Theodore Roosevelt: A Life of Resilience and Achievement

Theodore Roosevelt with Alice Lee Roosevelt (first Wife) and Mittie Roosevelt (mother)

When he was 29, after his wife and mother died on the same night, Theodore Roosevelt wrote a single sentence in his journal, “the light has gone out of my life”.

Despite this loss, this man went on to accomplish amazing things. I have read six books on Roosevelt, and each one has been worthwhile. If anyone out there is going through a hard time, I hope his footprints are motivational for you, as they have been to me.

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At 30 -- Badlands Rancher: Roosevelt retreated to the Badlands of North Dakota, where he became a cattle rancher, which shaped his conservationist views and rugged persona.

At 31 -- Published "The Winning of the West": He authored this four-volume history of the westward expansion, solidifying his reputation as a historian and scholar.

At 37 -- New York City Police Commissioner: Roosevelt served as New York City's Police Commissioner from 1895-1897, where he reformed the police force, fought corruption, and implemented merit-based promotions ( #meritocracy not #socialism)

At 39 -- Assistant Secretary of the Navy: In 1897, Roosevelt was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy, where he played a key role in preparing the Navy for the Spanish-American War.

At 40 -- Wartime Rough Riders and the Battle of San Juan Hill: During the Spanish-American War in 1898, he led the Rough Riders, a volunteer cavalry of immensely diverse backgrounds unit, in the iconic charge up 1,000+ yard charge up San Juan Hill in Cuba, dismounting his horse into oncoming fire. 

At 41 -- Governor of New York: After the war, Roosevelt was elected Governor of New York in 1898, where he continued his reformist agenda, targeting political corruption and implementing progressive policies

At 42 -- Vice President: Roosevelt was elected Vice President of the United States under William McKinley in 1900.

At 43 -- President of the United States: Following McKinley’s assassination in 1901, Roosevelt became the youngest President in U.S. history at 43, serving from 1901 to 1909. As President, Roosevelt earned a reputation as a "trust-buster," breaking up monopolies and championing strong reforms, including the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act. He established the U.S. Forest Service and designated 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, 4 national game preserves, 5 national parks, and 18 national monuments, profoundly shaping America's conservation policy. 

At 55 -- Exploration of the Amazon Basin: In 1913-1914, Roosevelt embarked on the uncharted (i.e., it had been attempted but never survived) expedition to explore a tributary of the Amazon River, now known as the Rio Roosevelt. The journey was so perilous that it resulted in the loss of lives and nearly cost Roosevelt his own due to a severe illness he contracted during the expedition. The successful navigation of the River of Doubt is one of the most daring feats of exploration in the early 20th century. 

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“Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints on the sands of time; Footprints on the sands of time;

 Footprints, that perhaps another,

 Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,

 A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

 Seeing, shall take heart again.

 Let us, then, be up and doing,

 With a heart for any fate;

 Still achieving, still pursuing,

 Learn to labor and to wait.”

- Psalm of Life, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow