• A 1901 sketch of Theodore Roosevelt taking the oath of office in Buffalo, NY.

    Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural

    National Historic Site New York

An Unexpected Inauguration that Changed the Nation

As president, Theodore Roosevelt created protections for ordinary citizens, began regulation of big business, and made the US a major force in international affairs. Yet one of the most important presidencies in America's history nearly didn't happen. See the place where a brief, emotional, and improvised ceremony in Buffalo, NY brought TR into office, and forever altered the nation.

Did You Know?

President William McKinley

When President William McKinley was shot in 1901, he was the third American president to be assassinated in 36 years. Abraham Lincoln had died in 1865, and James Garfield had been assassinated in 1881, only 20 years earlier. More...