Theodore Teddy Roosevelt

Theodore Teddy Roosevelt (1901 to 1909) was the 26th President of the United States. He was born on 27th October 1858 and served his presidential term during 1901-1909.

Headed in the direction of genius at political leadership, he brought new excitement and power to the Presidency, as he vigorously led Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and a strong foreign policy. His conservationism and willingness to take on big business are examples of why he is considered to be one of the influential presidents in America’s history.

Born a sickly child with debilitating asthma, Roosevelt successfully overcame his health problems by embracing a strenuous lifestyle. He integrated his exuberant personality, vast range of interests, and world-famous achievements into a "cowboy" persona defined by robust masculinity. Home-schooled, he became a lifelong naturalist before attending Harvard College. His first of many books, The Naval War of 1812 (1882), established his reputation as both a learned historian and as a popular writer. Upon entering politics, he became the leader of the reform faction of Republicans in New York's state legislature.

Theodore Roosevelt became the youngest ever president when he took the oath and he brought his exuberance into the office as expected. He controlled trusts so that small businesses and workers were not exploited. He wanted everyone to have a square deal which was eponymous to his administration’s name. He got congress to pass laws which protected the people from impure food and drugs and forced the owners of the coal mines during that time to pay better wages to its laborers. He is recognized as having done more than any other president to save the natural resources of USA. Roosevelt established national parks and more than 125 million acres of national forests. A firm believer in having a strong navy, he also got congress to build new battleships and cruisers. It was for the objective that the navy could move easily from one ocean to the other and also for trade purposes that he built the Panama Canal.

Theodore Roosevelt was the amalgamation of explorer, politician, author, historian and naturalist, and was the youngest person to serve as the President of the United States at the age of just 42. The 26th US president was the founder of the Progressive Party and also one of the most influential leaders of the Republican Party. He, with his slogan, “Speak softly and carry a big stick”, was known for his robust masculinity and “Cowboy” mannerism. His book, The Naval War of 1812, established him as a famous writer and historian around 1882. His face was sculpted on Mount Rushmore along with Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. His domestic policies, “Square Deal”, included the reduction of railroad rates, guaranteeing pure food and scheduled drugs along with breaking up capitalism. He was also the first president to lead a conservation project.

He is remembered to this day due to his plethora of achievements and interests. He held the office at city state and federal levels before becoming the president. Apart from politics he had deep interests in writing, hunting and was a natural explorer. Theodore Roosevelt charismatic personality and unyielding machismo has made him one of the fondest American presidents. Early in his political career he became a leader of the reform faction of the Grand Ol’ Party. Soon thereafter he became the New York City Police Commissioner and remained in that position until war broke out with Spain in 1898, after which he created the Rough Riders unit and fought against Spanish forces in Cuba. Upon obtaining the presidency between 1901-1909, Roosevelt helped institute various progressive policies that helped bring the nation into the 20th century. Roosevelt is fondly remembered for pioneering the busting of monopolistic trusts.

Roosevelt led a two-year expedition in the Amazon Basin, nearly dying of tropical disease. During World War I, he opposed President Woodrow Wilson for keeping the U.S. out of the war against Germany, and offered his military services, which were never summoned. Although planning to run again for president in 1920, Roosevelt suffered deteriorating health and died in early 1919. Roosevelt has consistently been ranked by scholars as one of the greatest U.S. presidents. His face was carved into Mount Rushmore alongside those of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln.

He nick name was “Teddy” although he resented being called so. Many do not know this but the “Teddy bear” is named for him.

On the night of January 5, 1919, Roosevelt suffered breathing problems. He felt better after treatment from his physician, Dr. George W. Faller, and went to bed. Roosevelt's last words were "Please put out that light, James" to his family servant James Amos. Between 4:00and 4:15 the next morning, "The old lion is dead” died in January 6th 1919.

George Washington

George Washington(1788-1799) was the first president of the United States of America. He was born on February 22nd, 1732 and was the commander-in chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Born into the provincial gentry of Colonial Virginia, his family was wealthy planters who owned tobacco plantations and slaves which he inherited. He owned hundreds of slaves throughout his lifetime, but his views on slavery evolved to support abolition.

