How Did Theodore Roosevelt Conserve Environment

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Theodore Roosevelt: The Great Environmentalist

This Paper will outline President Theodore Roosevelt’s role in helping to conserve our environment during his administration (1901-1909). It will also examine his theory of a stronger American democracy through environmental conservationism.

“The movement for the conservation of wildlife, and the larger movement for the conservation of all our natural resources, are essentially democratic in spirit, purpose, and method.” (Roosevelt 274)

As president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt made conservation a central policy issue of his administration. He created five National Parks, four Big Game Refuges, fifty-one National bird Reservations, and the National Forest Service. Roosevelt …show more content…

Roosevelt believed that conservation, as a utilitarian tool for sustained economic growth, strengthened American democracy. He hoped that conservation would achieve the economic goal of providing the greatest good, for the greatest number, over the greatest period of time. Roosevelt stretched the concept of a democratic society to include its future members. Considering it undemocratic to exploit and squander the nation's natural resources for present profit, he believed that a democratic society should work to protect the economic strength of future generations. Conservation, having the goal of sustainable resource use for successive generations, was for Roosevelt inherently democratic. Roosevelt encouraged the federal government's acquisition and management of …show more content…

Chief among the qualities necessary for the continued health of American democracy was, according to
Roosevelt, "manliness."

For Roosevelt, conservation was in part the preservation of American manhood. He wrote, "Every believer in manliness and therefore in manly sport...should strike hands with the farsighted men who wish to preserve our material resources, in the effort to keep our forest and game beasts..." (Internet 3) Roosevelt's construction of masculinity was one of self reliance, hard work, and courage. Roosevelt said of manliness, "...these qualities are all important...It is necessary absolutely to have them. No nation can rise to greatness without them..." (Internet 3) For Roosevelt, hunting and

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