Teddy Roosevelt may be debated about when it comes to good or bad presidents, but there is no debate on his importance. He is the president who bridged the gap between the weak presidents of the 19th Century and the strong ones in the 20th. He was the first of the Progressive presidents and did more to increase the size of the government than any other to that time. What makes TR so interesting to study is his machismo. He was a weak sickly child and so spent the entirety of his adult life proving to everyone that he was tougher than they were. In most cases he was right.
Historically Speaking 