Theodore Roosevelt led the United States.
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( [ ˈroʊzəvɛlt ] ; October 27 , 1858 -- January 6 , 1919 ) was an American statesman , author , explorer , soldier , naturalist , and reformer who served as the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909 . He also served as the 25th Vice President of the United States and as the 33rd Governor of New York . Following his election defeat , Roosevelt led a two-year expedition to the Amazon basin , where he nearly died of tropical disease .