The Youngest U.S. President
By: Danielle Gibson
Tags: History, Poetry, President, Poem, American History

Note:

Vice-president Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901, following the assassination of the 25th U.S. President William McKinley. President McKinley was the third president to be assassinated in U.S. history. Teddy Roosevelt was 42 years and 322 days old when he assumed office, becoming the youngest president in U.S. history.

After finishing out the rest of McKinley’s elected term, Roosevelt ran for president in the 1904 election. President Roosevelt won the election against the Democratic candidate Alton B. Parker. Essentially, Roosevelt had served nearly two full terms by 1908 and promised not to run for re-election. Instead, Roosevelt endorsed Republican candidate William Howard Taft in the 1908 presidential election. Taft proved victorious in this election, becoming the 27th U.S. President after defeating the Democratic candidate William Jennings Bryan.

While Roosevelt had initially endorsed Taft for president, he became irate after Taft raised tariff duties and opened some public lands for development. A furious Roosevelt decided to create his own political faction called the Progressive Republican Party or Progressive Party. Roosevelt’s party was also often referred to as the Bull Moose Party as President Roosevelt once boasted that he was “as strong as a bull moose.”

Roosevelt ran for re-election in the 1912 presidential election against sitting Republican President Taft and the Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson. Roosevelt’s entrance into the race as a Progressive candidate ended up splitting the Republican vote, leading to Woodrow Wilson winning the election and becoming the 28th President of the United States.

While Roosevelt’s Bull Moose Party didn’t prove to be successful, President Roosevelt made lasting contributions to the nation through his progressive ideas. Roosevelt is best remembered for being a champion of conservation, consumer protection, and control of corporations.

Conservation

During this presidency, Teddy Roosevelt set aside 230 million acres for public lands for the creation of wildlife refuges, national forests, and national parks.

Consumer Protection

Roosevelt also brought the U.S. better consumer protection through the Meat Inspection Act of 1906 and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. These laws helped to prevent foods and pharmaceuticals from being contaminated or mislabeled as federal inspection was now made mandatory.

Control of Corporations

President Roosevelt also helped to put in more regulations on corporations during his presidency. Roosevelt worked to curb abuse that he felt was prevalent within giant corporations throughout the United States. In 1902, President Roosevelt sided with striking coal miners seeking better working conditions and workers’ wages. Roosevelt threatened to send in federal troops if mine owners didn’t create a better working environment. Roosevelt went after unfair business practices in the railroad, meat, and sugar industries too. His work against unfair practices among corporate monopolies earned him the nickname “trust-buster.”

Overall, the youngest president in U.S. history was a progressive man who left a lasting impact on the nation.