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The Arid West - The Newlands Reclamation Act of 1902

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:51:00 -0500

Theodore Roosevelt signed the Newlands Reclamation Act into law on this day in 1902. Perhaps his early experiences in the arid west encouraged him to push so hard for its passage when became president.

Questions for the Future

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:02:00 -0500

Dr. Lewis Gould’s newly-released book, Edith Kermit Roosevelt: Creating the Modern First Lady, makes room for reinterpretation of a woman who has enjoyed public perception “verging near secular sainthood” for her role as a first lady.

Permission to Publish

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 17:06:00 -0500

At the TR Center, our primary goal is to share the entirety of works related to Theodore Roosevelt with the public, but often the Center is not able to publish items online because they are still under copyright.

To Preserve and Protect: The Antiquities Act

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:53:00 -0500

One hundred and seven years ago tomorrow Theodore Roosevelt signed the Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities. A few months later he first exercised the executive power provided by the law to declare Devils Tower in northeastern Wyoming the first National Monument.

A Budding Naturalist

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:19:00 -0500

Theodore Roosevelt’s love affair with nature began when he was a very young child and continued throughout his life. His early journals, written in as yet untamed cursive, provide plenty of evidence that he had a keen interest in the world around him on many levels.

A Risky Venture

Thu, 30 May 2013 15:51:00 -0500

When Theodore Roosevelt left the Dakota badlands after several weeks of hunting in the fall of 1883, he was enamored of the landscape, the people and the potential for profit. He was feeling robustly healthy and self-assured. The stage was set for him to venture into something even more risky – the cattle business.

To Bag a Buffalo

Tue, 28 May 2013 14:28:00 -0500

If TR liked adventure, his hunting trip to Dakota Territory in 1883 fit the bill neatly. In a highly entertaining and incredibly vivid letter to his wife Alice, TR describes sickness, hunger, thirst, damp, cold, bloodshed, and an intense frustration over his inability to bag a buffalo – or anything else.

Memorial Day Remembered

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:17:00 -0500

For many Americans, Memorial Day is the official kick-off of summer, promising the first camping trip of the season or perhaps an outdoor barbecue. It’s a long weekend for many, with Monday declared a national holiday - and a day off of work.

First Impressions of Curious Formations – TR Arrives in the Badlands

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:48:00 -0500

When TR arrived in Little Missouri in September of 1883 to hunt for buffalo, he was stunned by the wild, rough terrain, and yet curiously taken with it. There is a desolate, eerie, beauty in the badlands of North Dakota, where weather, time of day, and time of year create ever-changing color and shadow plays on the stratus of the unusual rock formations.

The Building of a Home

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:21:00 -0500

Shelter is necessary for the survival of the body, and houses provide that shelter; the building of a home, however, is a more tender necessity that sustains the heart.