President Theodore Roosevelt - GREAT WHITE FLEET | Before becoming president, Theodore Roosevelt had been Assistant Secretary of the Navy. The Great White Fleet, consisting of 14,000 sailors on 16 battleships and accompanying vessels, was sent around the world for fourteen months by President Roosevelt.The fleet's journey started on December 16, 1907, and concluded on February 22, 1909. Sixteen battleships and 14,000 men embarked on a historic voyage that steamed 43,000 miles and made 20 port calls on six continents. On the warm, cloudy morning of Dec. 16, 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt stood on the weather-deck of the presidential yacht Mayflower, anchored in the waters off Hampton Roads, Va.He flashed his famous broad, toothy smile and thought how "bully" it was to see a mighty armada of US battleships passing in review before him. President Theodore Roosevelt sent the Great White Fleet from Hampton Roads, Virginia, on December 16, 1907, on a world tour to test naval readiness, establish global presence, generate international goodwill, and garner enthusiasm for the U.S. Navy. In a speech before Congress on December 3, 1901, Theodore Roosevelt outlined the importance of a strong Navy. The cruise of the Great White Fleet.