Theodore Roosevelt

Gr 9 Up—The impact of the North Dakota landscape on Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, is explored in this masterful, versatile film. His first visit was in 1883 at the age of 25 when he came to hunt and kill a bison. A few years later, after the death of his wife and mother, Roosevelt returned to North Dakota and bought a cattle ranch. The wide-open spaces and quiet solitude of the rolling hills gave him time to grieve, to heal, and to come to understand the importance of the frontier in the development of the American character. It is the thesis of this program that it was Roosevelt's time in North Dakota that propelled him towards the presidency where he championed a Square Deal for all people and fought for direct democracy as a progressive reformer. Stunning visuals of North Dakota and the Badlands provide the background for the informative narration. Historic photographs, including some by Roosevelt, are combined with a few re-created scenes, commentary from historians such as Douglas Brinkley (author of The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America, HarperCollins, 2009) and Tweed Roosevelt, the president's great grandson. Environmental studies, history, and government classes can utilize this informative, insightful program.—Patricia Ann Owens, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges, Mt. Carmel