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Presidency (1901–1909)

On September 6, 1901, President McKinley was attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, when he was shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz. Roosevelt, vacationing in Isle La Motte, Vermont, traveled to Buffalo to visit McKinley in the hospital. When McKinley seemed to recover, Roosevelt resumed his vacation. When McKinley's condition worsened, Roosevelt rushed back to Buffalo. He was in North Creek when he learned of McKinley's death on September 14. Roosevelt then continued to Buffalo and was sworn in as the 26th president at the Ansley Wilcox House.

McKinley's supporters were uneasy about Roosevelt, with Ohio Senator Mark Hanna particularly bitter, given his strong opposition at the convention. Although Roosevelt assured party leaders that he would adhere to McKinley's policies and retained his Cabinet, he sought to establish himself as the party's leader and position himself for the 1904 election.

Shortly after taking office, Roosevelt invited Booker T. Washington to dinner at the White House, sparking a bitter reaction across the heavily segregated South. While Roosevelt initially planned more dinners with Washington, he later avoided further invitations in favor of business appoinrments to retain political support in the white South.