Theodore Roosevelt was a man uniquely suited to the role he played in American history. He became president of the United States at the crucial crossroads of the 19th and 20th centuries. At the turn of the century, the United States faced countless problems due to the effects of the Industrial Revolution on society and politics. Reform was needed and it took a man with great vision and ambition to bring about the changes the American public was seeking. Roosevelt was the type of man America needed to improve its standard of living, gain purity in democracy, create fair trade practices, protect the natural environment, and gain the respect of foreign nations during the rise of the United States towards world power. Teddy Roosevelt was America's gallop to lead the world into the twentieth century; and through his broad progressive ideals and clear foresight of the nation's path, he achieved remarkable success. In many ways, he can be considered the first modern president, as he took on many of the issues the nation faced during his tenure and set standards that we still follow today. As Roosevelt's first major act as president, he focused primarily on breaking up the Northern Securities trust formed by the economic powers of the day. Roosevelt witnessed the monopoly that was forming and acted quickly to extinguish it before other trusts of that magnitude could form. In 1903, he asked Congress to create the Department of Commerce and a Bureau of Corporations to investigate possible business trusts and prevent illegal practices. This has allowed small businesses to have a greater chance of success by creating a timely middle of paper. ....we received the Nobel Peace Prize. During the transition from the 19th to the 20th century, America needed a leader to address the concerns the nation faced as it entered the modern era. The industrial revolution gave rise to many economic concerns such as the formation of monopolies. This revolution also raised questions of land preservation and conservation as natural resources were consumed at a rate never seen before in the world. And foreign policy needed reform as America continued to establish itself as a major world power. Teddy Roosevelt was the type of leader the nation needed to meet these challenges and create solutions to the daunting problems of his time. It was TR's great ambition that led the United States into the modern era, and his legacy made him America's first modern leader. executive.