The Story of America: Theodore Roosevelt and the Modern Presidency [Ep. 41]

The Story of America: Theodore Roosevelt and the Modern Presidency [Ep. 41]

June 11, 2026 · 11 min

About this episode

This episode explores Theodore Roosevelt's transformative presidency and his impact on American history.

On this episode of Our American Stories, born into wealth, privilege, and chronic illness, Theodore Roosevelt seemed an unlikely candidate to become one of America's most energetic and transformative presidents. Yet through sheer determination, he reinvented himself as a rancher, war hero, reformer, and political force whose larger-than-life personality captivated the nation. When an assassin's bullet thrust Roosevelt into the White House in 1901, he became the first Progressive president and dramatically expanded the power and influence of the office. As part of our ongoing  Story of Us—Story of America  series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of  Land of Hope , shares the story of Roosevelt's rise and explores how his vision of leadership reshaped the presidency and altered the course of American history. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Our American Stories

Guest: Dr. Bill McClay

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Our American Stories, iHeartPodcasts

Books & works: Land of Hope

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