What Theodore Roosevelt did for America Good old Teddy. Why America Loves Theodore Roosevelt. The decline of a political career

In the history of the United States of the 20th century, there were two presidents Roosevelt. Better known in the world Franklin Delano Roosevelt, four times elected to the post of head of state, the man who brought America out of the Great Depression and made a huge contribution to the victory over fascism.

But in the United States itself, Franklin Roosevelt's predecessor Theodore Roosevelt may well compare with him in popularity.

Perhaps the image of Theodore Roosevelt is even more popular - after all, he was among the characters in the comedy epic Night at the Museum.

By the way, the Roosevelt presidents are related to each other - they are six cousins, and Franklin Roosevelt's wife was the niece of Theodore Roosevelt.

Theodore Roosevelt was born in New York on October 27, 1858, to a Dutch-born merchant and philanthropist. The second child in the family, Ted was notable for sickness in childhood and received his primary education at home, not at school.

When the boy got older, he, despite his ailments, became interested in sports - running and boxing.

In 1876, Theodore Roosevelt entered Harvard University, from which he successfully graduated in 1880.

Test of endurance

The young man was attracted by politics: in 1881, Roosevelt was elected to the New York State Assembly from the Republican Party. Roosevelt was enough for everything - he married a native of Massachusetts Alice Hatvey Lee and felt quite happy.

In early February 1884, Theodore Roosevelt had a daughter, who was named Alice... But the happiness of the young father did not last long - on February 14, his wife died. By a fateful coincidence, Roosevelt's mother died on the same day.

After this hard blow, he retired from politics, settling on a ranch in Dakota and taking up farming.

A weak person would have been completely broken by personal tragedy, but Roosevelt's trials were only tempered. In 1886, he returned to politics, running for mayor of New York. Despite the defeat, he is spoken of as a very promising politician.

December 2, 1886 Theodore Roosevelt married a second time - a childhood friend Edith Kermit Carow... This marriage will turn out to be happy - the couple will have five children, whom the father doted on. Roosevelt loved to tinker with babies, and often became the ringleader of games.

The wife, leaving home and leaving her husband with the children, kissed everyone in turn, saying goodbye to him: "Behave yourself well during my absence."

He could enjoy family happiness and be engaged in literary creativity, for which Roosevelt had a clear talent. But politics remained his great passion.

Dashing Horsemen Commander

In 1889, Roosevelt became Commissioner of the US Civil Service, combining this position with the duties of the New York Police Commissioner.

The established rules, an unspoken truce between criminals and the Roosevelt police did not suit. After changing his clothes, he went to the slums of New York at night, giving patrol to the patrolmen if they did not perform their duties properly.

Roosevelt's popularity grew steadily thanks to his activities. In 1897 US President William McKinley appointed him Assistant Secretary of the Navy. In this post, he met the outbreak of the Spanish-American War.

His appearance, more suitable for a scientist, did not fit in any way with military exploits. But in April 1898, with the outbreak of war, Roosevelt became one of the organizers of the Dashing Horsemen volunteer cavalry regiment, formed mainly from cowboys. As part of this regiment, Roosevelt, who was first deputy commander and then commander of the Dashing Horsemen, fought in Cuba. For courage and bravery, Theodore Roosevelt was awarded the highest US military award - the Medal of Honor.

Interestingly, Roosevelt's award was officially approved more than a century later, in 2001. Theodore Roosevelt is the first and only US President to receive this award.

The image of Roosevelt as a cavalryman in the United States became canonical, just as the image became canonical in Russia. Stalin in a jacket.

Youngest President

From the war, Roosevelt returned as a national hero and favorite of the nation and easily won the election for governor of New York State.

But he did not hold this post for long. In 1900, Republican presidential candidate William McKinley invited Roosevelt to run with him for the presidency of the country. It is possible that it was Roosevelt's popularity that ensured McKinley's victory.

And again, Roosevelt did not manage to stay in his new position for a long time. In September 1901, President McKinley was wounded in an assassination attempt and died eight days later.

On September 14, 1901, Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as President of the United States, becoming the youngest (42 years and 10 months) president ever.

"Damn cowboy became president" - exclaimed opponents of Roosevelt. His dynamic, decisive style annoyed many. As American historians write, Roosevelt transformed the federal government into a defender of the public interest and an arbiter in the conflict of economic groups. He fought against abuses by big business, earning the nickname "destroyer of trusts."

The Big Stick and the Nobel Prize

In foreign policy, Roosevelt continued McKinley's course of abandoning the policy of isolationism, which implied a more active US participation in world affairs.

Having supported the revolution in Panama, Roosevelt achieved the allocation of a site on the territory of this country for the construction of a canal between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. It was under Theodore Roosevelt that the construction of the Panama Canal began.

Thanks to Roosevelt, expressions such as "world policeman" and "politics of the big stick" entered world politics.

Speaking out for active actions in the world, not excluding the use of force if necessary, in 1906 Roosevelt became the first head of state to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The award was presented to the President of the United States for his role in the signing of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, which summed up the Russo-Japanese War.

