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Theodore Roosevelt ( October 27, 1858– January 6, 1919) was the twenty-fifth ( 1901) Vice President and the twenty-sixth ( 1901- 1909) President of the United States, succeeding to the office upon the assassination of William McKinley. At 42, Roosevelt was the youngest person ever to serve as President of the United States.
Roosevelt's energy, skill, and sheer joy in the Presidency were remarkable. During his life he was an author, legislator, soldier, big-game hunter, diplomat, conservationist, naval-power enthusiast, and progressive reformer. For his many achievements and the larger-than-life role he played in the White House, Roosevelt is usually thought of as one of the greatest U.S. Presidents.
Roosevelt was born in New York City, October 27, 1858 to Theodore Roosevelt and Martha Bulloch. He graduated from Harvard University in 1880. He served as a Republican legislator in the New York State Assembly from 1882- 1884, supporting a reformist agenda and working closely with then-Gov. Grover Cleveland. He wrote several books, including a well-regarded volume on the naval aspects of the War of 1812.
Sickly and asthmatic as a young man, he took up physical exercise and became a sporting and outdoor enthusiast. Roosevelt's concern for conservation grew out of his experiences in North Dakota. Roosevelt first came to the Badlands in September 1883 on a hunting trip, and became aware of the decline in numbers of the bison.
Before returning to New York, Roosevelt became interested in the cattle business and entered into a partnership to raise cattle on the Maltese Cross Ranch.
On Valentine's Day 1884, both his first wife Alice and his mother Minnie Bulloch Roosevelt died. Grief-stricken, Roosevelt decided to leave the East and increase his interests in the cattle business. He returned to North Dakota in 1884 and established the Elkhorn Ranch .
During his years in North Dakota, Roosevelt thrived on the vigorous outdoor lifestyle and actively participated in the life of a working cowboy. Of this time he said, "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." This was an important time in his development, and in fact, he once remarked that, "I never would have been President if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota." Roosevelt actively ranched in the Badlands until 1887 but maintained ranching interest in the area until 1898.
Roosevelt became increasingly alarmed by the damage that was being done to the land in North Dakota and its wildlife, and became interested in conservation. He wrote, "We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune."
He returned to New York City in 1886, and President Benjamin Harrison appointed him to the United States Civil Service Commission 1889- 1895, where he burnished his reformist credentials. In 1895 Roosevelt became president of the New York Board of Police Commissioners , making a splash as a crime-fighter, and in 1897 President William McKinley appointed him Assistant Secretary of the Navy. He loved the job, and was instrumental in preparing the Navy for the coming conflict with Spain. In 1898 he resigned this post to fight in the Spanish-American War, in which he rose to national prominence as commander of the " Rough Riders," a volunteer cavalry regiment that he personally recruited. On his return from the war he resumed his political career in New York City and State politics, and was elected governor of New York. He made such a concerted effort to root out corruption and "machine politics" that, it is said, Republican leaders in New York advanced him as a running mate for William McKinley in the 1900 election simply to get rid of him (at the time, vice presidencies tended to end careers).
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