It would be easy to say that Teddy Roosevelt was born into privilege…but it came with a pretty sizable price. He was a sickly boy, spending most of his early days being home schooled because of chronic asthma and other illnesses. While he explored his passion for natural wildlife, eventually he began a rigorous physical routine to beat his asthma and illnesses, taking up boxing, weightlifting, and hiking.
Teddy truly was no stranger to tragedy. After having had such a profound influence on his physical transformation, Teddy’s father died while Teddy was still in college. He pushed himself and eventually graduated Harvard. Teddy is a famous law school dropout…opting for public service instead. That’s when both his wife and his mom died, on the same day, February 14th…yep, Valentine’s Day. Teddy bailed, leaving his daughter to his family, headed out to the Dakota Territory and developed into an even badder badass, practicing being a cowboy and cattle rancher.
He had a pretty intense resume, eventually leading to becoming the USA’s youngest President (he wasn’t elected President, but took over when McKinley was assassinated…so 42 is the youngest President, while Kennedy at 43 was the youngest actually elected…this is a great fact for winning bar bets!!) Before being President, Teddy was also an Assemblyman for NY, captain of the National Guard, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Governor of NY, was a Colonel in the US Army, NYC Police Commissioner, and when war with Spain was declared…he RESIGNED from the Naval position, FORMED the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry better known as the ROUGH RIDERS ( and the namesake of BSP’s ROUGH RIDERS HOT SAUCE) and he also served as McKinley’s Vice President.
As President, Teddy had a reputation as a Trust Buster, created Big Stick Diplomacy (around the idea that he intended to Speak Softly and Carry a BIG STICK…hence..Big Stick Products!), he basically created the Food and Drug Administration by pushing for stricter laws governing food, drugs, and meat inspection. He offered American workers a SQUARE DEAL and was the first President to help resolve a labor dispute.
We at BSP absolutely love the work that Teddy did to establish national parks, the US Forest Service, expanded the National Forests, and with the influence of Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, added Yellowstone as the nation’s 2nd National Park going on to add several more.
That’s right, both BSP founders have a great deal in common with the great Teddy Roosevelt…a passion for nature, supporting environmental consciousness, a disdain for abusive corporations, fierce independence, the belief in supporting the hardworking common man, love of hiking, and even some law school dropping out thrown in for good measure!
BIG STICK PRODUCTS 