This happened after the 1904 presidential elections, in which Roosevelt was elected president of the United States for a new term.

Formally, he was elected for the first time, because since 1901 he "replaced" the deceased McKinley, however, Roosevelt said that he considered this his second presidency and would leave his post at the end of it.

"The Roosevelt Revolution"

Roosevelt kept his promise by supporting the president of the same party in the next election. William Taft who was the minister of war in his government.

However, the course taken by Taft did not suit him categorically. He did not like it so much that in 1911 Theodore Roosevelt announced his intention to nominate himself for the next presidential elections.

Formally, Roosevelt had the right to do so. In the United States at that time there was no law limiting the number of presidential terms during which one and the same person has the right to hold office.

But Roosevelt's actions were in violation of all the unwritten norms of American politics. Nevertheless, he achieved great support by members of the Republican Party. Roosevelt managed to win a landslide victory in the Republican party primaries. He received 278 delegate votes, while Taft received only 48 votes.

But the Congress of the Republicans in the summer of 1912 decided on the nomination from the Taft party.

And Roosevelt rebelled. “If you have blackballed a real and legitimate majority, it must be organized,” he said and, along with his supporters, left the congress.

In August 1912, Roosevelt's supporters created the Progressive Party of the United States, from which the ex-president became a candidate in the elections.

Defeat

On October 14, before the election campaign in Milwaukee, Roosevelt was assassinated. The bullet hit the chest, first piercing the spectacle case and a thick 50-page manuscript containing the speech that Roosevelt intended to give, lying in an inner pocket. Roosevelt, as a seasoned hunter with an understanding of anatomy, concluded that since he was not coughing up blood, the bullet did not pierce his lung; refusing help, he made the intended speech, speaking for 90 minutes, and only after that he turned to the doctors.

The 1912 presidential election threatened to be revolutionary. Instead of two main candidates - three, instead of two main parties - three.

Roosevelt confidently outstripped Taft, but a split in the Republican camp allowed the Democratic candidate to win an overall victory Woodrow Wilson, who campaigned under the slogan “We have no irreplaceable ones”.

The defeat in the first place hit not Roosevelt's prestige, but the Progressive Party, which, having failed to gain a foothold in American politics, began to lose influence. It was finished off by Roosevelt's refusal to run for president in 1916. Instead, in the next election, he supported the Republican candidacy. Charles Hughes.

"How I Love Sagamore Hill"

After leaving the presidency, Roosevelt, without leaving politics altogether, devoted a lot of time to literature, traveled, and hunted.

On one hunt in the United States, in order to please Roosevelt, a bear cub was tied to a tree. Seeing him, Theodore took pity on him, untied him and released him. Subsequently, in the United States, they began to create popular and now teddy bears and call them in honor of the president - Teddy.

When the United States entered World War I in 1917, the ex-president, like twenty years ago, was eager to fight. He was not allowed to go to the front, but four of his sons took part in the war. Military pilot Quentin Roosevelt died in battle on July 14, 1918.

Roosevelt's authority remained extremely high. The Republican Party wanted him to run for president in the 1920 elections. Roosevelt, forgetting about the previous contradictions, was ready to once again enter the same river.

However, at the end of 1918, his health deteriorated sharply. He was discharged from the hospital on the eve of Christmas. He went to his Sagamore Hill estate, where he was going to spend the holidays, gain strength and return to political activity.

On Sunday evening, January 5, 1919, Edith's wife read a book to him. Before going to bed, he unexpectedly said to his wife: "I don't know if you understand how much I love Sagamore Hill."

A few hours later, 60-year-old Theodore Roosevelt died in his sleep due to a ruptured blood clot. President Woodrow Wilson, to whom Roosevelt lost in the 1912 elections, declared mourning in the country.

To understand how highly Americans place the figure of Theodore Roosevelt in their history, it should be noted that in the giant bas-relief on Mount Rushmore, carved for the 150th anniversary of the United States, his sculpture is next to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.

Name: Theodore Roosevelt

State: USA

Field of activity: President of the U.S.A

Greatest achievement: 26th President of the United States.

Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909. He was a proponent of liberal reforms and a driving figure in the Progressive Age.

Roosevelt was an excellent hunter. He worked on the creation of America's first national parks - reserves. In addition, he has written several books on military history. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for his efforts to end the Russo-Japanese War. Roosevelt was instrumental in the development of the US Navy and supported America's involvement in the.

early years

Theodore Roosevelt's childhood was marked by poor health. He suffered nocturnal attacks of asthma and suffocation. However, despite this, he was an active and cheerful child. Tense physical exercises helped him to overcome the attacks of the disease.

Roosevelt's father was a businessman and philanthropist. Theodore admired him greatly. The father tried to develop fearlessness, honesty and morality in his children (of whom there were four). Roosevelt believed that it was his father who helped him overcome his innate timidity and weakness of spirit. He later wrote about this in his book Strenuous Life (1901).

Roosevelt was nominally a Christian. He attended the Dutch Reformed Church, then the Episcopal Church, where he met his wife. Politically, Roosevelt rarely referred to religious traditions, preferring instead to appeal to reason and morality.

