DR__The Roosevelts: An Intimate History Flashcards
Episode #1: Get Action
The Roosevelts, between them, they would occupy the White House for 19 of the first 45 years of the 20th Century.
About 1644, Klaes Van Roosevelt came from Holland to New Amsterdam (New York). Seven generations later, Teddy Roosevelt was born on October 27th, 1858. [Four years before my grandfather]//After his mother and wife died on the same day, TR quit his job as assemblyman in Albany and went West to the Badlands.//TR became a rancher and built his own ranch house. 1883-1887 stayed in the Dakotas. Lost half his fortune in the cattle business. (Cows froze to death in the Winter.)
At 30, he campaigned for Rutherford Hayes for president. For TR’s efforts he was given civil servant jobs over the post office and other city jobs. //1895 TR is in charge of NYC police. He was the police commissioner.//TR enforced closing of saloons open on Sunday. TR resigns as police commissioner.//TR didn’t want any foreign power to have control anywhere in the new world. He wanted Great Britan to give up Canada and he wanted Spain to give up Cuba.
On 15 February 1898, the U.S. Battleship “Maine” mysteriously blew up in Cuba, killing 266 American men. TR blamed Spain. //President Mckinley moved cautiously. He had seen the dead piled up at Antietam and wanted to see no more. TR privately accused President Mckinley of having the backbone of a Chocolate Eclair!//When President McKinley went on a business trip, TR put commodore Dewey on full alert to be ready to attack the Spanish fleet in Havana Harbor. //Later when Congress declared war on Spain, TR led his “Rough Riders” through the jungles. TR was assistant secretary of the Navy at this time.
July 1, 1898, “Kettle Hill” TR at one point charged into battle but he forgot to order his men to charge. Only 5 men charged with him, three of which were quickly killed! TR quickly returned and gave the order to Charge!//89 Rough Riders were killed! TR was proud that his Rough Riders took the heaviest losses out of all the attacking armies. (ie; Calvaries)//After this victory, TR ran for governor of NY and won!//TR was set to run a second term as governor, but on November 21, 1899, V.P. Garret Hobart suddenly died of a heart attack. TR was reluctant to run for V.P. because back then the office of V.P. is where politicians went to die!
McKinley dies of gangrene and TR is sworn in as new President of the United States of September 14, 1901. He was the youngest president in American history at age 42.//NOTE: Rough Riders were a special group of ex lawmen and soldiers, hand picked by TR as his special calvary.
Episode #2: In the Arena.
TR’s first night as president was 9/23/1901.
Trivia questions:
- Who was the first American President to be born in a city? Answer: TR.
- Who was the first President to go down in a submarine? Answer: TR
- Who was the first president to leave the Country while in office? Answer: TR.
- Who was first president to own an automobile? Answer: TR.
Also first to win Nobel peace prize. //First Presiden to invite African American to dine with him in the White House. [Booker T. Washington]//NOTE: Black Slaves built the White House! //NOTE: The Constitution was written in 1787, not 1776.//TR wrote 150,000 letters while President. Thomas Jefferson the next closest wrote 22,000. TR wrote the most letters by far!
TR would read a book each day. Some days he would read three books a day.
Under TR’s term of President, “The Executive Mansion” was officially named “The White House”
War: The balance of power in the Pacific. Russia vs Japan on who willl be the conquerer of Asia.
NOTE: Japan was kicking Russia’s ass and had already sunk most of Russia’s Navy!
TR worried that if Japan devastated Russia, that Asia would be too unstable. So TR invited both leaders to send delegates aboard his Yacht and unfolded a plan where both sides came out winners and both sides saved face.
Both sides came to a peaceful agreement called “The treaty of Portsmouth”. [Pronounced Ports Smith] As a result of this miracle meeting by TR, TR was soon awarded the Nobel peace prize. 10 Dec. 1906.
Sagamore HIll: TR’s summer home often had around 14 cousins over as guest. TR would often take them on “Point to Point” dashes where they were not allowed to go around obstacles. They climbed over and under fences, forced their way through bushes and brambles. These were long strenuous dashes through the woods, and Marshes.
TR also protected America by making National parks, bird sanctuaries, National monuments etc.
From 1901 when TR invited Booker T. Washington to a White House dinner until 1906, over 400 Negro public lynchings occurred. Hanging from trees, hanging from bridges.
TR quote: “If Lincoln lived in times of peace, nobody would know his name.”
When TR went hunting in Africa he had 206 porters. 512 animals killed. 20 Rhinos, 17 Lions, 11 Elephants, 9 Giraffes.
He ended up sending to museums crates and barrels containing 11,397 preserved creatures! This was an eleven month hunting trip.
