Roosevelt’s Vision of the Wild West
Franklin D. Roosevelt is the only president to be elected four times in American history. Although Roosevelt grew up in a wealthy family, he earned his position as the president due to his dedication. Roosevelt immersed himself in politics when he got elected to the New York state assembly. Before Roosevelt explored the West, the West was considered as wastelands since the vast lands were not productive. However, Roosevelt developed an interest in the West after he read reports about the systematic hunting that threatened to destroy the massive buffalo herds that dwelled in the vast western plains. As Roosevelt explored the West, more people became drawn to the once underproductive lands.
Roosevelt described the West as the land with the vast grazing lands (Roosevelt, 1). When Roosevelt heard about the buffalo herd that had been destroyed by hunting, he was determined to add the buffalos to his trophy collection before they got wiped out. During the hunt, Roosevelt discovered that the West had much more to offer than vast plains. According to Roosevelt, a man had a role to play in rehabilitating the West. If men put more effort into conserving the West, the vast lands would be more productive. However, Roosevelt puts across popular conceptions of masculinity. Roosevelt put across the idea that only men would save the West (Roosevelt, 15). The West had harsh and punishing weather; therefore, according to Roosevelt, only men would survive such harsh climates. Contrary to Roosevelt, women could help in rehabilitating the West. According to what we learn about the West in this period, the West has a favorable environment which can inhabit all people despite gender.
Roosevelt considered Native Americans as savages. One of the most famous quotes from Roosevelt is, “I don’t go so far as to think that the only good Indians are the dead Indians, but I believe nine out of every 10 are” (Landry). Therefore, Roosevelt did not think that Native Americans deserved to inhabit the West. In his time as president, Roosevelt supported the Indian allotment system; the removal of Indians from their lands and destruction of their culture (Landry). However, Roosevelt was not right to support the Indian allotment system. In as much as Roosevelt wanted to conserve the West, removing Indians from their native land was not a practical solution. Instead, Roosevelt would have engaged the indigenous tribes in preserving the West rather than supporting an eviction.
Roosevelt romanticized the West when he started writing about the vast plains. At first, Roosevelt purchased two ranches where he would retreat to pursue his interest in writing and hunt (Roosevelt 25). As Roosevelt continued to stay in the West, he wrote several articles about his experiences as a rancher. The articles attracted many people who wanted to see the West, as was painted by Roosevelt. In so doing, Roosevelt opened up the West to tourists who were eager to explore the unchartered western plains. However, Roosevelt failed to mention the Native Americans who had already settled in the West. Therefore, Eastern tourists got the perception that the West did not have inhabitants.
In conclusion, Roosevelt played a significant role in changing America’s perception of the West. However, Roosevelt also contributed majorly to the eviction of Native Americans, the original inhabitants of the West. Therefore, the natives were considered as aliens and savages who had to be removed from the West.
Works Cited
Landry, Alysa. Theodore Roosevelt: ‘The Only Good Indians Are the Dead Indians. 28 June 2016. 23 September 2019 <https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/archive/theodore-roosevelt-the-only-good-indians-are-the-dead-indians-oN1cdfuEW02KzOVVyrp7ig/ >.
Roosevelt, Theodore. “Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail. 1888.” New York: Winchester P (1969).