The Early Life of Theodore Roosevelt

Childhood Roosevelt was the son of a wealthy Dutch man from New York and a Southern Bell He was born in 1858 in New York and was a very sickly young boy He had terrible asthma and needed to be home schooled He was still a lively child and he studied animals with a passion

Teddy and His Parents

Young Adult Life Encouraged by his father, Teddy started working out to strengthen himself He learned how to box and weight lift By the time he went to Harvard, he was a strong young man He would run to his classes and was constantly full of energy and talking Every afternoon he would take an 8 mile walk

Young Teddy

Father’s Death While in his second year of college, Teddy’s father died at the age of 46 It seriously effected him, his father had been his role model “No words can tell how I shall miss your counsel and advice.” Throughout his presidency, Theodore never made a major decision without asking himself what his father would have done

College and Wife Teddy joined the lightweight boxing team and practically every other club on campus While in school he met Alice Hathaway Lee, the cousin of a classmate Her nickname was sunshine Teddy was madly in love with her and drove over to her parents house and after much pleading, Alice agreed to marry him

Teddy and Alice

Married Life Teddy and Alice were married in October of 1880 They lived a happy life with his family, traveling to Europe for several months Roosevelt became the youngest man in the Albany Legislature at 23 years old Alice became pregnant and gave birth in 1884 while Roosevelt was away

Tragedy Roosevelt was sent a telegram telling him his wife had given birth He started home when he received another telegram telling him his wife was very ill Roosevelt arrived home in time to be with Alice as she died Roosevelt’s mother also died that day in the next room over They had a double funeral and baptized the baby girl the next day

Go West Young Man Roosevelt said that all of the light had gone out of him life He didn’t know what to do with his new daughter so he left her in the care of his sister He went out to the badlands in the Dakotas where he worked through his grief Teddy worked hard for two years as a cowboy in the Dakotas

The Badlands

Roosevelt’s Return When Roosevelt returned home, his sister had made sure that an old family friend, Edith Kermit Carow, was there to greet him Roosevelt was very opposed to the idea of a widower remarrying but he soon fell in love with his childhood friend Roosevelt and Edith had a small wedding in London where she had moved with her family

Edith Roosevelt

Police Commissioner Teddy became a police commissioner of New York City He required that in order to be a policeman, you had to be able to read and write He also required standard weapons and training on those weapons founding the police academy in its early form He would disguise himself and wander around the city to make sure his officers were on duty He enjoyed his midnight walks, being able to interact with all kinds of people

The Spanish American War “A splendid little war” Roosevelt was the Assistant U.S. Navy Secretary when war was declared on Spain Teddy got permission to start a volunteer cavalry known as the Rough Riders Teddy and his men were fearless as they charges up the San Juan Hills Cuba was taken a few days later and the war ended with the Treaty of Paris where Spain ceded Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philipines

American Imperialism After the victory against Spain, America became an imperialistic country “The White Man’s Burden” –by Rudyard Kipling 1899 Hawaii –Queen Liliuokalani