Roosevelt, Theodore (1858–1919)

THEODORE ROOSEVELT, the 25th president of the United States, clearly represented a departure from the pattern of previous presidents, particularly those who had served in the last decades of the 19th century. Roosevelt was younger at age 42 when he took office than any of his predecessors had been. He understood that the position of president gave him an important forum, a “bully pulpit,” as he called it, with which to affect policy and the public mood. He took a strong stand in international affairs, and was intensely proud of his role in securing the independence of Panama from Colombia and the subsequent Panama Canal Treaty. Elected as vice president to William McKinley on the Republican Party ticket, he succeeded to the office on the ...