On this episode of Our American Stories, born into wealth, privilege, and chronic illness, Theodore Roosevelt seemed an unlikely candidate to become one of America's most energetic and transformative presidents. Yet through sheer determination, he reinvented himself as a rancher, war hero, reformer, and political force whose larger-than-life personality captivated the nation.

When an assassin's bullet thrust Roosevelt into the White House in 1901, he became the first Progressive president and dramatically expanded the power and influence of the office. As part of our ongoing Story of Us—Story of America series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, shares the story of Roosevelt's rise and explores how his vision of leadership reshaped the presidency and altered the course of American history.

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