I have long been a fan of Teddy Roosevelt’s politics (he was a progressive Republican when that was still possible) and his amazing life. I ran across an X (formerly Twitter) thread that did a great job of capturing exactly what an extraordinary character Roosevelt really was.
The thread was written by Time Capsule Tales, which bills itself as an “internet history museum.” I like that idea, and I’m thankful that someone thought to use X in this way.
The following was written by Time Capsule Tales:
Teddy Roosevelt was the 26th U.S. President from 1901 to 1909 While his presidency is perhaps best known for his conservation legacy, Roosevelt was one of the most face-smashing, rough-riding, badass dudes to grace the Oval Office. These are his “greatest hits”
1. Teddy Roosevelt suffered from severe asthma & nearsightedness but didn’t let that hold him back. He spoke French & German fluently, studied in Europe, wrote numerous literary works & attended Harvard & Columbia Law School.
2. President McKinley appointed Roosevelt as Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1897. When the USS Maine mysteriously exploded in Havana Harbor, tensions with Spain hit a boiling point. Roosevelt didn’t waste time – he sent Commodore George Dewey to the Philippines, giving him the green light to take down the Spanish fleet.
After Congress officially declared war on Spain, Dewey obliterated the Spanish Navy at Manila Bay in just a few hours, solidifying Roosevelt’s reputation as a military mastermind.
3. Roosevelt formed a volunteer cavalry regiment known as the Rough Riders. He pulled together a wild mix of cowboys, miners, Ivy League athletes, & anyone ready to fight, regardless of background. They shipped off to Cuba, and at the Battle of San Juan Hill, Roosevelt led the charge on horseback, earning fame for his bravery.
While he didn’t receive the Medal of Honor until 2001 (long after his death), his leadership in the battle was critical to the U.S. victory in the Spanish-American War. He was later promoted to Colonel.
4. When Roosevelt returned from Cuba as a war hero, he ran for Governor of New York in 1898 and won. His reformist agenda made political bosses nervous, so in 1900, they pushed for him to run as Vice President under McKinley, thinking he’d be sidelined in the largely ceremonial role. It wasn’t George Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman, but Republican Party leaders like Senator Thomas Platt who wanted him out of New York politics.
The McKinley-Roosevelt ticket won, but soon after, McKinley was assassinated on September 6, 1901, and Roosevelt became president on September 14, 1901, making him the youngest president in U.S. history at age 42.
5. As President, Roosevelt tackled labor disputes head-on, famously mediating the 1902 Coal Strike to prevent a national energy crisis. He earned the nickname “Trust Buster” by breaking up monopolies like Standard Oil. He also spearheaded the construction of the Panama Canal, revolutionizing global trade.
Roosevelt was a staunch advocate for conservation, believing in the need to protect the American landscape for future generations. During his presidency, he established five national parks, including Crater Lake & Yosemite, as well as 18 national monuments, such as the Grand Canyon and Devil’s Tower.
He created the United States Forest Service and signed into law the Antiquities Act, which allowed him to designate national monuments to safeguard significant natural and historical sites. Through these efforts, Roosevelt set aside over 230 million acres of public land, more than any other president before him.
In 1901, he made history by inviting Booker T. Washington to dinner at the White House – the first time an African American dined as a guest of the president.
6. In 1912, while campaigning for a third presidential term, Roosevelt was shot in the chest by a would-be assassin in Milwaukee. Undeterred, he insisted on delivering his speech, famously declaring, “It takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose!”
With a bullet lodged in his body, he spoke for over an hour to a packed crowd, showcasing his incredible resilience and determination. Only after finishing did he finally allow himself to seek medical attention, proving that nothing – not even a gunshot – could silence his fervor for politics and reform.
7. In 1906, Roosevelt made history by becoming the first sitting president to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in mediating the end of the Russo-Japanese War. He worked tirelessly to broker a peace agreement between Russia & Japan, securing a treaty that ended years of conflict.
He was a firm believer in the power of a strong navy, famously showcasing American military might with the construction of the Great White Fleet, a group of 16 battleships painted white that sailed around the world from 1907 to 1909. This impressive display of naval strength was intended to demonstrate the United States’ emerging status as a global power and to foster goodwill with other nations.
8. Roosevelt studied boxing after being bullied as a child and continued with the sport through college at Harvard. And he didn’t let a little thing like becoming president stop him from boxing – he would often box during his time in the Oval Office. That is, until he was blinded in one eye. He wrote in his autobiography:
“I had to abandon boxing as well as wrestling, for in one bout a young captain of artillery cross-countered me on the eye, and the blow smashed the little blood vessels. Fortunately it was my left eye, but the sight has been dim ever since, and if it had been the right eye I should have been entirely unable to shoot… Accordingly I thought it better to acknowledge that I had become an elderly man and would have to stop boxing. I then took up jiujitsu…”
9. Devastated after losing his final presidential election, Roosevelt dealt with his grief by going on an adventure. Accompanied by his son Kermit and famed explorer Colonel Candido Rondon, they set off on a journey down an uncharted, anaconda- and piranha-infested river in South America known as the River of Doubt.
Though the former president was warned of the risk, he insisted on the trip, writing, “If it is necessary for me to leave my bones in South America, I am quite ready to do so.”
Things did not go well. They lost several canoes. They were in close vicinity to cannibalistic tribes. One sailor died in the rapids. Another was murdered by a crew member gone mad.
Roosevelt then badly cut his leg trying to cross the river to free two jammed canoes. His injury led to an infection, which led to a fever. Near death, he pleaded with his son to leave him behind, but Kermit refused. In the end, Roosevelt finished the journey – albeit nearly 60 pounds lighter.
10. While living in North Dakota, Roosevelt became a deputy sheriff. During this time, he once pursued three boat thieves through a frozen river. After capturing them, he personally took them to Dickinson for trial, rather than allow them to be hanged by vigilantes. On the journey, he watched them for over 36 hours straight without sleep – reading Tolstoy to keep himself occupied. Roosevelt wrote:
“I kept guard over the three prisoners, who were huddled into a sullen group some 20 yards off, just the right distance for the buckshot in the double-barrel.”
11. After his wife and mother died – on the same day – Roosevelt grieved in his own unique way: by leaving the city behind for the wild of the American West to become a cowboy.
Roosevelt operated a cattle ranch on the Little Missouri River in the Dakotas for a few years, learning to ride, rope, and hunt. He worked alongside men who made him tougher, stating that they “took the snob out” of him. During his years in the West, he wrote several books on the subject, before returning home and running for office.
“I never would have been President if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota,” Roosevelt wrote.
12. When Teddy died in his sleep in 1919, sitting Vice President Thomas Marshall said, “Death had to take Roosevelt sleeping, for if he had been awake, there would have been a fight.”