Theodore Roosevelt

Hello! My name is Theodore Roosevelt, but many people called me 'Teedie' when I was young. I was born in a big house in New York City on October 27th, 1858. As a boy, I wasn't very strong and I had a difficult time breathing because of something called asthma. I often felt weak, but I refused to let it stop me from living an exciting life. My father encouraged me to build my body, so I started exercising every day to become stronger. I also loved the great outdoors more than anything. I spent hours studying animals, birds, and insects, and I even started my own little collection which I proudly called the 'Roosevelt Museum of Natural History' right in my bedroom!

As I grew up, I went to Harvard College and later got into politics, hoping to serve the people of New York. But in 1884, a great sadness came into my life that changed everything. On the very same day, both my dear mother and my beloved wife, Alice, passed away. My heart was completely broken. To find my way through the grief, I left my life in the city behind and traveled west to the Dakota Territory. I bought a ranch and became a cowboy. I learned to ride a horse for long hours across the plains, herd cattle through storms, and live under the wide-open sky. The difficult, strenuous life in the West helped heal my spirit and made me physically and mentally stronger than ever before.

My time as a cowboy didn't last forever, and I eventually returned to public service. When the Spanish-American War began in 1898, I knew I had to help my country. I put together a special volunteer group of soldiers called the 'Rough Riders,' which was made up of cowboys, college athletes, and all sorts of adventurers. We became famous for our bravery during a battle in Cuba. After the war, many Americans knew my name. I was elected governor of New York, and then I became Vice President of the United States. But in 1901, a terrible thing happened: President William McKinley was shot and died. Suddenly, at the age of 42, I became the 26th President.

As president, I wanted to make sure everything was fair for all Americans, from workers to business owners. I called my program the 'Square Deal.' But my greatest passion was protecting our country's beautiful wilderness. I saw forests being cut down and land being ruined by pollution and overuse, and I knew I had to act before these treasures were gone forever. During my time as president, I worked to protect about 230 million acres of land for the public. I created the United States Forest Service and established 5 new national parks, 18 national monuments, and 51 federal bird sanctuaries. I wanted to make sure that the bears, mountains, and grand canyons I loved would be safe for all future children to see and enjoy.

After I left the White House in 1909, I continued to live a life full of adventure, which included a dangerous exploration of an unknown river in the Amazon rainforest. I lived to be 60 years old. Today, people remember me for my energetic spirit and my deep love of nature. My work to create our national parks and protect our wilderness is one of my most important legacies. People also remember my belief in living a 'strenuous life'—which means always trying your hardest and never giving up, no matter the challenge. If you ever visit Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, you can see my face carved into the mountain, a lasting reminder of my love for America and its wild, beautiful places.