Theodore Roosevelt

Republican 1901--1909 New York

Key Facts

Term
1901--1909
Party
Republican
Vice President
Charles W. Fairbanks
First Lady
Edith Roosevelt
Home State
New York
Born
1858
Died
1919

Biography

Roosevelt became president at 42 after McKinley's assassination — the youngest person to hold the office.

Key Events & Accomplishments

  • Built the Panama Canal
  • Conserved 230 million acres of public land
  • Won the Nobel Peace Prize for mediating the Russo-Japanese War (1906)
  • Signed the Pure Food and Drug Act and Meat Inspection Act (1906)

Election Results

YearOpponentElectoral VotePopular Vote
1904Alton B. Parker336-140+18.8%

Notable Quotes

Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.

-- Citizenship in a Republic speech, Paris, 1910

Did You Know?

  • Roosevelt was shot in the chest while campaigning in 1912 and still delivered his 90-minute speech.
  • The teddy bear was named after him.
Theodore Roosevelt -- 26th President | Civics Matter