Education

Roosevelt received his primary education at home. This allowed him to study in depth the subjects for which he really had a penchant for: geography, history and foreign languages... At the age of 17, he entered Harvard College, where he graduated with excellent marks. He was a good student despite gaps in mathematics. In addition, Roosevelt was involved in sports such as rowing and boxing.

While still in high school, Roosevelt wrote "Naval War of 1812". This work was well received as Scientific research waging war at sea. All this clearly demonstrates that Roosevelt was a versatile personality and a great patriot of America, who was not indifferent to her fate. The urge to explore the possibilities of warfare on water prompted Roosevelt to create America's navy when he took over as president.

Roosevelt's father died while the future president was still at Harvard. It was a big blow for Theodore, because he and his father were very close. However, after the death of his father, Roosevelt received a large inheritance that helped him gain financial independence. When Roosevelt graduated from Harvard University, he entered the Columbia Law Academy. He didn’t like studying law, and instead turned all his efforts into studying politics.

Political career

Despite his young age, Roosevelt was able to get the post of secretary in the Republican Party in New York. This is how his political career began. As Secretary of State, Roosevelt earned a reputation as a whistleblower and fighter among judges and the elite. This increased his rating and already in 1884 he became a key figure in the Republican Party. However, instead of Roosevelt, James Blaine was chosen to represent the Republicans in the elections. For Roosevelt and his family, this was a great shock and prompted him to leave politics. He returned to the ranch in North Dakota again.

Family life

In 1880, at the age of 22, Roosevelt married Alice Hathaway. In 1884, his wife gave birth to his daughter Alice and soon died. This was a difficult test for Roosevelt, because shortly before the death of his wife, he buried his mother.

After Roosevelt decided to leave politics for a while, he moved to the West, where he became a leader for new settlers. There he wrote three books on ranching and hunting, including the bestselling book The Winning of the West. After spending two years in the West, Roosevelt returned to the East Coast and soon married Edith Kermit Carow. The couple had five children.

In 1886, Roosevelt became the Republican candidate for mayor of New York, but came in only third. He left politics again, but after Harrison was elected president in 1988, Roosevelt was appointed to the United States Civil Service Commission. Roosevelt struggled with the patronage system, which meant that well-paid jobs were obtained by people by acquaintance or for money. Taking advantage of his popularity among the people, Roosevelt regularly publicized cases of corruption and raised a storm of public outrage. Roosevelt achieved a reputation as a reformer and disinterested, honest man.

Police work

In 1895, Roosevelt was appointed to the post of New York City Police Commissioner. On new job he continued his zealous fight against corruption. Roosevelt took his work very seriously. He even walked around the criminal areas of the city at night to personally check how the patrolmen were doing their job. His police reforms sparked conflict within the ruling circles, with the result that the position of police commissioner was soon abolished.

Following the 1896 presidential election, President-elect William McKinley appointed Roosevelt Assistant Secretary of the Navy. In practice, Roosevelt performed the duties of a secretary to the fullest, since he had much more energy and interest in the work than his nominal boss. In 1898, Roosevelt was instrumental in mobilizing the American fleet to liaise with the Spanish fleet, which was in Cuba at the time. Roosevelt campaigned for the war. He supported the Monroe Doctrine and wanted Europe to leave North and South America.

Mayor of new york

In 1898, Roosevelt was elected governor of New York. Using his post, Roosevelt was engaged in the economic regulation of the activities of large companies that received government grants. He successfully broke the barrier between the capitalist free market and socialist radicalism.
In 1900, Roosevelt's popularity rose so much that he ran and was elected Vice President of President McKinley. Despite significant differences of opinion between them, McKinley hoped that Roosevelt's popularity could boost his own rating. Roosevelt's indefatigable energy and a competent propaganda campaign helped the Republicans win the elections. During the pre-election period, Roosevelt, among other things, campaigned for the annexation of the Philippines.

In September 1901, President McKinley was shot by a lone anarchist and later died of his wounds. This meant that Roosevelt should now take over as head of state. As president, Roosevelt continued to work on reforming large companies (trusts). These reforms covered 44 trusts, including the oil companies of J. Rockefeller.

"Fair deal"

In 1902, Roosevelt supported the creation of the Department of Labor and Trade following the May miners' strike. The President personally intervened in the conflict in order to find a successful solution that would benefit both sides. Roosevelt called this a "fair deal" between workers and capitalists. Towards the end of his presidency, Roosevelt introduced progressive income taxes, inheritance taxes, and reforms to improve the welfare of citizens.

Roosevelt actively reformed other areas as well. He regulated railways, investigated corruption, and enforced bans on hazardous chemicals in food. Roosevelt was one of the most active presidents of his time. His zeal for reform extended to many areas, but Congress did not always support him. By 1907, when Roosevelt was re-elected for a second term, Congress openly sabotaged the president's initiatives, vetoing almost all of his proposals.

