Theodore Roosevelt was always fond of a West African proverb he picked up, as he wrote in a letter to Henry Sprague, “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” Roosevelt was commenting on a local election, but the “big stick” ideology, implying the seeking of consensus whenever possible, but backing up one’s position with brute force when necessary, came to dominate his general political views.

On this day, September 2, in 1901, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt for the first time used the “speak softly” proverb at a speech at the Minnesota State Fair. Just two days later President William McKinley was assassinated and Roosevelt took over to begin exercising his Big Stick power.

In one of the earliest examples of Roosevelt’s modus operandi, he summoned the leaders of the United Mine Workers union, on strike for better working conditions at the mines, along with the leaders of the mining companies to try to work out a compromise. When negotiations broke down, Roosevelt nationalized the mines and sent in Army troops to operate them in the nation’s interest. Reasoning less profit was better than no profit at all, the mining companies settled their dispute with the workers.