History term paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History term paper - Essay Example He won his first election in 1881 as a member of the Republican Party to the state assembly of Albany, New York. As a state legislator he won respect for exposing a judge but also earned the ill will of his party members. Mistrusted by both liberals and party leaders, Roosevelt remained unsure of his career in politics. Although he socialized with America’s upper crust, he looked after the interests of the working class Americans. After family mishaps he returned to politics as a Republican reformist in 1989 where he served on the US Civil Service Commission (DesertUSA, 1998). In 1895, he became New York City Police Commissioner, and two years later, he was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Known popularly as the Rough Rider, he resigned navy to join the military. Returning home from the war as a hero in 1898, Roosevelt was elected governor of New York. He then ran as the Republican Party’s vice presidential candidate in 1900 and less than a year later following the assassination of President William McKinley, Roosevelt became the youngest ever President in history. President Roosevelt inherited an empire-in-the-making when he assumed office in 1901. He influenced foreign policy even before he came to power. After the Spanish-American war the empire that America had, comprised of Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, Cuba and Hawaii. Roosevelt anted to make America the world power. He wanted to spread the American values and ideals all over the world. His diplomatic maxim was to ‘speak softly and carry a big stick’ (Millercenter, 2006). He maintained that a chief executive must have the quality both to use force and the art of persuasion to be used as the situation demands. He was very active in foreign affairs and attempted to end the relative isolationism, following the footsteps of his predecessor. When