Theodore Roosevelt: “Speak softly and carry a big stick”Learn about Theodore Roosevelt's progressive Square Deal and big-stick approach to foreign policy.(more)See all videos for this articleTheodore Roosevelt (born October 27, 1858, New York, New York, U.S.—died January 6, 1919, Oyster Bay, New York) was the 26th of the (1901–09) and a , naturalist, and soldier. He expanded the powers of the and of the federal government in support of the public interest in conflicts between big business and labor and steered the nation toward an active role in world politics, particularly in and . He won the for Peace in 1906 for mediating an end to the (1904–05), and he secured the route and began construction of the (1904–14). The early years Roosevelt was the second of four children born into a socially prominent family of Dutch and English ancestry; his father, Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., was a noted businessman and philanthropist, and his mother, Martha Bulloch of Georgia, came from a wealthy, slave-owning plantation family. In frail health as a boy, Roosevelt was educated by private tutors. From boyhood he displayed intense, wide-ranging intellectual curiosity. He graduated from , where he was elected to , in 1880. He then studied briefly at but soon turned to writing and politics as a career. In 1880 he married Alice Hathaway Lee, by whom he had one daughter, . After his first wife’s death, in 1886 he married Edith Kermit Carow (), with whom he lived for the rest of his life at Sagamore Hill, an estate near , Long Island, New York. They had five children: Theodore, Jr., Kermit, Ethel, Archibald, and Quentin. Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt as a young man.(more)As a child, Roosevelt had suffered from severe , and weak eyesight plagued him throughout his life. By dint of a program of physical exertion, he developed a strong physique and a lifelong love of vigorous activity. He adopted “the strenuous life,” as he entitled his 1901 book, as his ideal, both as an outdoorsman and as a politician. Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough RidersTheodore Roosevelt (center left with glasses) and the Rough Riders, July 1898.(more)Theodore Roosevelt on horsebackTheodore Roosevelt riding a horse.(more)Elected as a Republican to the State Assembly at 23, Roosevelt quickly made a name for himself as a foe of corrupt machine politics. In 1884, overcome by grief by the deaths of both his mother and his wife on the same day, he left politics to spend two years on his cattle ranch in the of the Dakota Territory, where he became increasingly concerned about environmental damage to the West and its wildlife. Nonetheless, he did participate as a delegate to the in 1884. His attempt to reenter public life in 1886 was unsuccessful; he was defeated in a bid to become mayor of . Roosevelt remained active in politics and again battled corruption as a member of the U.S. Civil Service Commission (1889–95) and as president of the New York City Board of Police Commissioners. Appointed assistant secretary of the navy by President , he vociferously championed a bigger navy and agitated for war with . When war was declared in 1898, he organized the 1st Volunteer Cavalry, known as the , who were sent to fight in . Roosevelt was a brave and well-publicized leader. The charge of the Rough Riders (on foot) up Kettle Hill during the Battle of Santiago made him the biggest national hero to come out of the . On his return, the bosses in New York tapped Roosevelt to run for governor, despite their doubts about his political loyalty. Elected in 1898, he became an energetic reformer, removing corrupt officials and enacting legislation to regulate corporations and the . His actions irked the party’s bosses so much that they conspired to get rid of him by drafting him for the Republican vice presidential nomination in 1900, assuming that his would be a largely ceremonial role., Theodore Roosevelt Jr.[b] (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T. R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York politics, including serving as the state's 33rd governor for two years., Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th president of the United States (1901–09) and a writer, naturalist, and soldier. He expanded the powers of the presidency and of the federal government to support public interest in conflicts between big business and labor and increased the U.S. role in world politics..