Briefings

Roosevelt's success was partly due to his personal charisma, as well as the fact that he was able to build good relationships with the press. Roosevelt gave daily briefings at the White House. Roosevelt was the first president to bring the press to the White House. This made him the most famous president of the world at the end of the nineteenth century. The press gave him the nickname "Teddy", which Roosevelt hated. He preferred to be called simply and respectfully - "Colonel."

Roosevelt's reign fell on the era of mass immigration. He considered it extremely important for immigrants to assimilate in America, to honor it as their country, respecting its history and flag. For this purpose, Roosevelt organized an immigration depot on Ellis Island, through which millions of people passed. Roosevelt opposed racial discrimination and even appointed some African Americans to federal positions. He said that slavery was America's greatest sin.
However, towards the end of his presidency, Roosevelt brought up the race issue again. He expressed concern over the declining white birth rate in the country.

During his presidency, Roosevelt took a number of measures to preserve the natural monuments of the United States. He created 5 national parks and 18 conservation areas. Among other things, he created several large reserves and national monuments. Roosevelt considered nature to be America's greatest heritage.

Foreign policy

As president, Roosevelt sought to take control of the Panama Canal. He planned that this would be the most important trade route between the east and west coasts. For this, Roosevelt was often criticized, because the Panama Canal was very expensive for the American budget.

Among other things, Roosevelt sought to further build up the US Navy, to annex the Philippines and deepen into Asia.

Roosevelt made great strides in foreign policy, acting as a mediator in the course, for which he subsequently received the Nobel Peace Prize. During Roosevelt's rule, relations between the United States and Great Britain improved significantly, overcoming the long conflict after the Revolutionary War.

In 1902-1903, Roosevelt played an important role in The Hague, in the arbitration between the European powers and Venezuela. After two presidential terms, Roosevelt decided not to run for the third time. Instead, he embarked on a tour of Europe and Africa. He acted as a public figure with speeches about the court and the Navy.

The decline of a political career

By 1912, Roosevelt had become disillusioned with his successor, Taft. He believed that Taft was too conservative and weak, so Roosevelt again became the Republican candidate. However, it soon became clear that he would lose to Taft. Then he created his new Progressive Party along with like-minded Republicans.

During his campaign speech, Roosevelt was shot in chest... He did not stop and finished his performance (90 minutes). The bullet remained in his chest for the rest of his life. After losing to Woodrow Wilson in the presidential election, Roosevelt went on an expedition to South America. During the trip, he severely injured his leg and contracted malaria. After this incident, he will suffer from health problems for the rest of his life.

At the outbreak of World War I, Roosevelt condemned German aggression and called for the United States to enter the conflict. He criticized Woodrow Wilson's neutrality, but until 1917 most Americans did not support Roosevelt's position. In March 1918, his youngest son was killed in this war. Roosevelt himself died on January 6, 1919.

Heritage

Roosevelt made a great contribution to the reform of the American economy and the fight against corruption. He balanced power between government agencies and commercial trusts. He was immortalized on Mount Rushmore with Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln in 1927.

Roosevelt Theodore (1858-1919 rr.)

American politician, 26th President of the United States, author of many works of political and historical content.

Born in New York. He was educated at home, because he could not attend school due to poor health in childhood, then entered Harvard University. Traveling around Europe and studying law completed his education.

While still at the university, Roosevelt began writing The History of the War of 1812 at Sea, which was published in 1882. In 1885, he began writing a four-volume work, The Conquest of the West. In 1881, Roosevelt accepted an offer to run for the New York Legislature. Having easily won the victory, he became the leader of the moderate reformist-minded grouping of the Republican Party. In 1886 he took part in the struggle for the post of mayor of New York with G. George and E. Hewitt, but was defeated.

Roosevelt resumed his literary activities. His political career seemed to be over, but President B. Garrison appointed Roosevelt in 1889 as a member of the Civil Service Commission, where he worked until 1895, when he was appointed one of the New York police commissioners. As a young man, Roosevelt fought against corruption in the city police service and now embarked on a vigorous investigation of police ties to the underworld.

In 1897 he was appointed Assistant Minister of the Navy.

He advocated war with Spain and used his position to prepare the navy for the anticipated conflict. After the declaration of war, together with his friend L. Wood, he formed a cavalry regiment, consisting mainly of cowboys and students. The colorful unit attracted attention and received the name "Dashing Horsemen". In 1898, T. Platt, the leader of the New York Republicans, invited Roosevelt to run for governor.

In 1900, Platt endorsed his candidacy for the post of Vice President of the United States. On September 6, 1901, President McKinley was struck down by an anarchist bullet, and Theodore Roosevelt succeeded him.

In 1904, Roosevelt was re-elected. Persistently pursued a policy of conservation natural resources country. Often, despite the opposition of Congress, he stubbornly added millions of acres of forest and mineral-rich land to the national reserves.

Roosevelt, became president of the country shortly after the United States acquired its first significant holdings overseas.

To protect these acquisitions, he reinforced his army and navy and began building the Panama Canal. The policy of the Roosevelt government in no small measure contributed to the emergence of the Venezuelan crisis of 1902-1903.

