Remembering Theodore Roosevelt
On January 6, 1919 (105 years ago today) Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the 26th President of the United States, died at his home, Sagamore Hill, in Oyster Bay, New York. Though it seem as if he had the legacy of a much older man, he was only 60 years of age.
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. was born into a wealthy family in New York City. His father, also named Theodore, was a man with a social conscience. He taught his son to have concern for the less fortunate. His mother, the former Martha Stewart Bulloch, known as "Mittie", was a southern belle from Georgia. Roosevelt was a sickly child who suffered from asthma. To overcome his physical weakness, he embraced what he called a strenuous life. He was home-schooled, and became an eager student of nature. Roosevelt attended Harvard University where he studied biology, boxed, and developed an interest in naval affairs. In 1881, he was elected to the New York State Assembly, where he became a leader of the reform faction of his state Republican Party. His book entitled The Naval War of 1812 was published in 1882 and received critical acclaim. The book established Roosevelt as a serious historian. He also wrote numerous books on hunting, the outdoors, and current political issues, as well as frontier history.
On February 14, 1884, Roosevelt's first wife Alice and his mother Mittie both died on the same day, a day on which Roosevelt marked his diary with a large X. He temporarily left politics and went to the Dakotas, becoming a rancher in the "Badlands". He returned to New York City in 1886 where he ran for mayor in 1886, finishing third with 60,000 votes. That year he also married his childhood friend Edith Carow. Roosevelt became a police commissioner and gained fame by bringing sweeping reforms to the city police department. He also served as civil service commissioner and tried to bring about reforms in that field as well.
In 1898 Roosevelt was effectively running the Department of the Navy as its Assistant Secretary. When the Spanish American war began, he resigned this position and formed the Rough Riders, a volunteer cavalry regiment that fought in Cuba. He returned a war hero and was elected governor of New York in 1898. At odds with the party bosses, he was promoted and nominated for Vice-President in 1900. They believed that making him Vice-President was a way to dis-empower him. He was elected as President William McKinley's vice-president on a platform of high tariffs, the gold standard, imperialism, prosperity at home and victory abroad.
In 1901, President McKinley was assassinated and Roosevelt became President. He attempted to move the Republican Party toward Progressivism, and advocated policies which included trust (monopoly) busting and increased regulation of businesses. In 1904, Roosevelt became the first person elected to a term in his own right after having ascended to the Presidency from the Vice-Presidency upon the death of his predecessor. He won the largest percentage of the popular vote since the uncontested election of James Monroe in 1820. Roosevelt coined the phrase "Square Deal" to describe his domestic agenda and he promoted the conservation movement. On the world stage, Roosevelt's policies were characterized by his slogan, "Speak softly and carry a big stick". Roosevelt pushed for the completion of the Panama Canal, he sent the US Navy (known as the "Great White Fleet") on a world tour to demonstrate American power, and he negotiated an end to the Russo-Japanese War, which won him the Nobel Peace Prize.
At the end of his second term, Roosevelt promoted his friend William Howard Taft for the 1908 Republican nomination for President. After Taft was elected, Roosevelt went on a tour of Africa and Europe. On his return in 1910 he broke bitterly with President Taft on issues of progressivism. In the 1912 election Roosevelt tried and failed to block Taft's renomination by the Republican Party. He ran for President as the candidate for the Bull Moose Party, and ran on a platform that called for far-reaching progressive reforms. In October of 1912 he was shot by at attempted assassin while attending a speaking venue in Milwaukee. He was wounded, but stubbornly insisted on making his speech before seeking medical treatment. Roosevelt split the Republican vote resulting in the election of Woodrow Wilson. Roosevelt then led a major expedition to the Amazon jungles and contracted diseases which weakened his health. On his return to the United States, Roosevelt advocated American entry into World War I, and reconciled with Republican leadership. He was seen as the front-runner for the Republican nomination in the 1920 election, but he died before being able to seek the nomination.
On the night of January 5, 1919 at 11:00 PM, Roosevelt experienced breathing problems. He was treated by his family physician Dr. George W. Faller, and the treatment seemed to give him temporary relief. He went to bed and his last words were "Please put out that light, James" (spoken to his family servant James Amos.) Between 4:00 AM and 4:15 AM the next morning, Roosevelt died unexpectedly in his sleep, The cause of death was believed to be a blood clot that detached itself from a vein and entered his lungs.
When he received word of his father's death, Roosevelt's son Archie telegraphed his siblings and said "The old lion is dead." Perhaps one of the wittiest comments about Roosevelt's death came from Woodrow Wilson's Vice President, Thomas R. Marshall, who said "Death had to take Roosevelt sleeping, for if he had been awake, there would have been a fight."
In 2018, David Pietrusza's excellent book TR's Last War: Theodore Roosevelt, The Great War and a Journey of Triumph and Tragedy was published. (Our review of the book can be found here). It is an excellent account of the last stanza of Roosevelt's life, and raises some interesting questions about Roosevelt's death and one possible cause.
