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TR the Rough Rider at San Juan Hill
On July 1, 1898, Teddy Roosevelt resigned from the position of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy to establish the Rough Riders, which was the first voluntary cavalry that participated in the Spanish-American War. The reason for said war was because the United States and Spain were fighting over Spain's colonial relations with Cuba. After achieving victory, Teddy Roosevelt would eventually become vice president and then president of the United States. -
1st Time Teddy Roosevelt is Named President
Teddy Roosevelt became the 26th President of the United States, the youngest person to do so, on September 14, 1901. This happened after President McKinley was assassinated in September of the same year, making Teddy only 42 years old. This was allowed to happen because Roosevelt was the Vice President of President McKinley, and if the President passes away before their term ends then the Vice President can step in. This is important because he was the first president to do so. -
Coal Strike Starts
Starting on May 12, 1902 and continuing until October 23, 1902,
the coal strike was a strike organized by the United Mine Workers of America. Sick of the low wages, long workdays, and the preventing of union formation, coal workers refused to mine anthracite in the coalfields located in eastern Pennsylvania. After realizing how much this strike was affecting the nation's fuel supply, Theodore Roosevelt stepped in and sided with the coal workers. -
National Reclamation Act Passed
Passed on June 17, 1902, the National Reclamation Act was signed by President Theodore Roosevelt. This act forced water users to pay back the construction costs that they received benefits from. Back in that time, irrigation projects were called "reclamation" projects, which justifies the name. Overall, the National Reclamation Act funded irrigation projects for the dry lands of twenty states in the West. -
Elkins Act Passed
Passed in the year 1903, the Elkins Act is a federal law that amended the previous Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. To expand on this idea further, the Elkins Act prevented railroad companies from extending rebates and partial refunds to the business that shipped larger amounts of items, seeing as doing so allowed the railroad companies to show favor to wealthier and bigger businesses and indirectly lower prices for them. -
TR and the Northern Securities Case
The Northern Securities Case was the first time Roosevelt used anti-trust legislation to dismantle a monopoly, which in this example was a company controlling the principal railroad lines from the Pacific Northwest to Chicago. It is reported that Roosevelt's Department of Justice prosecuted the Northern Securities Company for violating the Sherman Act. Interestingly enough, Teddy Roosevelt's involvement in this case was what established his reputation as a "trust buster." -
T.R. Wins First Full Term as President
Elected in the year 1904 to serve a full term as President of the United States, Teddy Roosevelt continued pushing progressive values and policies. His nomination in the 1904 election was made possible because a considerable amount of Republicans gathered in Chicago on June 21st through 23rd in the year 1904. Because of this support, Roosevelt was able to defeat Alton B. Parker, who was the Democratic nominee at the time. -
Yosemite Under Federal Control
On June 8, 1906, Teddy Roosevelt signed into action the Antiquities Act of 1906, which stated that archaeological sites on public lands are important public resources. The Antiquities Act of 1906 was the first of its kind to provide protection for general cultural and natural resources. By signing said act, Roosevelt was able to return both the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove back to federal control and protection. -
Passage of Pure Food and Drug Act
On June 30, 1906, President Teddy Roosevelt approved and signed the Food and Drugs Act (Wiley Act) into action. Said act prevented the interstate commerce of adulterated or fraudulent foods, drinks, and drugs. This is similar to the Meat Inspection Act, which was passed on the same day. Both acts were in response to the public's outrage of improper meat production that were revealed in Upton Sinclair's novel, The Jungle, that was finished in 1906. -
Meat Inspection Act
Signed into action by President Theodore Roosevelt on June 30, 1906, the Meat Inspection Act was incredibly important because it increased health regulations in the meat packing industry. By preventing the sale and purchase of misbranded meat and meat products as food, the Meat Inspection Act was able to improve public health by ensuring that animals are slaughtered and packaged in a sanitary manner. -
Leaves Presidency to Visit Africa
In the year 1909, President Theodore Roosevelt left the presidency and went on an African safari (an event that would later become known as the Smithsonian–Roosevelt African Expedition). The purpose of this expedition was to discover and collect new specimens for the Smithsonian's Natural History museum (which is now known as the National Museum of Natural History). -
TR Runs for Presidency in Bull-Moose Party
In the election that took place in 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was able to get 27.4% of the popular vote, winning over Taft's 23.2%, which allowed Roosevelt to be the only presidential nominee of a third party to result with a higher percent of popular votes than the nominee of a major party. Also known as the Progressive Party, the Bull-Moose Party stood for women's suffrage, an eight-hour workday, a tariff reduction, establishment of a social insurance system, and more.