Now onto the Bull Moose himself.
I dont wanna spend too much time on Teddy pre-divergence because I mean why would we.
When popular former President Theodore Roosevelt threw his hat into the ring to be the Republican Nominee in 1912, President Taft thought this would be a simple nomination, he had the party machinery behind him right? Well sort of, the Republican Party establishment decided to appease progressive elements within the party and support a full on presidential primary, every delegate bound themselves to the winner of their state, they believed that the American people believed in the process and norms they had grown used to. Where a president serves 2 terms and is done, they were wrong, Teddy swept the primary, Taft put up a fight in the Solid South and La Follette put up a fight in the Steel Belt, but it wasn't enough. Teddy got the Republican Party Nomination, proclaiming his fight for a "New Nationalism" and his progressive vision for America. Teddy picked Conservative and close friend Henry Cabot Lodge as his running mate, and the die had been casted. On March, 4th 1913 Teddy entered the White House renewed, with an agenda to make every American proud, restore faith in public office, and do good for the American people.
By 1915 Teddy had enacted serious political and electoral reform, Women's suffrage, direct election of senators, universal primaries within the Republican party (delegates tied to vote based on the popular vote for the first ballot), recall elections, referendums and initiatives, strict limits on campaign contributions and disclosure of them as public information (including the registration of lobbyists). And economic reforms, A Federal Reserve bill backed by the progressive wing of the party (Treasury Secretary Louis Brandeis was a staunch supporter of this), and a Federal Income Tax.
Then the Lusitania sank, Roosevelt enraged went to Congress seeking a declaration of war, whipping progressives and moderates behind him in an attempt to enter the war, and on September 17, 1915 Teddy got his wish, a United States Declaration of War on the Central Powers on the side of the Entente was signed, American soldiers began landing on the beaches of France in the thousands in April 1916. With Leonard Wood as Commander-in-Chief of the American Expeditionary Force War went smoothly. German Armistice was signed on March 17, 1917. For all the opposition the American public had put up to fighting this war, they were riding a high with it ending, Theodore Roosevelt, Leonard Wood, and Secretary of State: Charles Evans Hughes were wildly popular, Republicans retook Congress in 1918, However that mattered little, when Teddy and Hughes returned from Peace talks in Europe they faced opposition within their own party, Conservative elements within the Republican Party refused to sign the Frankfurt Accords, a peace deal between the Entente Powers and Germany + Austria-Hungary, reason number 1 being a provision that would create alliances between the Entente and The United States, wanting to avoid foreign entanglements Congress ratified the Munich Agreement, except for the provisions about Entente alliances.
Teddy's last political achievement was "The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1920" which established a federal minimum wage and an 8 hour work day.
Theodore Roosevelt Retired to his estate in 1921, passing away in 1922