Theodore Roosevelt's Personality Traits

1884 was a rough year for Theodore Roosevelt, as he lost his mother and wife on the same day, and then later that year was overrode by party leaders. Still struggling with the loss of his wife and being dismayed with the direction that the Republican Party was taking, Roosevelt decided not to run for re-election after his term ended. He then went west to the Dakota territories in order to clear his head. Roosevelt hunted big game, took up ranching, and went on long cattle drives. He even arrested an outlaw once and knocked out a drunken man in a bar during his western sabbatical. Although Roosevelt had “made his body” by becoming physically strong as a youth in New York, he became physically and mentally tough out west as he learned to survive …show more content…
Even when his world fell apart all at once with the loss of his wife and the bad turn of events in his career, he did not allow that to prevent him from moving forward. He re-invented himself out west and returned to the east as a better, tougher, more experienced man. Rather than sulk or fall into depression, he responded to his tragedy by improving himself and pursuing a lifelong dream. Roosevelt demonstrates the value of driving on amidst the fires of failure, heartbreak, bad fortune, and defeat in the way that he stormed back into the political …show more content…
He did lose, however this move would later pay off as he garnered great attention and notoriety through his campaign. In 1889, he was appointed by President Benjamin Harrison to the Civil Service Commission, where he battled corruption through the reform of government appointments. His work led to all government appointments being based on the merit system rather than the crooked way in which politicians had appointed friends or those that they owed favors to into positions of power. In 1895 he began similar reforms in New York City as the newly appointed Police Commissioner. He eradicated corrupt and incompetent policemen from the force and replaced them with capable men that had no ties to politicians. Under Roosevelt’s office and forward, policemen were hired and promoted based on merit and performance alone. He then campaigned vigorously for Presidential candidate William McKinley who ultimately won. Roosevelt’s efforts during the campaign paid off as he was later appointed by the President as Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Anticipating an upcoming conflict with Spain, he began to expand the size of the Navy through building new ships, incorporating the latest technologies, and improving the Navy’s training