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'''Theodore Roosevelt''' was the 26th [[President of the United States of America]], 1901-1909, leader of the [[Republican party]] and (in 1912-16) the Progressive Party. Roosevelt is best known for his remarkable personality and commitment to democratic process. He was strongly committed to law and order, active leadership, civic duty and individual self-responsibility; he was more concerned with the process of change than its direction.

'''Theodore Roosevelt''' was the 26th [[president of the United States of America]], 1901-1909, leader of the [[Republican party]] and (in 1912-16) the Progressive Party. Roosevelt is best known for his remarkable personality and commitment to democratic process. He was strongly committed to law and order, active leadership, civic duty and individual self-responsibility; he was more concerned with the process of change than its direction.

A strong and vigorous man both personally and in politics, it was through Roosevelt that the world identified America with cowboy values of courage, initiative and hardiness while it watched Roosevelt expand American influence in world affairs.

A strong and vigorous man both personally and in politics, it was through Roosevelt that the world identified America with cowboy values of courage, initiative and hardiness while it watched Roosevelt expand American influence in world affairs.

A few weeks after his return Roosevelt was elected governor of New York as a Republican in 1898. As governor of New York, Theodore Roosevelt promoted greater accountability and efficiency in government by ending patronage handouts, supporting an effective civil service system and forcing the Republican machine to hold fair elections.

A few weeks after his return Roosevelt was elected governor of New York as a Republican in 1898. As governor of New York, Theodore Roosevelt promoted greater accountability and efficiency in government by ending patronage handouts, supporting an effective civil service system and forcing the Republican machine to hold fair elections.

==Vice President, 1900==

==Vice president, 1900==

Senator Tom Platt and other party bosses distrusted him, and they forced his nomination as vice president on [[William McKinley]] in 1900. Roosevelt demonstrated his amazing energy by his campaign work. Nationally, Roosevelt covered 21,209 miles by train. In Nebraska alone, some 300,000 men, women and children turned out for his 673 speeches at 40 cities and towns as he covered 1,500 miles in the state. His arguments for McKinley prosperity and America's role in the Philippines were accepted wholeheartedly or dismissed scornfully by his audiences. The GOP ticket carried Nebraska, the home state of Democratic nominee [[William Jennings Bryan]],  by 7,000 votes.

Senator Tom Platt and other party bosses distrusted him, and they forced his nomination as vice president on [[William McKinley]] in 1900. Roosevelt demonstrated his amazing energy by his campaign work. Nationally, Roosevelt covered 21,209 miles by train. In Nebraska alone, some 300,000 men, women and children turned out for his 673 speeches at 40 cities and towns as he covered 1,500 miles in the state. His arguments for McKinley prosperity and America's role in the Philippines were accepted wholeheartedly or dismissed scornfully by his audiences. The GOP ticket carried Nebraska, the home state of Democratic nominee [[William Jennings Bryan]],  by 7,000 votes.

Roosevelt, convinced that American military preparedness hinged on the nation's ability to develop and exploit new technologies, worked to make the technology of the army and navy as modern as possible. Among other things, he took an active interest in the army's consideration of the role of the machine gun and the airplane and in the navy's development of both the submarine and a new and more powerful type of battleship.<ref>Matthew M. Oyos, "Theodore Roosevelt and the Implements of War." ''Journal of Military History'' 1996 60(4): 631-655 25p</ref>  

Roosevelt, convinced that American military preparedness hinged on the nation's ability to develop and exploit new technologies, worked to make the technology of the army and navy as modern as possible. Among other things, he took an active interest in the army's consideration of the role of the machine gun and the airplane and in the navy's development of both the submarine and a new and more powerful type of battleship.<ref>Matthew M. Oyos, "Theodore Roosevelt and the Implements of War." ''Journal of Military History'' 1996 60(4): 631-655 25p</ref>  

By identifying and working with two talented junior officers in the Navy Department, Albert Lenoir Key and [[William S. Sims]], Roosevelt assembled an ad hoc staff on naval policy. This staff funneled technical information to Roosevelt that allowed him to dominate policy discussions with Congress and the senior Navy staff. The President annoyed his admirals by micromanaging their responsibilities and ignoring the chain of command.<ref>Peri E. Arnold, "Policy Leadership in the Progressive Presidency: the Case of Theodore Roosevelt's Naval Policy and His Search for Strategic Resources". ''Studies in American Political Development'' 1996 10(2): 333-359</ref>

