Remembering The Old Lion
On January 6, 1919 (95 years ago today) Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the 26th President of the United States, died at his home (Sagamore Hill). He was only 60 years of age.
Theodore Roosevelt was born into a wealthy family in New York City. His father has a social conscience and fostered his son's concern for the less fortunate and his mother 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. 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 in 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 returning 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 promptly resigned 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 part bosses, he was promoted and nominated for vice president in 1900. 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, including 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. He 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. He launched the Bull Moose Party that called for far-reaching progressive reforms, splitting 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 frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 1920 election, but he died in 1919.
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 which 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 at from a blood clot detaching itself from a vein and entering his lungs.
When he received word of his death, his 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."
Theodore Roosevelt was born into a wealthy family in New York City. His father has a social conscience and fostered his son's concern for the less fortunate and his mother 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. 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 in 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 returning 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 promptly resigned 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 part bosses, he was promoted and nominated for vice president in 1900. 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, including 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. He 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. He launched the Bull Moose Party that called for far-reaching progressive reforms, splitting 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 frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 1920 election, but he died in 1919.
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 which 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 at from a blood clot detaching itself from a vein and entering his lungs.
When he received word of his death, his 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."