Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt lived from 1858 to 1919 and expressed ideals centered on nature, manhood, youth, and the state. He praised the hardy life of the open and the hidden spirit, mystery, melancholy, and charm of the wilderness. He held that a nation acts well when it treats natural resources as assets to be passed to the next generation increased and not impaired in value, and that conservation means development as much as protection. He wrote that a man’s usefulness depends on living up to his ideals as far as he can, that it is hard to fail but worse never to have tried to succeed, and that daring, courage, and endurance of misfortune make for a finer and nobler manhood. He also declared that only those are fit to live who do not fear to die, and none are fit to die who have shrunken from the joy and duty of life. Addressing youth, he urged boys to be game, brave, and manly, but also gentle and tender, to be practical as well as generous in their ideals, to keep their eyes on the stars while keeping their feet on the ground, and to value courage, hard work, self-mastery, intelligent effort, and above all character. On government, he affirmed liberty under law, argued that a great democracy must be progressive or it will cease to be great or democratic, warned that order without liberty and liberty without order are equally destructive, said that worthwhile results in popular government require ideals joined with practical good sense, and insisted that if forced to choose between righteousness and peace, he would choose righteousness.

Washington, District of Columbia · United States