Theodore Roosevelt was an amazing man who accomplished a lot during his lifetime. He was the 26th president of the United States and served from 1901 to 1909. He was also a writer, historian, and reformer. Roosevelt is most famous for his quotes.
About Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 27, 1858. He was the second of four children born to Theodore Roosevelt Sr. and Martha Bulloch Roosevelt.
His father was a wealthy businessman, and his mother came from a prominent family in Georgia. Roosevelt’s childhood was largely shaped by his demanding and ambitious father.
As a young man, Roosevelt attended Harvard University, where he studied history and political science. After graduating in 1880, he married Alice Hathaway Lee and worked as a lawyer in New York City.
In 1884, his wife and mother died on the same day, an event that deeply affected Roosevelt. He moved to North Dakota the following year to start a ranching business.
During his time in North Dakota, Roosevelt became increasingly interested in politics. In 1894, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives but lost the election. Roosevelt then returned to New York City to practice law and spend time with his new wife, Edith Kermit Carow. The couple had five children. In 1897, Roosevelt was appointed assistant secretary of the navy by President William McKinley.
In 1898, Roosevelt led a group of U.S. sailors in a battle against the Spanish near Cuba. In 1900, McKinley was elected president, and Roosevelt became vice president. After McKinley’s assassination in September 1901, Roosevelt became president. He served until 1909.
Roosevelt wanted to help America become a powerful nation when he was president. To do this, he worked hard to make the federal government more active in regulating big business and protecting workers from unsafe conditions.
He also worked to improve the country’s transportation system. Roosevelt was very popular with many Americans.
Here are the best Theodore Roosevelt Quotes
In 1912, Roosevelt ran for president as a third-party candidate. While he won a few states in the West, he was defeated by Democrat Woodrow Wilson. He returned to politics during World War I when he worked as head of the U.S. Navy. Let’s look at the most inspiring and famous Theodore Roosevelt Quotes to motivate you.
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
Roosevelt was a man of action who believed strongly in the power of individual initiative. The quote advises taking action and not waiting for someone else to do something or for circumstances to be perfect. It is a reminder that we all have the power to make a difference, no matter who we are or where we are in life.
“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
“Believe you can, and you’re halfway there.”
“When you’re at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on.”
“The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything.”
“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
“To educate a person in the mind but not in morals is to educate a menace to society.”
“Knowing what’s right doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”
“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.”
“Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.”
Theodore Roosevelt quotes in Believe You Can
Do you have a dream that feels just out of reach? Are you feeling unmotivated or tired when trying to make your wildest ambitions a reality? If so, draw some strength from the words of one of America’s greatest visionaries and reformers, Theodore Roosevelt.
His wise quotes in Believe You Can provide much-needed motivation on the hardest days as they remind us all that we each possess immense power within ourselves to reach our fullest potential!
“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”
This quote is often used to describe Roosevelt’s foreign policy, which was based on the principle of speaking softly while carrying a big stick or having a strong military to back up diplomatic negotiations.
This quote has also been used to describe Roosevelt’s personal philosophy, which was based on the idea that it is better to be strong and decisive than weak and indecisive.
“I am a part of everything that I have read.”
“Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength.”
“I am an American; free born and free bred, where I acknowledge no man as my superior, except for his own worth, or as my inferior, except for his own demerit.”
“No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
“The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, and a love of soft living and the get-rich-quick theory of life.”
“Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country.”
“Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell ’em, ‘Certainly I can!’ Then get busy and find out how to do it.”
“A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”
“A man who has never gone to school may steal a freight car, but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad.”
This quote is often used to argue that higher education is a waste of time and money. However, Roosevelt was not saying that all educated people are criminals. Instead, he emphasized the importance of education and its ability to teach people how to think critically and solve problems.
An educated person is not necessarily a better person, but they are more likely to be able to contribute positively to society. Education gives people the skills they need to get good jobs and make positive changes in their communities. It is an investment in our future and should be accessible to everyone.
“Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.”
“When you play, play hard; when you work, don’t play at all.”
“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”
“No man needs sympathy because he has to work, because he has a burden to carry. Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
“Don’t hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft!”
“When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to answer ‘Present’ or ‘Not Guilty’.”
“The reason fat men are good natured is they can neither fight nor run.”
“Politeness [is] a sign of dignity, not subservience.”
Theodore Roosevelt’s Quotes on Daring Greatly
Theodore Roosevelt was a statesman and explorer known for his boldness and determination. Above all else, he is remembered for the inspirational words of motivation that remain etched in many generations’ hearts and minds today.
“In this country, we have no place for hyphenated Americans.”
“The joy in life is his who has the heart to demand it.”
Roosevelt was a driving force behind the construction of the Panama Canal and helped to preserve much of the American West through his advocacy for national parks and forests.
Roosevelt was also a prolific writer, and his books include The Rough Riders, an account of his military service in the Spanish-American War.
In this quote, Roosevelt urges people to fight for happiness, even if it means going against societal norms. He believed that life should be lived with vigor and enthusiasm and that everyone has the potential to find joy in their lives if they are willing to look for it.
“If given the choice between Righteousness and Peace, I choose Righteousness.”
“It is not often that a man can make opportunities for himself. But he can put himself in such shape that when or if the opportunities come he is ready.”
