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Theodore Roosevelt Controversy

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On September 14, 1901 Theodore Roosevelt became the 26th president of the United States after President McKinley was assassinated. He was reelected in 1904 and won with the majority of the vote. Roosevelt became the youngest president to ever serve and still is to this day. President for the beginning of the twentieth century he did much to change the nation. From wanting to support African Americans, to helping mine works, and creating animal refuges he did much to continue to build the nation. Controversy occurred only one month after Roosevelt became president. On October 16, 1901 he invited Booker T. Washington to a dinner at the White House, he became the first African American to eat in at White House (Donnelly 114). This enraged …show more content…

He thought a canal would help with security and economic growth in American. In 1903 the Hay-Herrán Treaty was approved, it stated that the Unites States would pay Colombia $10,000,000,000 then $250,000 yearly to build a six mile canal. Colombia rejected the offer and asked for $25 million instead. Building the canal didn’t seem possible, that was until November of 1903 when the Republic of Panama was formed after Panamanian Rebels declared independence from Colombia (Singer 8). To protect the newly formed republic Roosevelt sent American warships and battleship U.S.S Nashville into the Panamanian waters. Since Panama was recognized as a independent state the canal zone was extended. Roosevelt help with other foreign affairs, one being the Russo-Japanese War. Being the peacemaker and helping to end the war earned him the Nobel Peace Prize (Donnelly 131). He watched the war closely, he didn’t want any other nations to get involved with the conflicts. Even though Roosevelt helped end the war many people were still upset, Native Japanese and Japanese-Americans in particular. In 1906 Board of Education in San Francisco decided to segregate Japanese students, this infuriated Japan causing them to protest. To stop the protesting Roosevelt worked out the Gentlemen’s Agreement, which stated Japan would limit emigration of unskilled workers (Text Book 465). In 1906 he …show more content…

The president got his nick-name “Teddy” after he spotted a injured cub and tried to help it. In 1903 Roosevelt created the Pelican Island Federal Wildlife Refuge, this was the first bird refuge he created out of fifty (“Theodore Roosevelt” 6). He also added five national parks to the five that were already created. He added 148 million acres to the nation’s national forest preserve and spent 15 million dollars to help with the rapidly decreasing buffalo population in

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