The president's mediation in the end of the Russo-Japanese War and the conclusion of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty of 1905, as well as intervention in the dispute between European powers over Morocco in 1908, involved American diplomacy in Asian and European power politics. In 1906, Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his mediating role in bringing peace between Russia and Japan.

In 1914 he witnessed the defeat of his Progressive Party in the midterm elections. After the conclusion of the armistice of the belligerent European powers in 1918, he became an ardent opponent of President Wilson's peace initiatives.

ROOSEVELT, THEODORE(Roosevelt, Theodore) (1858-1919), 26th President of the United States. Born October 27, 1858 in New York into a wealthy old Dutch family; his ancestors moved to America in the 17th century. He received his primary education at home. In childhood, he was distinguished by poor health, suffered from asthma attacks, but, subjecting himself to strict discipline and intensively playing sports, he managed to defeat the disease and became physically strong. In 1876 he entered Harvard College, upon graduation in 1880 he studied law at Columbia Law School; in 1880-1881 made a study trip to Germany.

In 1881 he took up political activity. Was elected to the New York State Assembly from the Republican Party; during his two years as a deputy (1882-1884), he declared himself as a supporter of reforms, a fighter against political corruption and the machinations of "dishonest" businessmen. In 1882 he wrote his first book - Naval War of 1812 (The Naval War of 1812); He headed the New York delegation to the Republican convention in 1884; advocated the nomination of Liberal Senator D. Edmonds as a presidential candidate. In 1884, grieving over the death of his wife, he left politics and went to Dakota, where he bought a farm and took up cattle breeding; became a passionate hunter and adherent of the natural way of life.

In 1886 he returned to New York and ran for mayor, but was defeated. During the presidential campaign of 1888, he actively supported the Republican candidate B. Harrison, who, after being elected, appointed him a member of the Civil Service Commission. Holding this post until 1895, at the same time he worked on a large historical work Conquest of the West(Winning of the West; 1889-1896). In 1895 he was promoted to New York City Police Commissioner; fought vigorously against corruption in law enforcement agencies, investigated police ties with the underworld. In the elections of 1898 he contributed to the election of President W. McKinley. In 1897 he was appointed assistant to the Minister of the Navy; made great efforts to strengthen the navy; advocated the expansion of foreign policy expansion, especially in the Caribbean.

With the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898, he retired from public service and organized the first cavalry volunteer regiment of Dakota cowboys and hunters. At the head of this unit, he participated in the hostilities in Cuba. He distinguished himself in a number of clashes with the Spaniards; his detachment was nicknamed "the dashing horsemen". In November 1898, upon his return to the United States, he was elected, thanks to his reputation as a war hero, Governor of New York State. In this post he showed political independence; made appointments regardless of local GOP bosses. Tried to implement a series of state and tax reforms; achieved the adoption of a law on taxation of large corporations. Wanting to get rid of the inconvenient governor, the leaders of the New York Republicans, led by T. Platt, organized at the party convention in the summer of 1900, his nomination for the post of vice president of the United States in tandem with W. McKinley.

His popularity and energy during the election campaign largely ensured the victory of the Republicans in the presidential elections in November 1900. He officially took office as vice-president on March 4, 1901. After the assassination attempt on W. McKinley on September 6, 1901 and his death on September 14, he became president. USA. He was re-elected in November 1904 and remained head of the White House until March 3, 1909.

He pursued an active domestic and foreign policy. He became the first American president to advocate state intervention in the economy in order to preserve the principles of fair competition and consumer protection (" little man») From the arbitrariness of large corporations; in his opinion, the duty of the federal government is to control business "in the interests of the nation" (progressivism). Considering the inevitable onset of the era of big capital, he strove to put a limit to supermonopolization. Implemented a number of measures against companies that violated the "rules of fair play" (monopoly prices, consumer fraud, etc.). Insisted on the application of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 to large corporations. Initiated lawsuits against leading railway, oil and food companies; a big victory for the president was the decision The Supreme Court in March 1904 on the dismemberment of the Morgan North Securities Company. Elkins Act 1903 and Hepburn Act 1906 established partial government control over railways... In June 1904, Congress passed the Food and Drug Administration Act and the Meat Inspection Act, designed to prevent monopolists from abusing the food and pharmaceutical markets. To implement his policy, he created the Ministry of Trade and Labor.

He was the first American president to tackle environmental issues: he allocated about 190 million acres of land for the creation of national parks and the conservation of coal and water reserves. He was the first among the presidents to use the power of the federal government to resolve labor conflicts: during the strike of miners in Eastern Pennsylvania (spring-autumn 1902), he forced the mine owners to create a conciliation commission; the result of its activity was a decrease in the working day of miners from twelve to nine hours and an increase in wages by 10%.

In the sphere of national politics, he remained a conservative, loyal to the ideas of the superiority of the white man over African-Americans, Indians and immigrants from Asia. With the growth of racist sentiments in the early 20th century. (partly due to large-scale emigration to the United States from Asian countries) did nothing to protect the rights of ethnic minorities.

