Teddy Roosevelt Quotes

Theodore Roosevelt, often referred to as Teddy Roosevelt, was the 26th President of the United States. He served from 1901 to 1909 and is known for his energetic and progressive leadership style, as well as his contributions to conservation, foreign policy, and domestic reforms. Here are some key points about his life and accomplishments:

1. **Early Life and Background:** Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858, in New York City. He came from a wealthy and prominent family and was a sickly child, suffering from asthma. He dedicated himself to physical fitness and developed a strong and robust physique.

2. **Political Career:** Roosevelt began his political career at a young age, becoming a member of the New York State Assembly. He also served as the Police Commissioner of New York City and the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. He gained national attention during the Spanish-American War, where he led the Rough Riders, a volunteer cavalry regiment.

3. **Presidential Ascension:** Roosevelt became President in 1901 after the assassination of President William McKinley. He was the youngest president at the time, at the age of 42. During his presidency, he advocated for progressive reforms such as regulating big businesses and improving working conditions.

4. **Square Deal:** Roosevelt's domestic policy agenda, known as the Square Deal, aimed to strike a balance between the interests of labor, business, and the general public. He supported trust-busting (breaking up monopolistic corporations), conservation of natural resources, and consumer protection.

5. **Conservation Efforts:** Roosevelt was a strong advocate for conservation and environmental protection. He significantly expanded the national park system and established numerous national forests, parks, and monuments to preserve the nation's natural beauty and resources.

6. **Foreign Policy:** Roosevelt pursued an active foreign policy, often summarized by his famous phrase, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." He negotiated an end to the Russo-Japanese War, earning him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906. He also asserted the United States' role in the Western Hemisphere through the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.

7. **Panama Canal:** One of Roosevelt's most significant achievements was his role in facilitating the construction of the Panama Canal. He supported Panama's independence from Colombia and negotiated the rights to build the canal, which greatly improved maritime transportation between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

8. **Legacy:** Roosevelt's legacy is characterized by his energetic leadership, commitment to progressive ideals, and dedication to conservation. He left an indelible mark on American politics and society, shaping the course of the nation's development in the early 20th century.

9. **Later Years:** After leaving the presidency, Roosevelt embarked on an expedition to explore uncharted regions of South America and Africa. He remained politically active and even ran for President again in 1912 as a third-party candidate. He died on January 6, 1919, at the age of 60.

Theodore Roosevelt's contributions to politics, conservation, and foreign affairs have left a lasting impact on the United States and continue to be studied and admired by historians and scholars.

Teddy Roosevelt Quotes

1. "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

2. "Believe you can and you're halfway there."

3. "Far better it is to dare mighty things than to rank with those timid spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."

4. "The best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."

5. "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

6. "Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground."

7. "The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything."

8. "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing."

9. "No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care."

10. "The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people."

11. "Courtesy is as much a mark of a gentleman as courage."

12. "Comparison is the thief of joy."

13. "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better."

14. "The only time you really live fully is from thirty to sixty. The young are slaves to dreams; the old servants of regrets. Only the middle-aged have all their five senses in the keeping of their wits."

15. "A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user."

16. "I am a part of everything that I have read."

17. "Do what is right, not what is easy nor what is popular."

18. "The only way that a man can be of real use to his fellows is by making the most of himself."

19. "It is not what we have that will make us a great nation; it is the way in which we use it."

20. "The government is us; we are the government, you and I."

21. "The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life."

22. "The most successful politician is he who says what the people are thinking most often in the loudest voice."

23. "Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike."

24. "Keep your eyes open to your mercies. The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life."

25. "To educate a person in the mind but not in morals is to educate a menace to society."

26. "Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind."

27. "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards."

28. "The most valuable of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it has to be done, whether you like it or not."

29. "It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed."

30. "The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything."

31. "Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches, or its romance."

32. "With self-discipline most anything is possible."

33. "There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism."

34. "No man is justified in doing evil on the ground of expediency."

35. "We can have no '50-50' allegiance in this country. Either a man is an American and nothing else, or he is not an American at all."

36. "I am a strenuous advocate of women's suffrage. I believe in it, as I believe in the principles of democracy."

37. "Order without liberty and liberty without order are equally destructive."

38. "The unforgivable crime is soft hitting. Do not hit at all if it can be avoided; but never hit softly."

39. "Courtesy among members of a family is even more important than that among strangers."

40. "The first requisite of a good citizen in this Republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his weight."

41. "There can be no life without change, and to be afraid of what is different or unfamiliar is to be afraid of life."

42. "The only true internationalism is the internationalism of the spirit."

43. "To sit home, read one's favorite paper, and scoff at the misdeeds of the men who do things is easy, but it is markedly ineffective. It is what evil men count upon the good men's doing."

44. "No man should receive a dollar unless that dollar has been fairly earned."

45. "No one is above the law and no one is below it; nor do we ask any one's permission when we require him to obey it."

46. "A typical vice of American politics is the avoidance of saying anything real on real issues."

47. "A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user."

48. "It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things."

49. "We must dare to be great; and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage."

50. "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood."

These quotes reflect Roosevelt's diverse perspectives on leadership, perseverance, patriotism, and personal responsibility.

Teddy Roosevelt Quotes

Here are some quotes by Theodore Roosevelt related to the topics you've mentioned:

**Big Stick:**

- "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

**Nature:**

- "The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased; and not impaired in value."

- "The conservation of natural resources is the fundamental problem. Unless we solve that problem, it will avail us little to solve all others."

**Government:**

- "The government is us; we are the government, you and I."

- "The government is, in the last analysis, the organized expression of the will of the people."

**National Parks:**

- "There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the giant sequoias and redwoods, the Canyon of the Colorado, the Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Three Tetons; and our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their children's children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred."

**Stick:**

- "Far better it is to dare mighty things than to rank with those timid spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."

**Courage:**

- "Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don't have the strength."

**Leadership:**

- "The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it."

- "People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives."