The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is located in Black Hills, South Dakota. Engraved on the side of this granite mountain are the faces of four well-known presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. Each man earned his place on the mountain through his mark in presidential history. Some might wonder if Theodore Roosevelt belongs on this great memorial and what he did to deserve this honor. He is probably best remembered for his brazen way of getting things done in the White House, but as the 26th President of the United States, Roosevelt should be credited for many of his accomplishments that we still appreciate today. In 1901, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt took over the presidency after the assassination of William McKinley. The country had many opportunities before it, but it needed changes for which the American people were only too prepared. Roosevelt grew up in a wealthy family and was educated at Harvard. But he was known to be a down-to-earth man who understood people's needs. His first priority as president was to offer the people a “fair deal” that encompassed his plan for the time. He wanted to reduce corporate control of the American economy and workers, create more consumer protections, and create a plan to conserve our natural resources. Before Roosevelt became president, he had many other things that could have helped him gain a broader perspective than other presidents before him. Among them were a rancher and a cowboy, a deputy sheriff from the Dakota Territory, a New York police commissioner, a U.S. civil service commissioner, an assistant secretary of the Navy, and a Calvary volunteer colonel who earned the nickname “ri... .middle of paper ......a so that presidents after him would follow. There are so many of his accomplishments that we Americans still benefit from today, and it was through them that Theodore Roosevelt earned his place on the face of Mount Rushmore. Works CitedMiller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia – US President Theodore Roosevelthttp://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/roosevelt/essays/biography/3Theodore Roosevelt Associationhttp://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/biotr.htmSome Accomplishments by Theodore Roosevelthttp://www.nps.gov/history/logcabin/html/tr3.htmlUnited States Office of Personnel Management: Theodore Roosevelt Timelinehttp://www.opm.gov/about_opm/tr/phototimeline.aspThe National Archives - Telegram, in code, from Theodore Roosevelt to Commodore Dewey 2/26/1898http://www.archives. gov/historical-docs/todays-doc/index.html?dod-date=501