Teddy Roosevelt, Детальна інформація

In March 1910, Roosevelt ended his eleven month African safari and, reunited with his wife, embarked on an extended tour of Europe. He accepted many invitations from national sovereigns and gave much anticipated lectures at the Sorbonne in Paris and at Oxford University in England. In

Norway, he delivered finally his formal acceptance speech for having won the Nobel Peace Prize four years earlier. "I am received everywhere," he wrote, "with as much wild enthusiasm as if I were on a Presidential tour at home."

This cover of Harper's Weekly, June 18, 1910, was one of numerous graphic commentaries celebrating Roosevelt's return to the United States.

Supreme Court Justice David J. Brewer used to jest that William Howard Taft was the politest man in Washington, because he was perfectly capable of giving up his seat on a streetcar to three ladies. Taft's amicable disposition it was said that his laugh was one of the "great American institutions" was the foremost quality that won Roosevelt's admiration. "I think he has the most lovable personality I have ever come in contact with," said Roosevelt. As governor general of the Philippines and then as secretary of war, Taft proved to be a troubleshooter in Roosevelt's cabinet. His longtime ambition had been to someday sit with Justice Brewer on the bench of the Supreme Court. Taft would ultimately succeed to the

Court, but not before Roosevelt pegged him to be his successor. "Taft will carry on the work substantially as I have carried it on," predicted

Roosevelt. "His policies, principles, purposes and ideals are the same as mine." Yet when Taft later proved to be his own person, Roosevelt was distraught. Taft failed to convey the spirit of progressivism to which

Roosevelt was ever leaning. "There is no use trying to be William Howard

Taft with Roosevelt's ways," he bemoaned, "our ways are different."

Coaxed by his political admirers, and personally dissatisfied with what he considered to be President Taft's lack of leadership, Roosevelt announced early in 1912 that he would run for a historic third presidential term, if the GOP nomination were tendered to him. This was a monumental decision on his part, one he made contrary to his own established beliefs in the tradition of party loyalty, and without the full backing of party leaders.

Roosevelt was counting on winning the support of the people, and was successful in those states that had direct primaries. But in June, at the

Republican convention in Chicago, the party machine wrested control of the proceedings and nominated President Taft easily after the Roosevelt delegates had walked out. This was the start of the Progressive Party, in which Roosevelt proudly accepted the nomination. The press was especially happy to have him back in the running. From the moment he declared, "My hat is in the ring," he became the most visible, if not viable, candidate.

Ultimately, Roosevelt would beat Taft in the election, but he would lose to the Democratic candidate, Woodrow Wilson. This cover of Judge, August 6,

1910, raised "the question" from early on--"Can a champion come back?"

Theodore Roosevelt once declared himself to be "as strong as a bull moose."

The appellation stuck and the moose became the popular symbol for the

Progressive Party under Roosevelt. This cartoon depicting the mascots of the major parties appeared in Harper's Weekly, July 20, 1912, just before the "Bull Moose" convention opened in Chicago.

Chronology of the Public Career of Theodore Roosevelt

1882-1884 - New York State Assemblyman

1889-1895 - United States Civil Service Commissioner

1895-1897 - New York City Police Commissioner

1897-1898 - Assistant Secretary of the Navy

1898 - Rough Rider

1899-1900 - Governor of New York

1901- Vice President of the United States