the proud tradition of museum naturalists – the men who pioneered a key branch of American biology through their desire to collect animal specimens and develop a taxonomy of the natural world.

The influence these men would have on Roosevelt would shape not just his personality but his career, informing his work as a politician and statesman and ultimately affecting generations of Americans’ relationships to this country’s wilderness.

Theodore Roosevelt by Henry F. Pringle

Pringle’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography not only chronicles the incidents that shaped Roosevelt’s career but also offers insight into the character and mind of this colorful American president.

The Courage and Character of Theodore Roosevelt by George Grant

Before his fiftieth birthday, Teddy Roosevelt had served as a state legislator in New York, undersecretary of the navy, police commissioner of New York City, governor of New York, and two terms as vice president and then president of the United States. He also had run a cattle ranch in the Dakota Territories, had worked as a journalist and editor, conducted scientific expeditions to four continents, raised five children, and enjoyed a fulfilling marriage with his wife. No wonder he continues to capture our imaginations as he did the loyalty and respect of his own time.

In  The Courage and Character of Theodore Roosevelt ,  George Grant explores the life and character of one of the most remarkable men of the twentieth century. In doing so, he defines the qualities that made Roosevelt such an extraordinary leader, the exploits that made him so famous, and the spiritual values and faith that he affirmed with such vigor as he walked the world stage with an impact generated by few men in his time.

T.R.: The Last Romantic by H. W. Brands

Lauded as “a rip-roaring life” ( Wall Street Journal ),  TR  is a magisterial biography of Theodore Roosevelt by bestselling author H. W. Brands. In his time, there was no more popular national figure than Roosevelt. It was not just the energy he brought to every political office he held or his unshakable moral convictions that made him so popular, or even his status as a bonafide war hero. Most important, Theodore Roosevelt was loved by the people because this scion of a privileged New York family loved America and Americans.

And yet, according to Brands, if we look at the private Roosevelt without blinders, we see a man whose great public strengths hid enormous personal deficiencies; he was uncompromising, self-involved, and a highly imperfect brother, husband, and father.

Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris

Of all our great presidents, Theodore Roosevelt is the only one whose greatness increased out of office. What other president has written forty books, hunted lions, founded a third political party, survived an assassin’s bullet, and explored an unknown river longer than the Rhine?

Packed with more adventure, variety, drama, humor, and tragedy than a big novel, yet documented down to the smallest fact, this favorite among books on Theodore Roosevelt recounts the last decade of perhaps the most amazing life in American history.

The Boys of ’98 by Dale L. Walker

Spur Award-winning author Dale Walker tells the colorful story of America’s most memorable fighting force, the volunteer cavalry known as the Rough Riders. From its members, and their slapdash training in Texas and Florida, to its battles at Las Gusimas and San Juan Hill under the command of Theodore Roosevelt, who kept riding, some say, into the White House.

The Lion’s Pride by Edward J. Renehan

Drawing upon a wealth of previously unavailable materials, including letters and unpublished memoirs,  The Lion’s Pride takes us inside what is surely the most extraordinary family ever to occupy the White House. Theodore Roosevelt believed deeply that those who had been blessed with wealth, influence, and education were duty bound to lead, even – perhaps especially – if it meant risking their lives to preserve the ideals of democratic civilization. Teddy put his principles, and his life, to the test in the Spanish-American War, and raised his children to believe they could do no less.

When America finally entered the “European conflict” in 1917, all four of his sons eagerly enlisted and used their influence not to avoid the front lines but to get there as quickly as possible. Their heroism in France and the Middle East matched their father’s at San Juan Hill. All performed with selfless – some said heedless – courage: Two of the boys, Archie and Ted, Jr., were seriously wounded, and Quentin, the youngest, was killed in a dogfight with seven German planes.

Thus, the war that Teddy had lobbied for so furiously brought home a grief that broke his heart. He was buried a few months after his youngest child. Filled with the voices of the entire Roosevelt family,  The Lion’s Pride  gives us the most intimate and moving portrait ever published of the fierce bond between Teddy Roosevelt and his remarkable children.

The Wilderness Warrior by Douglas Brinkley

In this groundbreaking gem among books on Theodore Roosevelt, Douglas Brinkley draws on never-before-published materials to examine the life and achievements of our “naturalist president.” By setting aside more than 230 million acres of wild America for posterity between 1901 and 1909, Roosevelt made conservation a universal endeavor.

This crusade for the American wilderness was perhaps the greatest U.S. presidential initiative between the Civil War and World War I. Roosevelt’s most important legacies led to the creation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and passage of the Antiquities Act in 1906. His executive orders saved such treasures as Devils Tower, the Grand Canyon, and the Petrified Forest.

