U.S. Presidents & First Ladies

Teddy Roosevelt

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, Jr., born in 1858 in New York, overcame childhood illness and became a Dakota cattle rancher before rising to national fame as leader of the “Rough Riders” in Cuba. His heroism propelled him to New York governor, then vice president, and in 1901, the youngest U.S. president at age 42. This letter from 1902 was sent to the Navy Department where he once worked. Roosevelt championed progressive reforms, trust-busting and conservation, known as the “Square Deal.” After leaving office in 1909, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1910, ran again in 1912, survived an assassination attempt and died in 1919.