Theodore Roosevelt has always seemed like this rough and tough individual, that was difficult to relate to as a person. I was always shocked that people had referred to him as Teddy. Such a familiar name seemed odd for this rugged individual. As we toured his summer house I got a much better picture of this interesting man. As we were guided though his life it was easy to understand where he got that name. Looking at his childhood wrought with illness, loved by a tender hearted father and a tough mother it was easy to see how he developed his determination. As a mom with a child that suffers from asthma, I can see how hard this would be, especially if your child is a rough and tumble always running and playing sports boy. Later in his life after he marries his first wife and suffers the loss of her and his mother just days after the birth of his daughter, one can imagine how that might built an unbreakable wall of despair, but that is not what he allowed to happen to his life. He remained a devoted and loving, if somewhat distant father. After hearing stories of his second wife and their family one can easily see how compassion, and caring he was. Especially reading some of the letters left behind, filled with loving words and well thought out advice. Teddy takes shape, this man that did so much to shape our country, in both foreign and domestic matters. His “Big Stick” policy surely is a result of his strong will that developed over his lifetime of diversity.
One of the most insightful tidbits of information that I will bring back to my students is his commitment to progressive reforms. After seeing his personality take shape it is easier to see how this compassionate man could be swayed to be committed to reshaping the world around his. In the museum there were several different progressive era books on display such as, The Jungle, and How the Other Half Lives. This prolific reader was influenced by topics found in these books. I would suspect that they had a great deal of influence on his attempts at social reform. I would discuss the books with my students focusing on the main ideas presented in these books. Some will have read them in their literature class. Then I would have them research what reforms can be directly related to these books. It might also be interesting to look at the platforms of the Bull Moose, Republican and Democratic Parties during the 1912 election.
Visiting Theodore Roosevelt’s home was so interesting. It helped to understand what influenced his political moves. I always liked that he was such a vital part of social reform. I had heard that he was motivated to reform the meat packing industry after reading The Jungle but had little ideas that he was such an avid reader. Another educational stop on our tour of History, this is such a wonderful opportunity.
Of course, TR wasn’t nearly as Progressive as President as he was as the candidate for the Bull Moose Party in 1912. William Howard Taft (William Howard Taft!) instituted more antitrust prosecutions in four years than TR did in 8 or so.
Of course not. Taft was known as the trust buster and Teddy Roosevelt was a politican he was not as good in his presidency as his pupil