By identifying and working with two talented junior officers in the Navy Department, Albert Lenoir Key and [[William S. Sims]], Roosevelt assembled an ad hoc staff on naval policy. This staff funneled technical information to Roosevelt that allowed him to dominate policy discussions with Congress and the senior Navy staff. The president annoyed his admirals by micromanaging their responsibilities and ignoring the chain of command.<ref>Peri E. Arnold, "Policy Leadership in the Progressive Presidency: the Case of Theodore Roosevelt's Naval Policy and His Search for Strategic Resources". ''Studies in American Political Development'' 1996 10(2): 333-359</ref>

Roosevelt dramatically increased the size of the navy, forming the new warships into a "Great White Fleet" for display purposes and sending it on a world tour in 1907. This display was  designed as a show of force to impress the Japanese and even more to motivate Americans to support naval power and be aware of the new role in the Pacific. Yet, the ships were almost forced to return because of the inadequacy of American ports in the Pacific.<ref>James R. Reckner, "The Rebirth of the Fleet." ''Naval History'' 2007 21(6): 16-25 online at [[EBSCO]]; Edward S Miller,''War Plan Orange'' (1991)</ref>

Roosevelt dramatically increased the size of the navy, forming the new warships into a "Great White Fleet" for display purposes and sending it on a world tour in 1907. This display was  designed as a show of force to impress the Japanese and even more to motivate Americans to support naval power and be aware of the new role in the Pacific. Yet, the ships were almost forced to return because of the inadequacy of American ports in the Pacific.<ref>James R. Reckner, "The Rebirth of the Fleet." ''Naval History'' 2007 21(6): 16-25 online at [[EBSCO]]; Edward S Miller,''War Plan Orange'' (1991)</ref>

:''We must have but one flag. We must also have but one language. That must be the language of the Declaration of Independence, of Washington’s Farewell address, of Lincoln’s Gettysburg speech and second inaugural. We cannot tolerate any attempt to oppose or supplant the language and culture that has come down to us from the builders of this Republic.''

:''We must have but one flag. We must also have but one language. That must be the language of the Declaration of Independence, of Washington’s Farewell address, of Lincoln’s Gettysburg speech and second inaugural. We cannot tolerate any attempt to oppose or supplant the language and culture that has come down to us from the builders of this Republic.''

In the last year of his life Roosevelt was quoted in the [[Kansas City Star]] newspaper about the need for truth in regards to the Presidency:

In the last year of his life Roosevelt was quoted in the [[Kansas City Star]] newspaper about the need for truth in regards to the presidency:

:''The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.''

:''The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.''

[[File:TRSpelling.jpg|thumb|390px|Roosevelt shoots holes in the dictionary as the ghosts of Chaucer, Shakespeare and Dr Johnson moan.]]

[[File:TRSpelling.jpg|thumb|390px|Roosevelt shoots holes in the dictionary as the ghosts of Chaucer, Shakespeare and Dr Johnson moan.]]

During his presidency, Roosevelt failed in efforts to simplify the spelling of common words. He (and other spelling reformers) wanted to replace "dropped" and "chased" with "dropt" and "chast" and replace "through" with "thru" and "thoroughly" with "thoroly."   He tried to force government to adopt the system, sending an order to the Public Printer to use the system in all public documents. The reform annoyed the public, forcing him to rescind the order. Roosevelt told his friend, literary critic Brander Matthews, one of the chief advocates of the reform, "I could not by fighting have kept the new spelling in, and it was evidently worse than useless to go into an undignified contest when I was beaten. Do you know that the one word as to which I thought the new spelling was wrong &mdash; thru &mdash; was more responsible than anything else for our discomfiture?" Next summer Roosevelt was watching a naval review when a launch marked "Pres Bot" chugged ostentatiously by. The President waved and laughed with delight.<ref>Pringle 465-7; Brands 555ff</ref>

During his presidency, Roosevelt failed in efforts to simplify the spelling of common words. He (and other spelling reformers) wanted to replace "dropped" and "chased" with "dropt" and "chast" and replace "through" with "thru" and "thoroughly" with "thoroly." He tried to force government to adopt the system, sending an order to the Public Printer to use the system in all public documents. The reform annoyed the public, forcing him to rescind the order. Roosevelt told his friend, literary critic Brander Matthews, one of the chief advocates of the reform, "I could not by fighting have kept the new spelling in, and it was evidently worse than useless to go into an undignified contest when I was beaten. Do you know that the one word as to which I thought the new spelling was wrong &mdash; thru &mdash; was more responsible than anything else for our discomfiture?" Next summer Roosevelt was watching a naval review when a launch marked "Pres Bot" chugged ostentatiously by. The president waved and laughed with delight.<ref>Pringle 465-7; Brands 555ff</ref>

===Football reform===

===Football reform===