The main task of the foreign policy of Thomas Roosevelt was the transformation of the United States into one of the leading world powers. He strove in every possible way to create powerful naval forces: thanks to his efforts, the American fleet by 1907 was inferior in quantitative and qualitative terms only to the British. Successfully acted as a mediator in the conclusion of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty between Japan and Russia in September 1905; in 1906 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He contributed to the transformation of the Hague Tribunal into an authoritative and effective international body. Initiated the convocation of the Second International Hague Conference of 1907 to develop "the laws and customs of war."

Roosevelt's special goal was to establish American hegemony in the Western Hemisphere. He succeeded in resolving the question of the Panama Canal in favor of the United States: in 1901 he obtained from Great Britain the recognition of the exclusive rights of the United States to build and operate the canal (the Hay-Pounsfot Treaty on November 18, 1901); in 1902 he reached an agreement with France on the assignment of concession rights to the Americans for its construction; after the failure of the canal negotiations with Colombia, he supported the separation of Panama from Colombia (November 4, 1903); The American-Panama Treaty on November 18, 1903, granted the United States the right to "perpetual use" of the canal and full control over it. In 1906, the Americans began building it (completed in 1914).

The policy towards the countries of Latin America was based on the so-called. The Roosevelt Amendment to the Monroe Doctrine, according to which the United States is responsible for the fulfillment by Latin American countries of their international obligations (primarily the payment of debts to European states) and has the right to interfere in their internal affairs. In 1902-1903 he acted as a mediator in the settlement of the debt conflict between Venezuela and its creditors Germany and Italy; in 1905, the Americans occupied the Dominican Republic, which had lost its solvency, and took control of its finances; in 1906 they sent their troops to Cuba to end the internal political crisis.

In the elections of 1908, he secured the election of his Minister of War, W. Taft, to the presidency, hoping that he would continue his political course. After the expiration of his term in March 1909, he made a hunting tour in Africa in 1909-1910; collected exotic specimens of African fauna for American museums and wrote articles. In May 1910 he visited a number of European countries, where he was given a triumphant reception. Upon his return to the United States in June 1910, he came into conflict with W. Taft, who abandoned the "progressive" policy. At the National Congress of Republicans in June 1912 he tried to get his candidacy for president, but the majority of the delegates preferred W. Taft. He created the Progressist Party from the liberal Republicans and became its candidate for the White House. He proposed a broad reform program called the "Contract with the People" (strengthening the role of the state in the economy, revising customs duties, voting rights for women, establishing a fixed minimum wage for them, and prohibiting child labor). Despite an extremely energetic election campaign, he was defeated by the Democrat W. Wilson, although he was ahead of W. Taft in the number of votes.

In 1913 he wrote his Autobiography(An Autobiography). In January 1914 he went on a lecture tour of South Africa, and then organized an expedition to Brazil to explore the Rio de Divuda (renamed Rio Roosevelt). Returning to his homeland, he actively campaigned for the entry of the United States into the First World War on the side of the Entente. In 1915 he published a book America and World War (America and the World War). After the United States entered the war in 1917, he applied for permission to create and lead a volunteer regiment, but was refused. In 1918 he opposed the peace initiatives of W. Wilson.

Died January 6, 1919 in Oyster Bay (Nassau County, New York). Buried at Young Memorial Cemetery.

Ivan Krivushin

English Theodore roosevelt

American politician, 25th Vice President of the United States, 26th President of the United States in 1901-1909

short biography

- the largest politician, 26th President of the United States, historian - was a native of New York, where he was born on October 27, 1858 in a large family. His father was a merchant, the family lived without need of anything. Theodore's primary education was at home; he was prevented from going to school by diseases that tormented him from early childhood, in particular, asthma and myopia. To overcome physical ailments, Theodore was actively involved in boxing and running.

The help of private teachers helped to safely enter the Fibeta Kappa School at Harvard in 1880. Upon graduation, Theodore decided to pursue a political career and became a member of the Republican Party. In the autumn of the same year, he got married, and in 1881 he went on a trip to Europe, studied in Germany. During 1882-1884. Roosevelt was a member of the New York State Legislature. He almost left the thought of politics forever because of a terrible personal tragedy: in 1884, on February 14, his mother and wife passed away in one day. This forced Roosevelt to leave the service in New York and move to a secluded ranch.

A new turn in his biography - a return to politics - took place in 1886. Roosevelt put forward his candidacy for the post of mayor, but was not elected. In the same year he married a second time, in this marriage he had five children. In 1885, Roosevelt was chief of the New York City Police Force, and from 1897 he served as Deputy Secretary of War in President McKinley's administration. During the American-Spanish War in 1898, Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt assembled his own volunteer regiment, mainly of cowboys, took a direct part in hostilities. He returned to America as a national hero and became governor in January 1899. In 1900, the Republicans elected him Vice President of the United States. In 1901, on September 14, McKinley died in an assassination attempt, after which Theodore Roosevelt took over as head of state, going down in history as the youngest American president: he was a little over 40.

In domestic policy Roosevelt continued his policy of non-interference in monopolistic activities, although a series of show trials gave the president the image of a "destroyer of trusts." In foreign policy, the course of the formation of a world imperialist power, interference in the affairs of Mexico, Panama and other states was continued South America... It was Roosevelt who was the author of the expressions "world policeman" and "politics of the big stick."

