Want to learn the ideas in The Bully Pulpit better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin here.

Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.

Video Summaries of The Bully Pulpit

We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on The Bully Pulpit, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

1-Page Summary of The Bully Pulpit

Overview

It’s the beginning of the twentieth century. You are standing in front of Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft, two presidents who served together. What would you ask them? There is much to be learned from their careers as well as how they worked together.

In this book, Doris Kearns Goodwin provides insights into the lives and careers of Roosevelt and Taft. She also examines how journalism evolved during their presidencies. Furthermore, she shows that these two presidents dealt with such journalistic developments in different ways. These key points give you an insight into her research.

In this article, you will learn how Roosevelt interacted with the press and why he felt that way about them. You will also learn how a journalist came to expose certain illegalities conducted by the great Rockefeller. You’ll see how Roosevelt earned his nickname, trust-buster, and why his friendship with Taft eventually went sour.

Big Idea #1: Theodore Roosevelt was widely popular and enacted great changes for the United States.

In 1901, an anarchist assassinated William McKinley. He was succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt, who at 42 years old was the youngest president to date. When Roosevelt took office, there wasn’t a war or economic crisis; however, he still had to deal with trusts and monopolies that were hurting the people of America. The meat industry in particular was controlled by large companies that could set prices unfairly high for poor families.

Furthermore, companies that were unregulated by safety and payment regulations had dangerous working conditions. Workers worked long hours with low pay in poor conditions. Even food and drugs weren’t regulated at all. These industries destroyed forests and contaminated water sources as they expanded their businesses to serve the growing population.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt wanted to change the way Americans thought about business and their relationship with it. He set up a system of rules that would govern how businesses could conduct themselves, making them more responsible for what they did.

So, Roosevelt began fighting corruption by intervening when trusts threatened to control industries. For example, in 1905 he had the attorney general file a suit that broke up the beef trust.

Roosevelt also strengthened labor rights, imposed limits on the length of workdays and preserved vast forests. He began regulating the food and drug industry by passing laws that protected consumers from spoiled or dangerous goods.

Big Idea #2: Roosevelt was born into privilege but grappled with illnesses and devastating losses in his early adulthood.

Roosevelt wasn’t born poor. He was born into a family of privilege in New York City in 1858. His father was wealthy, and Roosevelt grew up knowing that he’d never have to work hard for his living. The young man was very bright, had a photographic memory, and enjoyed learning about natural history from his father’s taxidermist friend as well as putting on plays with his siblings.

Roosevelt attended Harvard University, where he studied biology under the famous scientist Louis Agassiz (1807–73). Thereafter, he enrolled at Columbia Law School but dropped out after two years to join the army during the Spanish-American War (1898), serving bravely under General William Rufus Shafter (1835–1906) before being honorably discharged due to illness in 1898.

Roosevelt went on to become governor of New York State and then president of the United States—a position that made him one of America’s greatest leaders ever!

Roosevelt was a sickly child, and it took him some time to overcome his weaknesses. He wasn’t strong or confident as a child, but he learned how to work hard at overcoming his natural ailments. This allowed him to be homeschooled because of his asthma attacks.