Oh Yeah

President McKinley was assassinated and his vice president was put into power. At the time, the last president died in office more than 50 years prior so the idea of the office of vice president was seen as a place to park political activists who would upset the status quo. That's how Teddy Roosevelt became the VP - to get him out of the way. He was a famous American public figure but had national ideas that didn't agree with the political machines of the day. He was such an easily electable person that both parties wanted him on their ballot so they wouldn't lose if he ran. Teddy chose the progressive plank of the Republican party (before they became racist and evil in the 60s) and did easily win the governor's office of NY.

Roosevelt was a nature lover and hated big corporations and was the reason that 1900s America had a sudden pivot from WE LOVE INDUSTRIAL MONEY to FUCK UP THE RICH. Roosevelt was America's Progressive President. One of the biggest fears of Roosevelt was that corporations would take over natural wonders and monetize or ruin them, Niagara Falls was the example. The idea of preserving open wild spaces was around when Roosevelt was a child so he didn't invent the notion, but he saved more lands than anyone else did. And he did it by abusing executive orders since Congress was unreliable about forming industry blocking nature preserves.

For more detail, Ken Burns made a documentary series about America forming the National Parks and I think he captured the majesty and grandeur of the open spaces and why they are worth saving.