He was one of the youngest presidents in history (the same age as JFK when he took office, forty-three. He also was an avid outdoorsman and appreciative of the American West (he had a ranch in North Dakota), and his far-seeing vision created one of America's most enduring traditions, the U.S. Forest Service and protected wild lands. Roosevelt's accomplishments may not have been as well-known as some of the other presidents, but they were certainly far reaching. First, he was the first president to establish an area in the White House specifically for journalists (Roller, 1988, p. 200). He was an extremely popular president, and he was the first to travel outside the country, to the Panama Canal, during a presidency. He also helped create the Panama Canal Project, one of the most important building projects of the time, and still a vital link between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In addition, he worked at foreign relations by mediating in a dispute between Japan and Russia, and he sent the U.S. Navy on a cruise around the world. Perhaps his most enduring legacy is the National Park Service, which eventually grew out of the National Forest Service. He created Grand Canyon National Monument, along with 16 national monuments, 51 wildlife refuges, and 5 new national parks. Roosevelt was the first true conservationist president, and a true lover of America's most scenic and wild lands.
Teddy Roosevelt was brash, a self-promoter, and a visionary who wanted to help save some of the most beautiful areas on Earth for generations to come. One historian notes, "Roosevelt is justifiably associated with the birth of the modern rhetorical presidency" (Ryan, 1995, p. 107). These are only some of the reasons that he is one of the five greatest presidents in American history.
In conclusion, picking the five top presidents is a difficult and demanding journey through history. Almost every...
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