President Theodore Roosevelt in 1904.
	President Theodore Roosevelt surrounded by his family.
During the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt was lieutenant colonel of the Rough Rider Regiment, which he led on a charge at the battle of San Juan.
	He vigorously promoted the conservation movement, emphasizing efficient use of natural resources. President Roosevelt signed a bill on June 11, 1906, declaring the Yosemite Valley as Yosemite National Park, and effectively putting it under the control of the Federal Government.
Roosevelt was aware of the strategic need for a shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific. In November 1906, Roosevelt operated a 95-ton railroad shovel in Panama, where the U.S. was in the process of building the Panama Canal.
	Roosevelt stands between Russian and Japanese dignitaries in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1905. On September 5, they signed the Treaty of Portsmouth, ending the Russo-Japanese War. He later won the Nobel Peace Prize for this in 1906.