Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (/ˈroʊzəvɛlt/ ROH-zə-velt;[a] October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919) was an American statesman, author, explorer, soldier, naturalist, and reformer who served as the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909. He also served as the 25th Vice President of the United States and as the 33rd Governor of New York. As a leader of the Republican Party during this time, he became a driving force for the Progressive Era in the United States in the early 20th century. His face is depicted on Mount Rushmore, alongside those of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln.

Theodore Roosevelt

26th President of the United States
In office
September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909
Vice President None (1901–1905)
Charles W. Fairbanks
(1905–1909)
Preceded by William McKinley
Succeeded by William Howard Taft
25th Vice President of the United States
In office
March 4, 1901 – September 14, 1901
President William McKinley
Preceded by Garret Hobart
Succeeded by Charles W. Fairbanks
33rd Governor of New York
In office
January 1, 1899 – December 31, 1900
Lieutenant Timothy L. Woodruff
Preceded by Frank S. Black
Succeeded by Benjamin Barker Odell Jr.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
In office
April 19, 1897 – May 10, 1898
President William McKinley
Preceded by William McAdoo
Succeeded by Charles Herbert Allen
President of the New York City Board of Police Commissioners
In office
1895–1897
Preceded by James J. Martin
Succeeded by Frank Moss
New York State Assembly Minority Leader
In office
January 1, 1883 – December 31, 1883
Preceded by Thomas G. Alvord
Succeeded by Frank Rice
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the Manhattan 21st district
In office
January 1, 1882 – December 31, 1884
Preceded by William J. Trimble
Succeeded by Henry A. Barnum
Personal details
Born Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
October 27, 1858
New York City, New York, U.S.
Died January 6, 1919 (aged 60)
Oyster Bay, New York, U.S.
Resting place Youngs Memorial Cemetery, Oyster Bay, New York, U.S.
Political party
Republican (1880–1911; 1916–1919) Progressive "Bull Moose" (1912–1916)
Spouse(s)
Alice Lee
(m. 1880; her death 1884)
Edith Carow
(m. 1886; his death 1919)
Relations See Roosevelt family
Children Alice, Theodore III, Kermit, Ethel, Archibald, and Quentin
Parents
Theodore Roosevelt Sr. Martha Bulloch Roosevelt
Education Harvard University (A.B.)
Columbia Law School (J.D.)
Profession
Author Conservationist Explorer Historian Naturalist Politician Soldier
Awards Nobel Peace Prize (1906)
Signature
Military career
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch
 United States Army

* New York National Guard
Years of service 1882–1886, 1898
Rank Colonel
Commands held 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry
Battles/wars Spanish–American War
 • Battle of Las Guasimas
 • Battle of San Juan Hill
Awards Medal of Honor
(Posthumously; 2001)
Roosevelt was born a sickly child with debilitating asthma, but he successfully overcame his physical health problems by embracing a strenuous lifestyle. He integrated his exuberant personality, vast range of interests, and world-famous achievements into a "cowboy" persona defined by robust masculinity. Home-schooled, he began a lifelong naturalist avocation before attending Harvard College. His book, The Naval War of 1812 (1882), established his reputation as both a learned historian and as a popular writer. Upon entering politics, he became the leader of the reform faction of Republicans in New York's state legislature. Following the near-simultaneous deaths of his wife and mother, he escaped to a cattle ranch in the Dakotas. Roosevelt served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President William McKinley, but resigned from that post to lead the Rough Riders during the Spanish–American War. Returning a war hero, he was elected Governor of New York in 1898. After the death of Vice President Garret Hobart, the New York state party leadership convinced McKinley to accept Roosevelt as his running mate in the