Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, is noted for his exuberant personality, his leadership in the progressive movement, his range of interests, and his leadership in the Republican Party. His actions on behalf of equality for all citizens have been well reported, including his appointment of Jews and Catholics to government positions at a time when this was not popular. He also appointed Blacks to government positions. Less well known, however, are Roosevelt’s thoughts and actions regarding women’s rights.
Roosevelt was home schooled as a child and had a good understanding of geography, history, biology, French, and German. In 1876 he enrolled in Harvard College. At Harvard he did well in science, philosophy, and rhetoric, but did poorly in Latin and Greek. His undergraduate thesis at Harvard was on women’s rights and he often advocated women’s rights in his writings.
His senior thesis, submitted in 1880, was entitled "The Practicability of Equalizing Men and Women before the Law." He wrote:
"Viewed purely in the abstract, I think there can be no question that women should have equal rights with men."..."Especially as regards the laws relating to marriage there should be the most absolute equality between the two sexes. I do not think the woman should assume the man's name."
In his 1913 autobiography he wrote:
"Much can be done by law towards putting women on a footing of complete and entire equal rights with man - including the right to vote, the right to hold and use property, and the right to enter any profession she desires on the same terms as the man."..."Women should have free access to every field of labor which they care to enter, and when their work is as valuable as that of a man it should be paid as highly."
At the National Convention of the Progressive Party in Chicago in 1912, he said:
"Working women have the same need to protection that working men have; the ballot is as necessary for one class as to the other; we do not believe that with the two sexes there is identity of function; but we do believe there should be equality of right."
He also wrote:
“I believe in women’s rights. I believe even more earnestly in the performance of duty by both men and women; for unless the average man and the average woman live lives of duty, not only our democracy but civilization itself will cease to exist.”
Roosevelt supported the minimum wage, not only for men, but for women as well:
“But most emphatically I am standing for the announcements in that platform, and in my judgment one of the best things in it is the declaration for a minimum wage for women workers.”