Theodore Roosevelt's Accomplishments

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Theodore Roosevelt was a visionary and a great leader. Roosevelt had strong convictions that he applied to his leadership of this nation, and held all of our nation’s values in high esteem. Among many of Theodore’s pursuits, he was an avid conservationist. He wanted to ensure that the beauty and resources of the United States remained intact for every generation to walk on its soil. Many of the national parks we enjoy and the reserves our wildlife inhabit are all products of Roosevelt’s efforts. From a young age, Theodore loved studying and being with wildlife and nature. He was taught how to camp, hunt, clean and butcher game, and live off the land. This was truly an unexpected passion of the Roosevelt family considering their social status. …show more content…

When the economy is doing well, people generally tend to be destructive, frivolous, and sometimes wasteful. Fashion started to be critical to women in the United States. Women’s hats were very popular, and very expensive. Hats were decorated with feathers from exotic birds. Birds were killed by the thousands for only one or two valuable tailfeathers. In 1903 Pelican Island, Florida, was declared a Federal Bird Refuge. This three acre island was the first wildlife refuge in the United States, and was created to protect birds, primarily egrets, from plume hunting. Theodore was critical in the development of this reserve, and its creation marked the beginning of a new mentality concerning wildlife in …show more content…

His friend, Gifford Pinchot, studied forestry in Nancy, France. Theodore had been acquainted with Pinchot prior to his presidency, and appointed Pinchot Chief of the U.S. Forest Service. The partnership made a formidable combination. The national forests covered 56 million acres at the U.S. Forest Service’s conception in 1905 and 172 million acres only 5 years later. Not only did the two men increase the area of national forests, but also set precedents for responsible management of forested areas. Pinchot campaigned under “for the long run”, a quote that emphasized his ideals on long term decisions “Gifford Pinchot”. His beliefs were accepted by the public, and despised by logging companies. But successfully, Roosevelt and Pinchot mandated laws regarding replacing trees that are harvested for