On September 14, 1901, Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office as the 26th president of the United States in Buffalo, NY. His predecessor, William McKinley, had been shot by an assassin at the Pan-American Exposition on September 6, dying at 2:15 AM on the 14th. Roosevelt, who had hoped to someday rise to the Presidency, would say "It is a dreadful thing to come into the Presidency in this way; but it would be far worse to be morbid about it. Here is the task, and I have got to do it to the best of my ability."

He would leave a lasting impact upon the nation, expanding the powers of the presidency, advocating consumer protection laws and regulation of big business, supporting conservation of the environment, and asserting America's authority abroad. While he had not come into office through a national election, Theodore Roosevelt's presidency would become one of the most important in the history of America, and is one that continues to affect the nation today.

For an eye-witness account of the events surrounding Theodore Roosevelt's Buffalo inauguration, click here.