Books by Theodore Roosevelt

Through the brazilian wilderness.

In 1914, with the well-wishes of the Brazilian government, Theodore Roosevelt, ex-president of the United States; his son, Kermit; and Colonel Rondon travel to South America on a quest to course the River of Doubt. While in Brazil, Theodore is also tasked with a “zoogeographic reconnaissance” of the local wilderness for the archives of the Natural History Museum of New York.

The expedition, officially named Expedicão Scientific Roosevelt-Rondon, was not without incident; men were lost, a cannibalistic tribe tracked the group, and at one point Roosevelt contracted flesh-eating bacteria. In the end though, the Roosevelt-Rondon expedition was a success, and the River of Doubt was renamed the Rio Roosevelt in his honor.

Written by a city-born boy who grew up to be a true explorer and leader, Roosevelt’s  Through the Brazilian Wilderness is a unique and important part of history, and it is indicative of the ex-president’s true wanderlust and bravery. Candid black-and-white photos from the expedition fill the pages, adding further dimensions to this remarkable journey.

The Rough Riders

The Rough Riders was the name bestowed on the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry. Roosevelt had resigned as Assistant Secretary of the Navy to fight in the war, and his forceful personality and notoriety among the popular press of the period were probably the main driving factors resulting in the fame of this regiment. Here is the exciting story of the Rough Riders in one of the most-cherished books by Theodore Roosevelt.

The Strenuous Life

Roosevelt wrote 35 books and delivered numerous lectures on topics ranging from citizenship and success to duty and sportsmanship. His 1899 address to a Chicago audience, “The Strenuous Life,” articulates his belief in the transformative powers that individuals can achieve by overcoming hardship. Along with the other speeches and essays in this collection, Roosevelt’s work offers an inspiring vision of moral rectitude and stalwart leadership.

The Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt

The life and times of President Theodore Roosevelt, in his own words.

The Wilderness Hunter

“For a number of years much of my life was spent either in the wilderness or on the borders of the settled country if, indeed, ‘settled’ is a term that can rightly be applied to the vast, scantily peopled regions where cattle-ranching is the only regular industry. During this time I hunted much, among the mountains and on the plains, both as a pastime and to procure hides, meat, and robes for use on the ranch; and it was my good luck to kill all the various kinds of large game that can properly be considered to belong to temperate North America,” Roosevelt writes.

Adding, “in hunting, the finding and killing of the game is after all but a part of the whole. The free, self-reliant, adventurous life, with its rugged and stalwart democracy; the wild surroundings, the grand beauty of the scenery, the chance to study the ways and habits of the woodland creatures all these unite to give to the career of the wilderness hunter its peculiar charm.”

If you enjoyed this guide to essential books on Theodore Roosevelt, be sure to check out our list of The 15 Best Books on President Abraham Lincoln !

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Theodore Roosevelt: A Short Biography (Narratives for Teens and Adults) Kindle Edition

Theodore Roosevelt , a monumental figure of the early 20th century, was an American statesman, conservationist, naturalist, and writer who served as the 26th President of the United States. His vigorous leadership style and robust public persona endeared him to the American public and made him a defining figure in U.S. political history. Roosevelt's contributions to the country include his progressive policies, dedication to environmental conservation, and strong foreign diplomacy, epitomized by his famous adage, "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

This biography explores the life of Theodore Roosevelt, from his asthmatic childhood in New York City to his ascension as a transformative leader in the White House. It details Roosevelt's multifaceted impact on American society, his role as a pioneering conservationist, and his enduring legacy as a charismatic leader who redefined the presidency. Though concise, the book is rich with details about Roosevelt's progressive reforms, his environmental achievements, and his indelible influence on American politics and national identity.

Key Features:

• Concise Coverage : Provides a comprehensive overview of Roosevelt's life, policies, and legacy in a succinct format.
• Rich Detail : Brims with essential information, capturing critical moments and enduring contributions.
• Accessible Format : Ideal for those seeking a brief yet profound understanding of Roosevelt's impact.
• Vibrant Narration : Merges factual accuracy with engaging storytelling for a riveting read.
• Legacy Insights : Explores Roosevelt's lasting effect on American politics, environmental policy, and global diplomacy.
• Part of series Narratives for Teens and Adults
• Print length 79 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publication date May 6, 2024
• Reading age 13 - 18 years
• File size 12265 KB
• Page Flip Enabled
• Word Wise Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting Enabled
• See all details

From the Publisher

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D3JMPB1J
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 6, 2024
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 12265 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 79 pages
• Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ B0D3LHT4VC
• #769 in Biographies of US Presidents
• #983 in Two-Hour Biography & Memoir Short Reads
• #1,299 in Two-Hour History Short Reads

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An unexpected gem: What travelers will find at Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Many people are surprised by Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. 

