Why Theodore Roosevelt Banned Christmas Trees In The White House

Publish date: 2024-01-21

Theodore Roosevelt was so obsessed with the American Great Outdoors that he is sometimes referred to as the "conservationist president," according to the National Park Service. Though originally a Republican, Roosevelt moved away from the party to form The Bull Moose Party later in his career, the progressive values of which are in keeping with his views on conservationism.

Roosevelt was an adept hunter, and he became incredibly concerned about his growing nation's excessive use of natural resources, particularly the felling of trees. As such, it is believed that this influenced his decision to disallow Christmas trees in the White House during his time in office, as the purely decorative tradition arguably constitutes an unnecessary felling of fir trees and therefore a misuse of resources. The Forest History Society notes that Roosevelt wasn't alone in his concern about unnecessary deforestation, and though Christmas trees were certainly a tradition prior to his administration, the practice was increasingly brought into question.

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