Theodore Roosevelt

One of the people affected by Jacob Riis’ work was Theodore Roosevelt, who at the time was working as the police commissioner in New York City. After reading Riis’ articles, Roosevelt became aware of the terrible conditions that New York’s poor was living in. Roosevelt asked Riis to show him around the tenements and back alleys of the city. After their tour of the slums, Roosevelt gained a great respect for Riis, going so far as to call him “New York’s most useful citizen.” Riis himself came to respect Roosevelt as well, and even wrote a biography of the president’s life. Riis’ Theodore Roosevelt details every aspect of Roosevelt’s life from his youth and childhood to his time as president. The book also contains a useful list of books written by Theodore Roosevelt and an assortment of images to accompany the text.