Theodore Roosevelt Should be on Mount Rushmore

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The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is located in Black Hills, South Dakota. Carved on the side of this granite mountain are the faces of four well known presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. Each man earned their place on the mountain for their mark in presidential history. Some might wonder if Theodore Roosevelt belongs on this great memorial and what he did to deserve this honor. His is probably most remembered for his brazen way of getting things done in the White House, but as the 26th president of The United States, Roosevelt should be credited for many of his achievements that we are still appreciating today.

In 1901 Vice President Theodore Roosevelt took over as President after William McKinley was assassinated. The country had many opportunities ahead but was in need of some changes that the American people were all too ready for. Roosevelt was brought up in a well to do family and had was Harvard educated. But he was known to be a down to earth man that understood the needs of the people. His first priority as president was to give the people a “square deal” which encompassed his plan for the era. He wanted to reduce control the big businesses had over the U.S. economy and the workers, create more protection for the consumer, and create a plan to conserve our natural resources.

Before Roosevelt became president he was many other things that may have helped him have a broader perspective then other presidents before him. Among them were rancher and cowboy, Deputy Sheriff in the Dakota Territory, Police Commissioner of New York, U.S. Civil Service Commissioner, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and a Colonel in the volunteer Calvary that earned the name “rough ri...

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...a for presidents after him to follow. There are so many of his achievements we as Americans are still benefitting from today, and they are how Theodore Roosevelt earned his place on the face of Mount Rushmore.

Works Cited

Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia – American President Theodore Roosevelt

http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/roosevelt/essays/biography/3

Theodore Roosevelt Association

http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/biotr.htm

Some of Theodore Roosevelt’s achievements

http://www.nps.gov/history/logcabin/html/tr3.html

U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Theodore Roosevelt Timeline

http://www.opm.gov/about_opm/tr/phototimeline.asp

The National Archives - Telegram, in code, from Theodore Roosevelt to Commodore Dewey 2/26/1898

http://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/todays-doc/index.html?dod-date=501

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