Purnima+-+TR+-+SP09

Theodore Roosevelt: "The American people are slow to wrath, but when their wrath is and once kindled it burns like a consuming flame." 2) Charles W. Fairbanks || Evaluation: When President McKinley was shot, Theodore Roosevelt was handed the reins of presidency. America was in good condition at the time and expansion grew out even further. I think the Roosevelt deserves an A- for all his appreciated work in America and around the world. Some of the major events during his presidency include Panama Canal Right (1904), Roosevelt Corollary, Pure Food and Drug Act (1906). He also lead America through the Panic of 1907. President Roosevelt was determined for the success for the Panama Canal and wasn’t going to give Britain a freebee. Though the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty in 1850 did not allow the United States to gain rights to the canal. He negotiated a deal the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty (1901), which allowed American rights over the canal and lend a helping hand as well. The Canal was very important for future trade (exports and imports). The Panama Canal was a shortcut so sailors would not have to sail around the dangerous tip of the South America. This helped in efficiency and tied the world together a bit more (connection the east and west coast). However Columbia was obstructing the construction and objected a treaty which would sell that part of the land. Theodore Roosevelt was looking to improve America can deicide to continue the construction without the Columbian consent. Later the revolution led by Bunau-Varilla gave America the control of the ten mile zone around the Panama Canal because of the Bunau-Varilla Treaty. The construction was completed in 1914 for 400 million. Latin American during this time was weak and in order to make sure the foreign nations stay away and break the Monroe Doctrine. President Roosevelt took precautions and formulate the Roosevelt Corollary in which foreign interventions were not allow and claimed that America would pay off Latin Americas debts. Though it seems like Roosevelt was only interested in America, two nations benefited from his presidency. When Japan started a war with Russia in 1904; Roosevelt help negotiate the peace treaty. Roosevelt’s relation with the administration was hanging in there. President Theodore Roosevelt was not too big with respect for checks and balances among the three branches of government. He though that he could do anything; overrule the government. Roosevelt continues enforcing McKinley’s policies as a promise when he first entered office. The negative impact of Roosevelt’s presidency was his antitrust policies. Known for the nickname the trustbuster his main goal was to balance the enterprise and corporations in American. His bias was that all trusts were bad and were injuring America’s welfare. He did not want to break all trusts just the ones that were the worst offenders (he broke down the Oil Standard because of this). In his square deal, policies and acts (like the Hepburn Act) that were put in place to help the middle class Americans grow. Roosevelt’s trust busting led to the Panic of 1907 when Knickerbockers Trust Company collapsed. This started a chain reaction resulting in many banks and a few railroads to collapse as well. He was to be blamed for his bad business practices for cutting corporate profits. Roosevelt also had changed the way America thought about food. For the most part people did not know how their food was prepared, as long as it had filled stomachs not many cared. Sinclair’s Jungle truly exposed the meat industry in corrupt and dangerous practices. The Meat Industry Inspection Act began regulating the meat into what was safe to consume and what wasn’t. Later the Pure Food and Drug Act established the national standards to regulate preservatives and health endangering ingredients. So in the end people could consume healthier and cleaner food. In conclusion, Roosevelt proved to be a decent president helping trade, economy, national political quarrels and the dangerous effort providing food to consumers. The Panic of 1907 was just a mistake in efforts to help the American lifestyles and domestic business. It was a learning experience in Roosevelt’s presidency for the future. He stepped out of the governments comfort zone and accomplished a lot more than many presidents before him. Giving Theodore Roosevelt a lower grade than an A- is like zeroing tolerance for mistake, which isn’t fair even in today’s standards. Every president has had some bad judgment in office but because of that does one become a failure?
 * Name: |||| Theodore Roosevelt ||
 * Born: |||| October 27, 1858 ||
 * Death: |||| January 6, 1919 ||
 * Terms/Years in Office: |||| 1901-1909/2 Terms ||
 * Political Party: || Republican ||
 * Vice President(s): || 1) None

Work Citied: [] [|http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Theodore_Roosevelt,_color_painting_circa_1920-1940.jpg] [|Scholastics Encyclopedia of the Presidents and their times By: David Rubel]