Theodore Roosevelt Article Summary

Drew Bone
Mr. Bare
AP US History
May 12 2015
Theodore Roosevelt Article Review In this article about the youngest president in American history the author goes on to explain the great successes and accomplishments of Theodore Roosevelt. Written to inform the reader about the about the premature conclusion of the McKinley Era and the inauguration of Teddy Roosevelt, the author goes to great lengths to describe how Teddy made his mark on the presidential office and helped to change the course of American history. The author believes he accomplished this through increasing the power of the presidency, drastically influencing progressive policy, and expanding foreign policy. I believe the author does a fantastic job a stating the key ideas and
actions that President Roosevelt implemented throughout his term but he fails to mention and explain why or how these certain things, impacted and are significant to American history. One of the author’s main points was how Theodore Roosevelt increased the power of the presidency. Before he was even president Theodore Roosevelt, unlike his predecessor, believed it was crucial for the position of the presidency to hold much power. The author goes on to give evidence of this as Teddy always argued that he “had the right to use any power not specifically forbidden by law or the constitution”. In order to get as much out of the presidency as possible he coined the term bully pulpit to describe the executive office. The author the goes to describe how Teddy used his personality to attract the media’s attention. The article also describes how the public enjoyed his exuberant character. The author’s use of these points to support his thesis is justified. The term bully pulpit is synonymous with the phrase “a terrific platform from which to advocate an agenda”. He used the bully pulpit to cultivate public opinion. If he was well liked he could sway the opinion of the populous to more match his own, giving the presidency tremendous power. This explains the use of the media to exemplify his exuberant character. The more well like he was the more effective the Bully pulpit system. No explanations like the former could be found in this article. The author effectively sums up the key points on how Teddy changed the office but he fails to elaborate on many of those points. He did not give the definition of the bully pulpit and he failed to give an explanation on how and why the public reacted differently to him sending drafts of legislation to congress instead of the previous norm of outlining presidential goals in speeches and messages. It would also have been beneficial to the reader if the author included information on how influential the media was during this time. The conspiracy of the USS Maine and how it lead the US into the Spanish American War as an example of this. This would help the reader better understand the effectiveness of expending the power of the presidency through Roosevelt’s Relationship with the media. Focusing on Teddy’s relationship with the public the author describes how Roosevelt completely revolutionized Progressive policy in America.
Focusing initially on Economic policy, the author describes how Roosevelt saw “Lack of opportunity as a breeding ground for crime and radicalism”. The article states how teddy solved the problems of excessive power of the corporate wealth and the increasing dangers of working-class radicalism through progressive reform. Since one percent of American companies manufacture almost 40 percent of its products teddy sought to dissolve corporate trusts. Roosevelt fought hard for the working populous in the United States. The article elaborates on this and talks about how Theodore Roosevelt dealt with a strike between coal miners and their employers. He ended up resolving the conflict with a compromise that would end up being called the square deal. Roosevelt found solutions to the Nation’s Problems. He understood how the unregulated the nation’s economy was in grave need of reform. The author mentions how Teddy implemented the Hepburn Act, to regulate commerce, and the interstate commerce commission. Just as Teddy looked into the future of our nation economically he also did so domestically. The article elaborate on how in order to increase the quality of living in the United States Roosevelt Passed the Pure food and drug act of 1906 and how he created the national Forrest and national parks system. From these many examples the author makes
it evident that Theodore Roosevelt does in fact do a great job at creating the new progressive policies. The author also was very effective at stating the effects that all these policies had on America and why they were implemented. It would be beneficial for the author to have included some background information on the economy of the time to let the reader better gauge the scenario that Teddy was put up against. This would also help the reader compare Teddy and his changes he made to former president McKinley. A good example that would have shown how Roosevelt dealt with Economic conflict is the Panic of 1907. This was an economic depression that really accentuates where other presidents have failed in regulating the economy but shows where Theodore Roosevelt succeeded. According to the author Teddy Roosevelt also made leaps and bounds in foreign policy. He mentions that in addition to economically becoming a world power Theodore Roosevelt oversaw international political reforms that established the United States as the Strongest Nation in the western hemisphere. He also expanded trade networks which ended leading him to creating his coup de grace, the Panama Canal. He also expanded on the Monroe Doctrine and created the Roosevelt Corollary. These points effectively tie back to the thesis as the Panama Canal became crucial for many other foreign nations economically and the Roosevelt Corollary stated that no other foreign nations would interfere in any of the Americas. This idea of independent power is exemplified when the author explains how Roosevelt used the expression Speak softly and Carry a big stick” It would have been helpful for the author to mention the altercations during this time with Spain and how it is related to the creation of the Roosevelt corollary.
The author does a good job in summing up the main points of how Teddy changed the office.
He explains what he did and why he did certain things to help achieve his goals. What seems to be left out is how Theodore Roosevelt was able to achieve all these things. The author should have elaborated on the make-up of congress during that time and how its support was crucial for Teddy Roosevelt to be able to make the vast changes he did. This would have better exemplified his brilliance in forward progressive thinking. This being related to the fact on how Teddy addressed problems through congress not speeches. The author also did not explain how using the public was a great way to expand the power of the Presidency. If he included examples of how influential the media was during that time it would have helped shown the brilliance of Theodore Roosevelt. When writing about progressive policy the author fails to mention the Panic of 1907 and how Roosevelt dealt with the weak economic system the United States had without the strength of a national bank. This would have helped explain his position on trust busting and the consolidation of wealth. When writing about Teddy’s foreign police the author again mentions many things that Roosevelt did but forgot to elaborate their impact on the nation. A great example of this is how he writes about the Panama Canal but fails to elaborate on how it helped the nation grow and how it helped the president’s image. And over all throughout this
entire article the Author never mentions anything about the Spanish American War. That had major impacts on all of his main points, and is very important to know about in order to understand teddy Roosevelt’s controlling personality. The author is very effective at getting his ideas to flow and connect to others in a natural way that evokes though. When the Author elaborates about economic policy he really relates it back to his thesis and how Teddy really did create a new progressive nation. In the end this is a great article that really demonstrates the value of Theodore Roosevelt as a president. It put into perspective how much of today’s America was influenced by Teddy Roosevelt.