Who was Theodore Roosevelt?
Theodore Roosevelt was born into a very wealthy and well-known family on October 27, 1858. He was the 26th, and youngest (42), President of the United States. Physical well-being was one of the only struggles he had watched others deal with. His mother and wife passed away very soon after the other, and he was left with instability and loneliness. However, he overcame this hardship and turned his attention to his attempt at making the world a better place. He cared deeply about nature and traveling, conserving over 230 million acres of land for public use including national forests and parks. After attending Harvard and Columbia, he traveled around South America to deliver his knowledge through lectures at various universities. His good deeds were seen as just those for many years, but recent deep dives on his past have revealed that he may not have been such a positive influence all of the time, to all those around him.
The Statue in Progress
James Earle Fraser was the sculptor who created the statue, and his own opinions on this piece will be given later on. Theodore Roosevelt’s father was one of the founders of the American Museum of Natural History, so Roosevelt’s statue was to be put on the museum’s front steps where no eyes could miss it. It was also deemed a good fit for the museum due to Roosevelt’s explorations through the world and preservation of wildlife across the country. It was approved in 1924, and building/sculpting began in 1929 and finished around 1935. Roosevelt passed away in 1919, so a statue was built at this time, which was seen as a good way to memorialize and glorify him.
The Statue
“Theodore Roosevelt Statue in front of the American Museum of Natural History” by slgckgc is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The bronze statue shows Roosevelt on a horse while an African man and Native American man stand beneath him, holding weapons close to the horse. Roosevelt is significantly higher than the 2 minority men. James E. Fraser wanted to leave the “meaning” behind the placement of these 2 men up to the interpretation of the viewer, only stating “… if you choose [they] may stand for Roosevelt’s friendliness to all races”, and that the 2 men were meant to represent the races as a whole. It is not stated why they are not on horses with Roosevelt, why they are not wearing tops, and why they don’t appear in a “determined” pose as Roosevelt does. There is even a difference in the assumed walking pace between the horse and the 2 individuals beside it. The horse is walking steadily with 1 leg high, while the 2 men have their legs straight while just dragging the other. Their upper bodies are not as leaned back as Roosevelts, and all of this can be interpreted as them being less involved or enthusiastic/strong. There are no plaques with additional information on these two men, only 3 plaques that all say the same relative piece of information. The plaque on the front reads “Theodore Roosevelt 1958-1919”, and the 2 on the sides both read “President of the United States 1902-1909”.
“The portrayal of his figure on horseback [with] half-naked African and Native American [men] carrying his rifles on foot is a very startk illustration not of racial unity but of racial hierarchy”
Andrew Ross
“NYC – UWS: American Museum of Natural History – Theodore Roosevelt statue” by Wally Gobetz is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Old vs. New Opinions
When the statue was built, most people were in favor of it. Since it was so shortly after his passing, many people appreciated his work because they witnessed it happen while he was alive. He was seen as a strong man who came from wealth and used it for opportunity and growth in the U.S. Citizens appreciated that he took the time to explore other countries and spread his opportunities there, too. However, “local and national debate” about the statue changed drastically in 2020.
In 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement caused many Americans to open their minds and see what problematic behavior has been normalized for so long. Many statues were being vandalized and taken down, including this statue. People started noticing how odd it was that Roosevelt was on a higher level than the others and that the sculptor’s previous claims about Roosevelt’s racial unity and kindness may not have been so accurate. Roosevelt made some comments during his life that made it seem as though he did not want Native Americans to be a part of the new and nature-friendly America he wished to create. From “The most vicious cowboy has more principle than the average Indian” to not wanting Native Americans to have access to higher education. He strongly believed that they were only there to work and turn America into what Roosevelt wanted, but not to be a part of it afterward.
The Removal
Requests and protests for the statue’s removal began in 2020, after the murder of George Floyd. It was approved, and removal began a year later. The statue was removed from the museum’s steps where it had been for about 80 years. It was moved to North Dakota to be placed in the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. The library plans to open in 2026, perhaps with more information on this statue rather than only Rosevelt’s name and amount of time in office.
Resources
“Theodore Roosevelt.” The White House, The United States Government, 23 Dec. 2022, www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/theodore-roosevelt/.
“Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) the Conservation President, , U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.” FWS.Gov, www.fws.gov/staff-profile/theodore-roosevelt-1858-1919-conservation-president#:~:text=During%20his%20very%20active%20presidency,the%20first%2018%20national%20monuments. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Northup, Clark S. “Theodore Roosevelt.” 1993, Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Treisman, Rachel. “New York City’s Natural History Museum Has Removed a Theodore Roosevelt Statue.” NPR, NPR, 20 Jan. 2022, www.npr.org/2022/01/20/1074394869/roosevelt-statue-removed-natural-history-museum.
“Theodore Roosevelt Memorial | American Museum of Natural History.” AMNH.Org, www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/theodore-roosevelt-memorial. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
Smart, Sara. “Theodore Roosevelt Statue Removed from NYC Museum after Sparking Controversy.” CNN, Cable News Network, 21 Jan. 2022, www.cnn.com/style/article/theodore-roosevelt-statue-removed-nyc-arts-trnd/index.html.
Howells, Robert Earle. “Revisiting the Complex Legacy of North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park.” Travel, 27 Aug. 2020, www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/theodore-roosevelt-national-park-examining-a-complicated-legacy.
Landry, A. (2018). Theodore Roosevelt: ’the only good Indians are the dead … Retrieved from https://ictnews.org/archive/theodore-roosevelt-the-only-good-indians-are-the-dead-indians
