Roosevelt took office as vice president in 1901. He assumed the presidency after McKinley was assassinated the following September.
Roosevelt was a leader of the progressive movement. His "Square Deal" domestic policies, promised the average citizen fairness, breaking of trusts, regulation of railroads, and pure food and drugs. Roosevelt also used his executive power to further his passion for conservationism.
However, his legacy includes not just his achievements as a progressive reformer and conservationist. He also believed firmly in the existence of a racial hierarchy topped by those of white Anglo-Saxon descent. His belief shaped his attitudes and policies on race relations, land rights, and American imperialism.
After leaving the White House and going on safari in Africa, he returned to politics in 1912, mounting a failed run for president at the head of a new Progressive Party.