While you may think this sounds like an act of grinch-like proportions, the reasoning behind the decision was actually noble.
During the early 1900's there was a concern for the destruction of the forests due to faulty lumberjack practices called "clear-cutting". The president wanted to send a message to not go out into the woods and cut your own trees down.
Another story goes, that Mrs. Roosevelt didn't want one. Trees were a fairly new thing back then, and not everyone had them as a tradition like we do today.
What do you think?
