President Theodore Roosevelt was surely one of the greatest United States presidents. He was a man of many accomplishments. Teddy Roosevelt was a volunteer Rough Rider in the Spanish-American War. Before becoming president, he was Secretary of the Navy. Roosevelt was a published author.

Passenger pigeons became extinct about the time of Roosevelt's presidency. Roosevelt then established the first National Bird Preserve in Florida in 1903. This was the start of the Wildlife Refuge System in the United States. This would be the first of many acts by President Roosevelt to conserve land and important historical and archaeological sites throughout the United States.

Theodore Roosevelt also passed the Antiquities Act in 1906. This act allowed presidents to preserve sites as national monuments without needing approval of Congress. The very first national monument established by Theodore Roosevelt was the Devil's Tower in Wyoming. This act also allowed Theodore Roosevelt to protect the Grand Canyon after failing to make it a national park. Since the Antiquities Act was passed, it has been implemented more than 100 times.

The next time you are lucky enough to be awed by the miracle of the Grand Canyon or the beauty of Cades Coves in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, give a little thanks to Teddy Roosevelt. Without him, it is almost certain that these areas would have been swallowed up by miners, real estate developers, oil corporations, and forestry companies.