Ryan+S.+-+TR+-+SP10

//September 14, 1901 - March 4, 1909 Republican Presidential Terms:// //September 14, 1901 - March 4, 1909// //(2 terms) Vice President: Charles Fairbanks VP Terms: 1905-1909//
 * Theodore Roosevelt**

Theodore Roosevelt is one of the best and well know presidents in United States history. After unexpectedly being thrown into office after the assassination of William McKinley, Roosevelt kept his cool and ran the country better than almost anyone else in history. He maintained excellent foreign policy and aided the American people when ever possible. For his astounding two terms in office, Roosevelt undoubtedly deserves and A+.

Teddy Roosevelt's main goal was the continue the policies of, the late, President McKinley. He did this quite successfully. One of his first main actions as president was to restrict the power of large corporations. He also wanted to integrate Progessivism into American society. Progressivism is essential a way to speed up the process of modernization in a country. It also spawned the middle class in America. Being a conservationist, Roosevelt also put the issue of the environment high on his list. He was incredibly successful with this goal, with his introduction of the National Park System. Theodore Roosevelt essentially accomplished every goal he had during his presidency.

Roosevelt had virtual no major issues with Congress during his presidency. With both houses having a majority of Republicans (TR's party), he didn't clash to much with them. In fact, he only had 82 vetoes during his presidency. In comparison to the number of some of the presidents before him, such as Grant and especially Cleveland, 82 is not a bad number at all. Teddy Roosevelt manage to pass a lot of important legislation. He pushed Congress into passing the Pure Food and Drug Act which actually bolstered both the health of Americans, and fattened their wallets by selling more food to foreigners. He passed the Elkins and Hepburn Acts as well. These acts made the railroads more accessible to everyone by setting maximum railroad rates and stopping employees from giving their friends and family free railroad passes. Some of his more notable legislation were the Roosevelt Corollary, which added to the Monroe Doctrine and allowed the US to intervene with Latin American debts, and the establishment of National Parks.

There were virtually no issues in Theodore Roosevelt's presidency. He did, however, have a great number of positives. TR made an excellent decision with his foreign policy. He maintained stability by using the "Big Stick" policy. Roosevelt never showed aggression toward other countries, but he always kept a large standing military at his side. This intimidated foreigners and kept the US out of any real conflict. This policy also allowed Roosevelt to negotiate peace between Russia and Japan. Clearly this had a great impact on the world, because Teddy received a Nobel Peace Prize for it. He also used his massive military might to pressure the Panamanian government into constructing the Panama Canal. This small stretch of water across the middle of Central America greatly decreased the difficulty of trade and eased the transportation of military vessels from coast to coast.

TR made two incredibly long lasting decisions. The first being the Panama Canal which, as previously discussed, is an immense aid both economically and militarily even today. The second of these decisions was the introduction of the National Park System. Nation parks help maintain the decreasing amount of natural beauty this country contains. Many people see at least a few of these protected lands in their lifetime and it is an important part of our culture.

For being thrown in after McKinley's assassination, Roosevelt was surprisingly well prepared. He maintained a general sense of global peace with the "Big Stick" policy and constructed the Panama Canal. He bolstered the American and global economies and did a lot to conserve the environment. There wasn't a single real issue during his presidency. Theodore Roosevelt absolutely deserves an A+ for his time as president.


 * Work Cited**

"List of United States Presidential Vetoes." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 22 Apr. 2010. .

"Theodore Roosevelt." //The White House//. Web. 22 Apr. 2010. .

"Theodore Roosevelt - Biography." //Nobelprize.org//. Web. 22 Apr. 2010. .

1917, In. "Theodore Roosevelt." //United States History//. Web. 22 Apr. 2010. .