In September 1905, Russia and Japan made peace, and Roosevelt played an important role in this, initiating a peace conference in Portsmouth. America benefited only from a draw as the outcome of the Russo-Japanese war. In 1906, Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for mediation. Subsequently, he also acted as a mediator, in particular by organizing a conference that led to the resolution of the French-German-Moroccan crisis.

On November 8, 1904, he was elected to a second presidential term. As the head of state, he left a bright mark on the political history of the country. Roosevelt made wide use of the capabilities of the presidential administration, he quite often made tough or moderate decisions, realized early on that the country needed to be led through reforms, advocated laws that would regulate business and protect consumer interests. He managed to win the reputation of the first American hero of the new period - the media, he knew how to "organize" public opinion.

When his second term ended in 1909, Roosevelt spent a lot of time traveling, lecturing at French and English universities, and visiting Africa. In 1911, his next return to politics took place: Roosevelt, being dissatisfied with the policy pursued by his successor W. Taft, took part in the presidential elections in 1912. However, he failed to take the post of head of the country again. Theodore Roosevelt died in New York in 1919. It happened suddenly, when the 60-year-old ex-head of the United States was sleeping.

Biography from Wikipedia

Theodore Roosevelt(English Theodore Roosevelt, IPA [ˈθɪədɔr ˈroʊzəˌvɛlt]; October 27, 1858, New York - January 6, 1919, Sagamore Hill, Oyster Bay, New York) - American politician, 25th Vice President of the United States , 26th President of the United States in 1901-1909, representative of the Republican Party, Nobel Peace Prize laureate for 1906. Theodore Roosevelt is the sixth cousin of the 32nd President of the United States, Franklin Roosevelt, and Franklin's wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, was Theodore's niece.

early years

Theodore Roosevelt was born in New York on October 27, 1858, to a Dutch-born merchant and philanthropist. Theodore was the second child in the family, he had one older and one younger sisters, as well as a younger brother.

From childhood, the future president was not in good health and suffered from asthma. In the late 1860s and early 1870s, the Roosevelt family traveled to Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Theodore received his primary education mainly at home - due to illness, he almost did not go to school.

In 1876, Theodore entered Harvard University, and graduated from it in 1880. At the same time he published his first essay and began to engage in politics, in particular, he joined the Republican Party. In 1882-1884. Roosevelt was a member of the New York State Legislature. On February 14, 1884, he lost his mother and wife on the same day. A few days earlier, his daughter Alice was born. After the tragedy, Roosevelt left his job and New York, moving to the Dakota territory, and began to lead the life of a farmer. However, the drought, as well as the associated financial losses, force him to return to New York, where he again plunges headlong into politics.

In 1886 he married a second time. His childhood friend Edith Carow became his wife, who later gave him five children.

Political activity before the presidency

In 1895 he was appointed Chief of Police of the City of New York. Since 1897 - Deputy Secretary of the Navy in the Administration of President W. McKinley.

In 1898, during the Spanish-American War, he took part in hostilities in Cuba, commanding the 1st Volunteer Cavalry Regiment of the United States "Courageous Horsemen". For his courage he was nominated for the Medal of Honor, but the award was approved only in 2001, and Roosevelt posthumously became the first and only president to be awarded the highest military award of his country.

From 1899 to 1900 he served as Governor of New York.

President of the U.S.A

In 1900, the McKinley and Roosevelt team won the presidential election. On March 4, 1901, McKinley assumed the presidency for a second term, Roosevelt became vice president. On September 6 of the same year, an attempt was made on McKinley, and on September 14, he died from his wound. On the same day, Roosevelt was sworn in as the new president. He became the youngest (42 years and 10 months) president in the history of the United States.

Roosevelt continued McKinley's course of abandoning isolationism and the formation of America as a world imperialist power, actively operating throughout the world. He owns the expressions "politics of the big stick" and "world policeman".

He was the first president to invite an African American representative to the White House, the first American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 (for mediating the Russo-Japanese Peace of Portsmouth).

Theodore Roosevelt was not present at the awards ceremony. Instead, the award was received by the American envoy and minister plenipotentiary to Norway, Herbert Piers. With the money received, the 26th President of the United States promised to build a permanent peace committee in Washington. As a result, the money received from the Nobel Committee was kept until 1917, when Roosevelt instructed to transfer it to agencies that provide assistance to victims of the First World War.

After receiving the award, Roosevelt continued his policy of a mediator: the president was the organizer of a conference to resolve the Moroccan crisis between France and Germany.

First administration (1901-1904)

Taking the oath, Roosevelt kept the entire McKinley cabinet unchanged and assured the business community that he would not restrict the activities of the monopolies, which was what the other applicants for the White House wanted.

On December 3, 1901, in his first message to the US Congress, Roosevelt declared his goal to achieve greater social justice. Exactly at social sphere the US government was in the greatest trouble at the time. The discontent of the masses, caused by the growth of corruption and the dominance of monopolies, deepened more and more.