A legend in classic sense, he was the first president of the United States and a major figure in the establishment of the US, during and following the Revolutionary War. He is known as one of the Founding Fathers of the country. As a President, Washington established the framework of the national executive branch. He oversaw the work to build a new national capital, and it was named Washington D.C. in his honor. He replaced the Articles of Confederation by drafting the United States Constitution. He supported the movements of the Federalist Party, although he never officially joined it. He opposed the 1765 Stamp Act, the first direct tax on the colonies. He protested against the Townshend Acts in 1769 by proposing Virginia to boycott English goods until the Acts were repealed. His motto was to create a strong and well-financed national government while winning acceptance among all the Americans. He was elected as the president unanimously, twice without support from any party, in 1788 and 1792.

As the very first president of the United States of America, George Washington is one of the greatest national heroes that our country has ever had the fortune of harboring. He led the Continental Army as its Commander-in-Chief, and through the course of his leadership during America’s fight for independence against Great Britain, he and his forces achieved a resolute and final victory against the British at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. After independence was won, he participated in and guided the creation of the United States Constitution and served as the nation’s first president from 1789-1797 before setting the presidential precedent of stepping down after two terms. He was a humble man and a brilliant leader who helped secure the foundations of modern America.

Widely admired for his strong leadership qualities, Washington was unanimously elected president in the first two national elections. He oversaw the creation of a strong, well-financed national government that maintained neutrality in the French Revolutionary Wars, suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion, and won acceptance among Americans of all types. Washington's incumbency established many precedents, still in use today, such as the cabinet system, the inaugural address, and the title Mr. President. His retirement from office after two terms established a tradition that lasted until 1940, when Franklin Delano Roosevelt won an unprecedented third term. The 22nd Amendment (1951) now limits the president to two elected terms.

In his youth he became a senior British officer in the colonial militia during the first stages of the French and Indian War. In 1775 the Second Continental Congress commissioned Washington as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolution. In that command, Washington forced the British out of Boston in 1776, but was defeated and nearly captured later that year when he lost New York City. After crossing the Delaware River in the middle of winter, he defeated the British in two battles (Trenton and Princeton), retook New Jersey and restored momentum to the Patriot cause.

His strategy enabled Continental forces to capture two major British army’s at Saratoga in 1777 and Yorktown in 1781. Historians laud Washington for the selection and supervision of his generals, preservation and command of the army, coordination with the Congress, state governors and their militia, and attention to supplies, logistics, and training. In battle, however, Washington was repeatedly outmaneuvered by British generals with larger armies. After victory had been finalized in 1783, Washington resigned as commander-in-chief rather than seize power, proving his opposition to dictatorship and his commitment to American republicanism. Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which devised a new form of federal government for the United States. Following unanimous election as president in 1789, he worked to unify rival factions in the fledgling nation. He supported Alexander Hamilton's programs to satisfy all debts, federal and state, established a permanent seat of government, implemented an effective tax system, and created a national bank. In avoiding war with Great Britain, he guaranteed a decade of peace and profitable trade by securing the Jay Treaty in 1795, despite intense opposition from the Jeffersonian. Although he remained nonpartisan, never joining the Federalist Party, he largely supported its policies. Washington's Farewell Address was an influential primer on civic virtue, warning against partisanship, sectionalism, and involvement in foreign wars. He retired from the presidency in 1797, returning to his home and plantation at Mount Vernon.

While in power, his use of national authority pursued many ends, especially the preservation of liberty, reduction of regional tensions, and promotion of a spirit of American nationalism. Upon his death, Washington was eulogized as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen" by Henry Lee. Revered in life and in death, scholarly and public polling consistently ranks him among the top three presidents in American history; he has been depicted and remembered in monuments, currency, and other dedications through the present day.

He was chosen as the president as the unanimous choice of the 69 electors in 1788. He is incidentally one of the tallest presidents of the United States of America. He died on December 14, 1799 at the age of 69.