Accomplishments Of Theodore Roosevelt


Laurel King, Contributor

| updated

Copy Link Code

accomplishments of theodore rooseveltThe accomplishments of Theodore Roosevelt are awe-inspiring. As the youngest U.S. president in history, he was not expected to have the wisdom and foresight to shape policy as much as he did. However, for Theodore Roosevelt, presidential accomplishments were of paramount importance. Never one to sit idly by while there was work to be done, as soon as he was sworn into office, he got right to work.

To a man like Theodore Roosevelt, achievements as president were not limited to those that were popular. After taking office in 1901 (following the assassination of McKinley), one of his first acts was extremely controversial for the time: he invited an African American man (Booker T. Washington) to dine with him at the White House. In 1902, he successfully ended the Anthracite Coal Strike, using a military presence to coerce mine owners to negotiate a settlement with striking union workers. By February 1903, he created the Department of Commerce, established to promote economic development and the advancement of technology in the U.S. In the same year, he also signed the Elkins Anti-Rebate Act (forbidding railroads from giving huge, powerful clients a bigger rebate on their shipments) and resolved the Alaskan boundary dispute (in relation to Lynn Canal). In 1904, his Panama treaty was ratified and his Roosevelt Corollary (to the Monroe Doctrine) was issued, which was a formal manifestation of his Big Stick Policy.

Because he was so active in the political and social reform areas, there are an overwhelming number of accomplishments of Teddy Roosevelt in his first elected term in office. In 1905, he successfully negotiated the Portsmouth Treaty, which ended the Russo-Japanese War and earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. That same year, he also created the U.S. Forest Service, dismantled the Beef Trust, and indicted Standard Oil for violating the Sherman Act. For Roosevelt, 1906 was another busy year; within months, he had signed three acts (Forest Homestead, Hepburn Rate, and Meat Inspection), created numerous national monuments, and signed the Antiquities Act. By 1907, he had created four more national monuments, appointed the Inland Waterways Commission, admitted Oklahoma as the 46th state, and enacted the Immigration Act. The year of 1908 saw the emergency of the Employer's Liability Act, designation of the Grand Canyon and six other national monuments, and the sale of the first U.S. postage stamp. By 1909, when his presidential term expired, it is understandable that he celebrated by going on an African safari, to relax.

Through the achievements of Theodore Roosevelt, our country became a global power, and a leader in conservation and environmental awareness. His legacy allows for the preservation and conservation of American natural resources, ongoing global acceptance in the political and economic communities, and the ability to provide social and judicial support for the citizenry.