“First of all, they're surprised there's a national park,” said the park’s Deputy Superintendent Maureen McGee-Ballinger. 

“They'll be on their way to Glacier National Park or Yellowstone , and they're driving down the highway and they see the Park Service arrowhead. ‘There’s a national park!’” she said. “When they get to the park, they're surprised that this has to do with Theodore Roosevelt – ‘Theodore Roosevelt? That should be New York. What's he doing in North Dakota?’ Then they're also surprised about just how beautiful and how varied the park is. I think everything surprises them. It's a gem that they just didn't expect.”

Here’s what travelers should expect at Theodore Roosevelt, the latest national park in USA TODAY’s yearlong series .

What is the story behind Theodore Roosevelt National Park?

“This is where Theodore Roosevelt first came out for a bison hunt. It spoke to him,” McGee-Ballinger said. “After he lost his wife and mother, he came out for healing and in that healing process, when he built his ranch, kind of formed his conservation ethic that would continue throughout his presidency.”

​​What is special about Theodore Roosevelt National Park?

“It is the cradle of conservation,” McGee-Ballinger said. “That alone is an amazing reason to come to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. But there's also bison and the Little Missouri River and geology and fossils and vegetation, so it's got everything.”

One warning about those bison: “While they look big and lumbering and cumbersome, they're also very fast … Give them plenty of room. They can be very unpredictable,” she said.

Are there bears in Theodore Roosevelt National Park?

No. Although many people associate Teddy Roosevelt with bears, McGee-Ballinger said, “We don’t really have a good habitat for them.” 

What city is closest to Theodore Roosevelt National Park?

The South Unit is right beside Medora, North Dakota. The North Unit is about 15 minutes from Watford City, North Dakota. Bismarck Airport is the nearest airport served by multiple airlines. 

“But most people are driving in, they're not flying in,” McGee-Ballinger said. 

How long does it take to see Theodore Roosevelt National Park?

“Ten or 15 years to get a really good feel,” McGee-Ballinger said with a laugh.

She recommends a minimum of two to three hours in the park’s South Unit, one-and-a-half to two hours in the North Unit, and an hour of travel between the two since they aren’t congruous. But ideally, she suggested spending a few days in the park.

Can you just drive through Theodore Roosevelt National Park?

Yes. Each unit has a scenic drive. “The majority of people will drive through,” McGee-Ballinger said. “They can see wildlife from their vehicle. They might stop and do a short hike or stop at an overlook.”

But she adds, “It's so much more than that, and you want to allow yourself the time to enjoy it.”

When to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park

McGee-Ballinger said every season can be incredible, but if she had to pick one, it would be fall.

“The reason for that is the weather is usually kind of mild, and I'm talking September, October,” she said. “The predominant tree along the river, the cottonwoods, turn this golden yellow, and to see that strip of the Little Missouri River bound on both sides by these golden yellow trees, it's pretty spectacular.”

What not to miss at Theodore Roosevelt National Park

McGee-Ballinger highly recommends visiting Elkhorn Ranch .

 “That is where Theodore Roosevelt actually built his ranch and lived,” she said. But be aware the ranch itself is long gone and the property is not easy to get to. “You have to drive back roads that are rock roads. If it's really rainy, the roads can get pretty muddy, but it's right on the Little Missouri River. There are beautiful cottonwood trees, the rolling hills that are found throughout the Badlands and hopefully, it gives people a feeling of that peace and healing that Theodore Roosevelt found when he came to the Dakota territory.”

Who are the Native people of the land?

“Lands within the park are a part of the traditional bison hunting and eagle trapping grounds of the Hidatsa and Mandan tribes,” according to the National Parks Conservation Association. “The Arikara, Crow, Blackfeet, Gros Ventre, Chippewa, Cree, Sioux and Rocky Boy tribes are all associated with lands within the park.”

What else should people know about Theodore Roosevelt National Park?

“It's a place of change,” McGee-Ballinger said. “ You look at it and you see these hills and buttes, and people kind of think of that as rock, but a lot of it is actually clay soil and so this is a very dynamic place. We get heavy rain, stuff shifts around. Hillsides will slide. It'll be different. So don't assume ‘I've seen it once that I've seen everything.’”