Theodore Roosevelt

2 Pages 598 Words

Theodore Roosevelt: Image and Ideology

Theodore Roosevelt was a complex man of family, property and education. Edward N. Saveth expresses many of Roosevelt’s beliefs and positions as well as his contradictions in the essay. Saveth shows that even though Roosevelt had many qualities disliked by the electorate, he succeeds in winning and keeping the nation’s confidence with his strong character traits. Readers are also informed of Roosevelt’s personal thoughts and reasons behind the political stances he chose. Edward Saveth does a great job of enlightening the readers of the thoughts and feelings inside the admired icon, Theodore Roosevelt.
Theodore Roosevelt was born into a family that had been important to the nation since the American Revolution. He inherited wealth and social status from his father as well as the determination to conquer the severe illness that befell him in his younger years. His father had inspired him to lead a good Christian life, as he did, and also accomplish something to keep up his name. Striving to achieve this goal, he chose politics as his profession. He gained notoriety in 1895 as the head of the New York Police Board and five years later he was in charge of the entire nation’s affairs.
In order to achieve his political goals, Roosevelt had to set aside his personal interests and private life for the best interest of the nation. Roosevelt was accepted by the American people for his ability to do just that. Traditionally officials with money and power coming into politics were aristocratic, and despised by the majority of the electorate. Instead of emphasizing his superiority and the public’s need for leaders such as him, Roosevelt stressed the importance of character, of which his was more democratic with open ears to the citizens he represented.
Even though Roosevelt believed that men should be judged as individuals rather than types, he expressed a disliking of a few socia...