Changing of the Guard: Teddy Roosevelt and the Election of 1904

After serving in the Spanish-American War, Theodore Roosevelt had become nationally famous, and was chosen to run as William McKinley's VP in the 1900 election. Shortly into McKinley's second term, he was assassinated, and Roosevelt was sworn in as president. Teddy went right to work in his first term, busting trusts, or large corporations, forcing many to break up into smaller entities. During his first term, Roosevelt also managed to get the construction of the Panama Canal underway, although some consider the dealings shady at best. Heading into the summer of 1904, there was little question that Roosevelt would be re-nominated, and sure enough, he was. Charles Fairbanks was chosen to run with Roosevelt as vice president. Opposing the duo was New York judge Alton B. Parker, a relatively unknown candidate who had been out of politics for several years. Henry Davis was chosen to run as VP, and at 81 years old, remains the oldest person to ever run for VP in history. William Jennings Bryan opposed Parker, thinking he was too much aligned with supporting the gold standard. Roosevelt won the election easily, carrying the entire North, Midwest, and West coast, and Parker won the southern half of the nation. Roosevelt's second term was very successful too. He helped negotiate peace between Russia and Japan, added the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, passed the Pure Food and Drug Act, and became famous for his policy of "Speaking Softly and Carry a Big Stick" diplomacy. Although popular and almost guaranteed of winning another term, Roosevelt declined to run in 1908 and hand picked William H. Taft to take his place. Teddy Roosevelt was very adventurous and was willing to try many things, including being the first president to ride in an automobile, fly in an airplane, and leave the United States while in office. Being the youngest man to ever hold office, Roosevelt was more energetic than his predecessors and it showed, going on African safaris and traveling the world after he left office. However, Roosevelt became discouraged with the way the country was going during Taft's administration, and in 1912, he would be back in the middle of a presidential election. Some of the items pictured here are fairly common, and Roosevelt items like this can be acquired for a reasonable price considering the age and popularity of TR. The Alton Parker items are more scarce, especially jugate buttons with both candidates, but there are some that can be found for under $25. Roosevelt items are highly sought after, so any button besides the standard jugates or single picture pins are pricey. There are also many figural or 3-D items of Teddy Roosevelt that are very collectible.