Wanting to calm popular unrest and at the same time not limit the interests of the monopolies, Roosevelt focused public attention on specific manifestations of social injustice on the part of certain "dishonest" trusts. Lawsuits were brought against a number of corporations, but in most cases corporations got off with only minor fines. The trusts, which were dissolved by a court decision, were soon revived under new names.

These lawsuits allowed Roosevelt to build himself a reputation as a "destroyer of trusts" and at the same time allowed him to continue the essentially policy of non-interference of the state in the activities of monopolies. Theodore Roosevelt created himself the image of the first great American hero of the new century - the century of the media. Roosevelt skillfully crossed the image unusually a courageous and domineering figure, forcing a wide audience to humbly accept him, and showed how aristocratic rule could flourish in a mass democracy. He saw the lack or lack of masculinity as a threat not only to political reforms in the country itself, but also to its political positions abroad. Many historians believe that by emphasizing masculinity in his policies, he thereby compensated for the weakness and soreness in childhood. He learned from his father that he can become brave and victorious only if he is ready to fight.

Election of 1904

In his election campaign, Roosevelt focused on condemning criminals among monopolists, while not condemning monopolies in general, while at the same time negotiating with representatives of corporations about financing the Republican Party. Business circles in the United States quickly figured out Roosevelt's true role in protecting the interests of big business. Subsequently, it became known that these circles covered 72.5% of all expenses of the electoral campaign of the Republican Party. Among the main sponsors of this party in 1904 are: John Pierpont Morgan, John Davison Rockefeller, Edward Henry Harriman, Henry Clay Frick and other major American industrialists.

Second administration (1905-1909)

On November 8, 1904, on the day of his election for a second term, Roosevelt announced that he no longer intends to run for another term, since he considers the years of presidency inherited from McKinley as his first term. Although the law allowed him to run again, the 22nd amendment to the constitution, prohibiting this, was adopted only in 1951.

In 1908, Roosevelt refused to run for a third term, honoring a once-public promise and backing the Republican presidential nomination of William Taft, who was Secretary of War in his cabinet. Taft was elected the new president of the United States, defeating Democratic candidate William Brian.

Leader of the Progressive Party of the United States, presidential candidate in the 1912 election

In 1911-1912. Roosevelt, dissatisfied with the policy of his successor in the presidency, William Taft, begins an active campaign for the presidency. Roosevelt intends to become the Republican presidential candidate in place of Taft, who was about to run for a second term.

Roosevelt managed to score a landslide victory in the primaries among Republican presidential candidates. He received 278 delegate votes, while President Taft received only 48 votes and Senator Lafolette 36.

Roosevelt's fight with Taft in front of Uncle Sam. Caricature 1912

Nevertheless, Roosevelt did not receive support for his nomination for the presidency of the United States from the Republican Party at the party convention (convention) of the Republicans in Chicago on June 7, 1912 (the convention pushed through Taft's nomination). An outraged Roosevelt accused Taft of "stealing the votes" (irregularities in the counting of votes), stating "if you blackballed a real and legitimate majority, it must organize." This was the beginning of the formation of a new political party in the United States, the asset of which were supporters of Roosevelt from the progressive wing of the Republican Party.

After the announcement on the night of June 22 of the results of the vote, 343 supporters of Roosevelt, identifying themselves with red bandanas, left the convention. According to Roosevelt's biographer A. I. Utkin, "many of the delegates to the congress had the feeling that almost a national revolution had taken place."

On August 5, 1912, a convention of the Progressive Party of the United States was held in Chicago, at which Theodore Roosevelt was nominated as a presidential candidate.

Assassination attempt

On October 14, 1912, when Roosevelt was about to make a speech in front of a crowd in Milwaukee during the election campaign, he was shot by a certain John Schrank. The bullet hit the chest, first piercing the spectacle case and a thick 50-page manuscript containing the speech that Roosevelt intended to give, lying in an inner pocket. Roosevelt, as a seasoned hunter with an understanding of anatomy, concluded that since he was not coughing up blood, the bullet did not pierce his lung; refusing to help, he delivered the intended speech while the blood was spreading on his shirt, and spoke for 90 minutes. Roosevelt began with the words: “Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t know if you understand that I was just shot; but you can't just kill a moose ”(moose is a symbol of Roosevelt's Progressive Party). As it turned out later, the bullet entered the chest, but did not pierce the pleura, and it would be more dangerous to remove it than leave it as it is. Roosevelt carried this bullet in his chest for the rest of his life.

In the 1912 elections, Roosevelt finished second, ahead of the incumbent US President, Republican candidate William Taft (88 electoral votes for Roosevelt versus 8 for Taft). However, he was so far behind campaign winner, Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson (Wilson received 435 electoral votes) that it was clear that he would not be able to return to the White House. This, together with low results in local elections, led to a decline in the prestige of the Progressive Party he created and the departure of many of its leaders.

Last years

In the late 1910s, the Republicans united again around Roosevelt. In January 1919, T. Roosevelt died of a blood clot in his sleep at his Oyster Bay estate. President Wilson declared mourning for former president flags were flown across the country.