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. was born into a wealthy family in New York City. His father, also named Theodore, was a man with a social conscience. He taught his son to have concern for the less fortunate. His mother, the former Martha Stewart Bulloch, known as "Mittie", was a southern belle from Georgia. Roosevelt was a sickly child who suffered from asthma. To overcome his physical weakness, he embraced what he called a strenuous life. He was home-schooled, and became an eager student of nature. Roosevelt attended Harvard University where he studied biology, boxed, and developed an interest in naval affairs. In 1881, he was elected to the New York State Assembly, where he became a leader of the reform faction of his state Republican Party. His book entitled The Naval War of 1812 was published in 1882 and received critical acclaim. The book established Roosevelt as a serious historian. He also wrote numerous books on hunting, the outdoors, and current political issues, as well as frontier history.
On February 14, 1884, Roosevelt's first wife Alice and his mother Mittie both died on the same day, a day on which Roosevelt marked his diary with a large X. He temporarily left politics and went to the Dakotas, becoming a rancher in the "Badlands". He returned to New York City in 1886 where he ran for mayor in 1886, finishing third with 60,000 votes. That year he also married his childhood friend Edith Carow. Roosevelt became a police commissioner and gained fame by bringing sweeping reforms to the city police department. He also served as civil service commissioner and tried to bring about reforms in that field as well.
In 1898 Roosevelt was effectively running the Department of the Navy as its Assistant Secretary. When the Spanish American war began, he resigned this position and formed the Rough Riders, a volunteer cavalry regiment that fought in Cuba. He returned a war hero and was elected governor of New York in 1898. At odds with the party bosses, he was promoted and nominated for Vice-President in 1900. They believed that making him Vice-President was a way to dis-empower him. He was elected as President William McKinley's vice-president on a platform of high tariffs, the gold standard, imperialism, prosperity at home and victory abroad.
In 1901, President McKinley was assassinated and Roosevelt became President. He attempted to move the Republican Party toward Progressivism, and advocated policies which included trust (monopoly) busting and increased regulation of businesses. In 1904, Roosevelt became the first person elected to a term in his own right after having ascended to the Presidency from the Vice-Presidency upon the death of his predecessor. He won the largest percentage of the popular vote since the uncontested election of James Monroe in 1820. Roosevelt coined the phrase "Square Deal" to describe his domestic agenda and he promoted the conservation movement. On the world stage, Roosevelt's policies were characterized by his slogan, "Speak softly and carry a big stick". Roosevelt pushed for the completion of the Panama Canal, he sent the US Navy (known as the "Great White Fleet") on a world tour to demonstrate American power, and he negotiated an end to the Russo-Japanese War, which won him the Nobel Peace Prize.
At the end of his second term, Roosevelt promoted his friend William Howard Taft for the 1908 Republican nomination for President. After Taft was elected, Roosevelt went on a tour of Africa and Europe. On his return in 1910 he broke bitterly with President Taft on issues of progressivism. In the 1912 election Roosevelt tried and failed to block Taft's renomination by the Republican Party. He ran for President as the candidate for the Bull Moose Party, and ran on a platform that called for far-reaching progressive reforms. In October of 1912 he was shot by at attempted assassin while attending a speaking venue in Milwaukee. He was wounded, but stubbornly insisted on making his speech before seeking medical treatment. Roosevelt split the Republican vote resulting in the election of Woodrow Wilson. Roosevelt then led a major expedition to the Amazon jungles and contracted diseases which weakened his health. On his return to the United States, Roosevelt advocated American entry into World War I, and reconciled with Republican leadership. He was seen as the front-runner for the Republican nomination in the 1920 election, but he died before being able to seek the nomination.
On the night of January 5, 1919 at 11:00 PM, Roosevelt experienced breathing problems. He was treated by his family physician Dr. George W. Faller, and the treatment seemed to give him temporary relief. He went to bed and his last words were "Please put out that light, James" (spoken to his family servant James Amos.) Between 4:00 AM and 4:15 AM the next morning, Roosevelt died unexpectedly in his sleep, The cause of death was believed to be a blood clot that detached itself from a vein and entered his lungs.
When he received word of his father's death, Roosevelt's son Archie telegraphed his siblings and said "The old lion is dead." Perhaps one of the wittiest comments about Roosevelt's death came from Woodrow Wilson's Vice President, Thomas R. Marshall, who said "Death had to take Roosevelt sleeping, for if he had been awake, there would have been a fight."
In 2018, David Pietrusza's excellent book TR's Last War: Theodore Roosevelt, The Great War and a Journey of Triumph and Tragedy was published. (Our review of the book can be found here). It is an excellent account of the last stanza of Roosevelt's life, and raises some interesting questions about Roosevelt's death and one possible cause.