SECTION 4: Roosevelt’s Square Deal
▲ Theodore Roosevelt speaking in New York City
“Teddy” bear ►
WITNESS HISTORY 
AUDIO
A Bold Leader Takes Control
When Theodore Roosevelt entered the White House, never before had the country had so young a leader. He brought to the presidency tremendous energy, vision, and a willingness to expand presidential power in order to improve American lives. In a rousing speech, he urged some young supporters:
“The principles for which we stand are the principles of fair play and a square deal for every man and every woman in the United States…. I wish to see you boys join the Progressive Party, and act in that part and as good citizens in the same way I’d expect any one of you to act in a football game. In other words, don’t flinch, don’t fold, and hit the line hard.”
—Theodore Roosevelt, Address to Boy’s Progressive League, 1913
Objectives
- Discuss Theodore Roosevelt’s ideas on the role of government.
- Analyze how Roosevelt changed the government’s role in the economy.
- Explain the impact of Roosevelt’s actions on natural resources.
- Compare and contrast Taft’s policies with Roosevelt’s.
Terms and People
- Theodore Roosevelt
- Square Deal
- Hepburn Act
- Meat Inspection Act
- Pure Food and Drug Act
- John Muir
- Gifford Pinchot
- National Reclamation Act
- New Nationalism
- Progressive Party
NoteTaking
Reading Skill: Identify Main Ideas As you read this section, use a concept web like the one below to record the main ideas.
Why It Matters In the late 1800s, the United States had several weak and ineffective Presidents. The arrival of Theodore Roosevelt, a charismatic figure who embraced Progressive ideals, ushered in a new era. Roosevelt passed Progressive reforms and expanded the powers of the presidency. He changed the way Americans viewed the roles of the President and the government. Section Focus Question: What did Roosevelt think government should do for citizens?
Roosevelt Shapes the Modern Presidency
In 1901, when Theodore Roosevelt became President of the United States, he was only 43 years old. However, Roosevelt had packed quite a lot into those years, gaining a reputation for being smart, energetic, and opinionated. The sickly child of wealthy parents, he had used his family’s resources to develop both his strength and his mind. Observers said he generated so much energy that if you met him, you left the event with bits of his personality “stuck to your clothes.”
Roosevelt Rises to the Presidency
Roosevelt had graduated with honors from Harvard University in 1880. He spent only a few months studying law at Columbia University before being elected to the New York State Assembly. After three years’ service there, and after the deaths of both his mother and his wife, Alice, Roosevelt retired to a ranch in the West. There he developed a love of the wilderness.
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