An Iconic American Leader.
Honoring Theodore Roosevelt- One of America’s Greatest Presidents.
History tells us, Theodore was a sickly, weak child of a wealthy New York family ( 1858–1919).
Through rigorous physical exercise, Theodore gained his health and became a robust outdoorsman.
He embraced public service & is known as the most popular governor of New York.
Here he cautions the nation that wealth & power creates temptation in life. The ignoble ease that prosperity and security brings.
In his speech, he says;
“In speaking to you, men of the greatest city of the West, men of the state which gave to the country of Lincoln and Grant, men who embody all that is most American in the American character.
I wish to preach the doctrine of strenuous life of toil and effort of labor and strife that the highest form of success comes to the man who does not shrink from danger and hardship and wins the splendid ultimate triumph.”
“Men should bring up their sons to embrace work doctrine, reflecting honor upon the nation. The goal is to win true national greatness.”
(A speech from Theodore Roosevelt in the article-’In Praise of a strenuous life’- by William J. Bennett)
His resilience and drive are inspirational.
Roosevelt brought the US into the progressive era, breaking up corporate monopolies.
He formed the conservation movement and increased American influence worldwide.
He won the Nobel Peace Award for ending the Russo -Japanese war in 1906. He was a master orator and prolific writer.
Famous quotes from Teddy Roosevelt;
ON EFFORT; “ Nothing in this world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.” Source: American Ideals In Education 1910
ON COURAGE; “A soft, easy life is not worth living if it impairs the fiber of the brain, heart, and muscle. We must dare to be great, and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil, courage, and sacrifice. Let us live in the harness of striving mightily, rather run the risk of wearing out, than rusting out.” Source: Campaign address, October 1898.
ON WORK: “I don't pity any man who does hard work worth doing. I admire him. I pity the creature who does not work, at whichever end of the social scale he may regard himself as being.” Source: Speech, September 1902.
ON DAILY LIFE: “We must show, not merely in great crises, but in everyday affairs of life, the qualities of practical intelligence, of courage, of hardihood, endurance, and above all the power of devotion to the lofty ideal, which made great men who preserved this Republic in the days of Abraham Lincoln.” Source; Inaugural Address 1905.
ON SELF KNOWLEDGE: “Unless a man is master of his soul, all other kinds of mastery amount to little.” Source; Ladies Home Journal, 1917.
ON DIVERSITY: “I cannot consent to take the position that the door of hope-the door of opportunity-is to be shut upon any man, no matter how worthy, purely upon the grounds of race or color. Such an attitude would, according to my convictions, be fundamentally wrong.” Source; Letter November 1902.
ON BEING AMERICAN: “Much is given to us, and much is expected from us. We have duties to others and duties to ourselves; we can shirk neither. We have become a great nation, forced by the fact of its greatness into relations with other nations of the earth. We must behave and appear as a people with such responsibilities.” Source; Inaugural Address 1905.
Here are some interesting facts about Teddy Roosevelt;
- As a child, he witnesses the Abraham Lincoln funeral procession.
- Roosevelt survives the tragedy of losing his mother and his wife to illness on the same day in 1884.
- 1912 he survives an assassination attempt.
- Roosevelt was the first President to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
- He was a graduate college dropout.
- He was blind in one eye from a boxing match injury.
- The teddy bear is a creation in his honor as he refused to shoot an old bear while on a hunting trip.
- Historian Edmund Morris writes that Roosevelt had a photographic memory.
- President Roosevelt died in 1919 at the age of 60 from a blood clot lodged in his heart.
- The National War College in Washington is a tribute to Theodore Roosevelt.
- He is the father of the US Navy.
References;
In Praise of a Strenuous Life. The book of Virtues by William J. Bennett.
The Presidency- Theodore Roosevelt Tribute by Tweed Roosevelt, great-grandson of Theodore Roosevelt. February 28, 2019.
Businessinsider.com/theodore roosevelt quotes.