“No man is justified in doing evil on the ground of expediency.”
“Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike.”
“There is not a man of us who does not at times need a helping hand to be stretched out to him, and then shame upon him who will not stretch out the helping hand to his brother.”
“I am only an average man, but by George, I work harder at it than the average man.”
“Only those are fit to live who do not fear to die, and none are fit to die who have shrunk from the joy of life and the duty of life. Both life and death are parts of the same Great Adventure.”
“Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars, but remember to keep your feet on the ground.”
“Wide differences of opinion in matters of religious, political, and social belief must exist if conscience and intellect alike are not to be stunted if there is to be room for healthy growth.”
“Order without liberty and liberty without order are equally destructive.”
In a speech given in 1910, Theodore Roosevelt argued that liberty and order are necessary for a functional society. He said that without order, there could be no liberty, and without liberty, there can be no true order. Roosevelt believed that both concepts were essential for a thriving society.
Roosevelt’s argument is based on the idea that each person has certain natural rights. In order for those rights to be protected, there must be some form of government or social structure in place. But if that government or social structure becomes too restrictive, it can stifle individual liberty.
So, according to Roosevelt, both liberty and order are necessary, but they must be kept in balance. Too much of either one will lead to destruction.
Inspirational Theodore Roosevelt Quotes
Theodore Roosevelt, an inspirational figure in American history, had a unique way of looking at life and its many challenges that left us with timeless words of wisdom. Here are some for you:
“No man should receive a dollar unless that dollar has been fairly earned.”
“In life, as in football, the principle to follow is to hit the line hard.”
“Every reform movement has a lunatic fringe.”
“Far and away, the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
“The worst of all fears is the fear of living”
“Courtesy is as much a mark of a gentleman as courage.”
“90% of the work in this country is done by people who don’t feel good”.
“For those who fight for it, life has a flavor, the sheltered will never know.”
“Women should have free access to every field of labor which they care to enter, and when their work is as valuable as that of a man, it should be paid as highly.”
“The unforgivable crime is soft hitting. Do not hit at all if it can be avoided, but NEVER hit softly.”
Theodore Roosevelt was a man of many words of wisdom, and this is one of them. The unforgivable crime is soft hitting. If it can be avoided, do not hit at all, but NEVER hit softly.
In other words, make it count if you’re going to hit. This sage advice applies to many areas in life, from relationships to business deals.
Sometimes it’s better to walk away than to settle for a lackluster outcome. But if you have to engage, go in with everything you’ve got. That’s what Theodore Roosevelt would have done.
“All the resources we need are in the mind.”
“The nation behaves well if it treats its natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired, in value.”
“No man is above the law, and no man is below it.”
“Look Toward the stars but keep your feet firmly on the ground.”
“There is quite enough sorrow and shame and suffering and baseness in real life, and there is no need for meeting it unnecessarily in fiction.”
“People ask the difference between a leader and a boss … The leader works in the open, and the boss in covert. The leader leads, and the boss drives.”
“I put myself in the way of things happening, and they happened.”
“A great democracy has got to be progressive, or it will soon cease to be great or a democracy.”
“I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character!”
“Aggressive fighting for the right is the noblest sport the world affords.”
Roosevelt was a man who believed in justice and always strived to fight for what he thought was right. He was never afraid to stand up to those who opposed him and always fought hard for his beliefs. This quote from Roosevelt encapsulates his beliefs perfectly.
Fighting for what is right can sometimes be difficult, but it is always worth it. It takes courage and determination to stand up against injustice, but it is important to work. Roosevelt’s words continue to inspire people to fight for what they believe in.
62. “It tires me to talk to rich men. You expect a man of millions, the head of a great industry, to be a man worth hearing; but as a rule, they don’t know anything outside their own business.”- Theodore Roosevelt
“It tires me to talk to rich men. You expect a man of millions, the head of a great industry, to be a man worthhearing; but as a rule they don’t know anything outside their own business.”
“It is true of the Nation, as of the individual, that the greatest doer must also be a great dreamer.”
“The lack of power to take joy in outdoor nature is as real a misfortune as the lack of power to take joy in books.”
“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.”
“The government is us; WE are the government, you and I.”
“We should not forget that it will be just as important to our descendants to be prosperous in their time as it is to us to be prosperous in our time.”
“This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.”
“It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things.”
“Americanism is a question of principle, of idealism, of character. It is not a matter of birthplace, or creed, or line of descent.”
“I have a perfect horror of words that are not backed up by deeds.”
In a speech given in 1910, former United States President Theodore Roosevelt said, “I have a perfect horror of words that are not backed up by deeds.” He was speaking about the need for Americans to take action and not just talk about things.
Roosevelt believed that, too often, people would make grandiose statements without actually doing anything to back them up.
This quote is still relevant today. In a world where we are constantly bombarded with information and opinions, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. It’s important to remember that actions speak louder than words.
The next time you’re tempted to make an empty promise or boast about something you haven’t accomplished yet, think about Roosevelt’s words and try to back them up with some substance.
“Each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune.”
“A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.
Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president.”
Let’s Wind Up…
Theodore Roosevelt was a very influential man during his lifetime and long after his death. His words continue to inspire and motivate people all over the world. He is truly inspiring, and his legacy will live on forever.