Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt
The presidency of Theodore Roosevelt began on September 14, 1901, when he was sworn in as the 26th President of the United States upon the assassination and death of President William McKinley, and ended on March 4, 1909. Roosevelt had been Vice President of the United States for only 194 days when he succeeded to the presidency. A Republican, he ran for and won a full four-year term as president in 1904, easily defeating his Democratic opponent Alton B. Parker, sweeping every region in the nation except the South. In doing so he became the first president to be elected to a full term of his own after having succeeded to the presidency upon the death of his predecessor. Roosevelt was succeeded in office by his protege and chosen successor William Howard Taft.
Roosevelt was a Progressive reformer who sought to move the dominant Republican Party into a more liberal camp. He distrusted wealthy businessmen and dissolved 44 monopolistic corporations as a "trust buster." He took care, however, to show that he did not disagree with trusts and capitalism in principle, but was only against their corrupt, illegal practices. His "Square Deal" included regulation of railroad rates and pure foods and drugs; he saw it as a fair deal for both the average citizen and the businessmen. He avoided labor strife and negotiated a settlement to the great Coal Strike of 1902. After 1906, he moved to the political left, attacking big business and suggesting the courts were biased against labor unions. His great love was nature and he vigorously promoted the Conservation movement, emphasizing efficient use of natural resources. He dramatically expanded the system of national parks and national forests. Owing to his charismatic personality, his extremely high energy levels and span of interests, and his reformist policies, Roosevelt is considered one of the ablest presidents and an icon of the Progressive Era.
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