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Lesson 3.04 - Roosevelt
"The Rough Rider"

Portrait of Theodore Roosevelt

OBJECTIVE

This lesson will reveal a little more of the character of one of the most imposing figures of the era…Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

1. Can one man change history? Examine Teddy Roosevelt’s role in the Spanish America War.

2. Does being in the right place at the right time work in politics? Trace Roosevelt’s rise to the presidency.

3. What is “Big Stick” diplomacy? How did President Roosevelt use his power to “take the Isthmus” and “Bully” others?

4. Should a president have as much power as Roosevelt? How much power is too much?

DISCUSSION

How does a sickly boy, born into a wealthy New York family, end up in the White House? On the surface the answer may seem simple. His pedigree seemed perfect for the presidency but his route to the office was less than ideal. From his early political career in the New York Assembly he made his move into a national stage as the assistant secretary of the Navy. It was from this obscure national position that he laid much of the groundwork for a run at the presidency. His fame from the Spanish-American War made him almost a legend in the United States. After President William McKinley was assassinated in 1901 Roosevelt was “thrust” into the White House. Roosevelt’s presidency left and indelible mark on the American landscape in many areas. Who was the “Teddy” Bear?

Assignment 3.04 - Roosevelt "The Rough Rider"

Write a 3-4-page 1½ spaced “auto” biography about Theodore Roosevelt – so you are writing from TR’s point of view as if you were living at the end of your life (and you can look into the future and imagine your legacy in history). Make sure to cover his childhood, education, military career, and political career. Simply create your biography in a Word document. Include 2-3 photos of Roosevelt that exemplify key points of his life. Your biography should also include a bibliography to site the various sources used (the bibliography is not included in your 3-4 pages).

Use the following web sites to gather information to use in your biography. You may also feel free to use any other resources available to you, just make sure you site them in the bibliography.

www.whitehouse.gov

www.theodoreroosevelt.org

www.nobelprize.org

www.npg.si.edu/exh/roosevelt/

When you have finished your Roosevelt Autobiography navigate to the “Assignment Area”. Click on “View/Complete Assignment” for “3.04 Teddy the Rough Rider”. Attach your Word document autobiography and click submit.