Why do Americans care so much about this hick?

because he was a cool dude who did a lot of good things for the country.

Public lands.

America has a strong frontier tradition and consequentially we treasure our public resources. New Zealand seems to get this but the rest of the world not so much.

There are so many valid ways to insult Teddy, but "hick?" He was a rich kid from New York City.

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>>2494883
He was charismatic and embodied many of the traits Americans held in high regard. That he lived in the era in which America shed its adolescence and became a world power doesn't hurt.