Teddy Roosevelt - the Progressive President

Roosevelt left the New York Legislature after the death of his wife and moved to the Dakota territory to "fix himself."  He lasted two years and then returned to serve as the Chief of Police of New York City.  He then became the Secretary of the Navy under William McKinley.  He joined the Army at age 33 and fought in the Spanish-American War.  When he returned from war, he was elected governor of New York and then, in 1900, was Vice President under William McKinley

In 1901, William McKinley was shot and killed in Buffalo, New York and Roosevelt assumed the office of the Presidency.  He quickly went after the "trusts" - or monopolies - and became known as the "Trust-Buster."  He enforced the Sherman Anti-trust act and forced monopolies to disband. 

Roosevelt believed that all people should have an equal opportunity to be successful and that government should "level the playing field." Roosevelt said that all people deserve a "Square-Deal" to have the opportunity to obtain the American dream.  

Roosevelt left office in 1908.  He hand picked William Howard Taft to succeed him as President.  However, after returning from an African hunting trip, Roosevelt decided he wanted to run for President in 1912. Unfortunately, Taft also wanted to run.

In 1912, Roosevelt formed his own political party called the Bull Moose Party and he split the Republican party in two.  As a result, no Republican could win and Woodrow Wilson (Democrat) won the Presidency.  

Wilson was a Progressive but also supported segregation and Nativism - the policy in which favor is given to "native-born Americans" over immigrants.