Theodore Roosevelt: A Progressive President

Theodore Roosevelt became the 26th president after William McKinley’s assassination in

1901. He was known as a trust-buster, breaking up big business monopolies

to protect workers and consumers. He built the Panama Canal, connecting the Atlantic

and Pacific Oceans for global trade. Roosevelt expanded national parks and wildlife preserves,

shaping modern environmental policy. He believed in a strong America and lived by his motto:

speak softly and carry a big stick.