EOF Episode #2.
Episode #3: The Fire of Life
TR decided to run for president once again after his African safaris. The year was 1912. TR claimed that Taft was letting the country go to ruins. In the 1912 Republican convention, TR only won a few votes. Since TR could not be supported by Republicans, he started a third party which was referred to as the Bull Moose party, a play on words describing TR’s tremendous ambition.
While campaigning in an open car, a deranged German immigrant thought the ghost of president McKinley was talking to him (inside his head) and McKinley wanted this immigrant to kill TR. From seven feet away, TR was shot in his chest. The bullet went throught TR’s glasses case and through a 50 page speech in TR’s pocket, then lodged in TR’s rib only 1/4 inch away from his heart.//TR saw no blood coming out of his mouth so he continued his speech for a whole hour!//Later he went to the hospital, then was in the care of his wife for another two weeks.//TR only made one last campaign trip to Manhattan. Then the election was held. //Because of TR’s running as a third party, the electorial votes gave the election to Woodrow Wilson, and caused Taft to lose because the Bull Moose party won too many Democratic votes.//TR lost one of his sons in WWI. Quentin Roosevelt was shot down in his plane in Germany. //TR died in his sleep, age 60. January 5, 1919.
FDR
FDR almost got divorced because he was sweet on Lucy Mercer, his wife’s social secretary. Franklin had to promise never to see Lucy again to save their marriage. Eleanor always remained hurt about this “cheating affair” between them. //1920, Women could finally vote in every state.
When FDR was on the ticket as VP to Senator Cox, he still was assistant Secretary of the Navy. //July 25, 1920. Destroyer “Hatfield”//FDR once steered a Destroyer, the “Hatfield” to bring him to Campobello for a few days rest and the republicans made it a big deal in the press for using a Destroyer as his personal vehicle.//One day out of the blue, he raced his kids to the house. Next morning his legs would not work. This was unbelievable. FDR was a good golfer and a great dancer. For a period, he lost his faith.
FDR was 39 when he got Polio. FDR’s metal braces weighed 14 Lbs. When FDR wore them, it took two people to stand him on his feet. And a third to place crutches under his arms.
His lower legs were in casts because his leg muscles would naturally atrophy. They had to drive wedges down into his leg casts to keep his legs straight because the atrophied hamstrings would try to draw his knees up to his chest.
FDR badly needed a way to keep his political life alive. The answer was his wife, Eleanor.
Eleanor joined all kinds of clubs and organizations. She had a fear of public speaking, so FDR’s men taught her how to do public speaking.
FDR became delusional that he would walk again, but he never improved his entire life.
One historian claimed that if FDR didn’t have polio, he would have become president in the 1920’s and nobody would remember him again.
FDR campaigned hard during the depression. Times were so bad that released convicts begged to go back into prision. FDR promised he would not forget the Americans at the bottom of the ladder. FDR promised them “A new Deal!”
FDR won the preesidential election by 7 million votes, taking 42/48 states. Things were so bad 40% of the Americans had no dependable source of income!
EPISODE #5: The Rising Road
When FDR took office, the depression was so bad that 100,000 people a week were fired. This happened for 3 years in a row. Imagine the magnitude! [MN: Imagine two football stadiums full of people losing their job, each week for three years!]
Was there anything like this before in all of history? Yes, it was called “The Dark Ages!”
5,000 Banks have failed. Nine Million savings accounts have been wiped out! Some 60 Million Americans listened to FDR’s fireside chats!
FDR invited the press into his office 997 times! Before, previous politicians thought of the press as spies. FDR started the CCC and put three million men to work on the National parks. They planted hundreds of millions of trees. [MN: we see these trees today from their efforts.] They made $30/month, and sent $25 of it home.
FDR said “If I fail, I will be our last president!”
FDR and Eleanor did not have a happy marriage, but they stayed together and emerged as two world leaders in this age of history. Eleanor Roosevelt soon became the best known woman in the world!
Herbert Hoover’s mail was handled by one person. The Roosevelt’s mail required 50 people! They received between 5,000 to 8,000 letters every day!
Anyone who filmed FDR using a wheel chair or other apparatus, had their films/pictures confiscated by the secret service.
FDR changed many, many policies. And these changes enraged the old school bosses that TR battled.
Once you get old and frail, but have social security to help you continue living with dignity, take off your hat and thank TR and FDR for social security. [MN: Otherwise all your life’s hard work is forgotten and you die poor.
In 1935, FDR was so loved that people who had a serious chance of running against him for president were either assassinated or somehow booted out of the election, such as Huey Long.
