Theodore Roosevelt was a statesman, author, explorer, cowboy, soldier, naturalist, reformer, and 26^th President from 1901 to 1909. He overcame a sickly childhood to evolve into an exuberant personality with a vast range of interests. He became leader of a reform faction of Republicans in New York’s state legislature. Assistant Secretary of the Navy under William McKinley, he resigned after one year to gain fame with the Rough Riders for his courage during the war in Cuba. He was McKinley’s running mate in the Election of 1900 and became President after McKinley’s assassination. He led the Republican party and the country into a Progressive era by championing his “Square Deal” domestic policies, promising the average citizen fairness, breaking of trusts, regulation of railroads, and pure food and drugs. Roosevelt made conservation a top priority, established a myriad of new national parks, and advocated for preserving natural resources. His foreign policy concentrated on Central America in starting construction of the Panama Canal. He expanded the Navy and made successful efforts to end the Russo-Japanese war that won him the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize. We will explore how Roosevelt evolved to achieve his many accomplishments. I will supplement the text with supplementary material to elaborate on important events. The emphasis will be on class discussion.  Weekly preparation time should be 2-3 hours.