This is a good essay and contains many things about TR's children that I didn't know.
There is much to admire about TR in his life, but in my opinion his full story also provides great warning about failing your ultimate test.
The year is 1912. TR hasn't been President for nearly 4 years, having handed the office over to his designated successor William Howard Taft. There is a rumbling split in the Republican Party, largely led by TR (meddling in politics after leaving the White House) who believes that the Republican Party is not progressive enough (yes, that progressive, the definition hasn't changed much) and so he stands for the nomination. He is narrowly defeated as the party stays with the incumbent, and most note that TR had already served almost two full terms as President, seeing how he replaced McKinley only six months in. (Serving only two terms was tradition only at that point, started by George Washington. The 22nd Amendment would not be passed until 1951 after the unprecedented four terms of another President named Roosevelt. TR had previously stated all the way up into 1912 that he would not run again but changed his mind.)
Not to be denied, TR immediately stood up his own party, the "Bull Moose" Progressive party, largely splitting the Republican Party along the nomination voting lines at the convention. This not only handed the Presidential election to Woodrow Wilson, it also created Democratic Party majorities in both Houses of Congress. The Progressive Party would then work WITH the Democratic Party to create supermajorities in both some state legislatures and the US Congress. (Wilson ended up with over 400 electoral votes but won only 41.8% of the popular vote.)
What followed was perhaps the most destructive Congress in the history of the United States.
The 16th Amendment had been floating around state legislatures since 1909 looking for ratification and was largely understood to be a dead letter as the more conservative wing of the Republican Party wouldn't support it. With the team up of the Progressive Party and the Democratic Party, it was finally ratified in February of 1913. The Seventeenth Amendment was likewise ratified in April 1913 largely on the same wave of Progressive or "Reform" sentiment.
The Revenue Act of 1913 beginning the permanent Federal Income Tax was passed on October 3, 1913. The Federal Reserve Act was passed on December 23, 1913. And Woodrow Wilson went on to two terms, including getting the US involved in a European war and firmly entrenching the American managerial state.
To my mind, Roosevelt had up until 1912 already clenched a very nice legacy, only clouded by his strong support of the beginnings of the United States as a contender for world wide Empire. He allowed his personal ego and elitism to lead him to support the radical liberalism of the French Revolution, ideas I believe TR himself roundly rejected in his personal life. Although I find much to admire in his personal life, I feel he failed his ultimate test and I no longer consider him a great President or politician as it is taught by our national mythology.
It’s the greatest men that accomplish the greatest things; when they do good they make the world enormously better, and when they fail it becomes correspondingly worse. I can agree with your assessment to some extent but I would still say that on the balance Roosevelt should be admired, if for no other reason than his willingness to live up to his principles even when it cost him greatly. The problem was less that there was a president like Roosevelt and more that there were so few others like him.
As a bookish introvert with bad eyesight that grew up to find a much more well rounded person through outdoor and martial pursuits, I have a great deal of admiration for TR as a person, and I'm not past admitting that in reading some of his works he became something of an inspiration. However, I view him as somewhat of a tragic figure because he betrayed his personal values in the political sphere through hubris and sentimentality, and so I like to point out "the rest of the story" as a cautionary tale.
I still admire him despite his faults. Also, he did push for a Central Bank and Income Tax which were Progressive Goals at the time. So, they weren't unique to the Wilson Administration. The Youtube channel Monsieur Z has an excellent video on Wilson and a series called the Seven Ages of America where he goes into this when he gets to the Progressive Era.
Praying for you and your family this Father's Day. I obviously don't know you personally, but if you're inspiring your children the same way your pieces inspire your readers, they're off to a great start.
I was today years old when I found out that Theodore Roosevelt was married twice and that Alice Roosevelt had a different mother than her younger siblings. Thanks for that!
There are a few books about her out there, one of them is linked in the part of the essay about her. The great tragedy of her life is that she died too early to prove that women could, in fact, meme.
Excellent Essay. Teddy Roosevelt, Huey Long, and Andrew Jackson are my favorite Americans in the history of our country. I have the first of Edmund Morris's Trilogy "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt." Haven't finished it, but it is excellent.
I knew about Quentin the youngest, but the other children led quite interesting and sometimes tragic lives. That family picture does feel like it's from a whole other world. Keep up the great work and God Bless.
Thank you very much. There’s so much more I could have said, but the essay was long enough already. As I noted, any of them could be a subject unto him or herself.
I loved this, and you are correct - I'd forgotten completely about the Teapot Dome scandal. I watched the video and it all came rushing back. There is so much to admire about Teddy Roosevelt, and, as you've noted, some things to dislike, but I agree on that on balance I would rather have been seated at his table for conversation than with many others who've held the post as President.
Few people had as diverse and tragic a life story as Teddy did- and most of the other Presidents never came close to his achievements in and out of the office.
TR has always been interesting to me, and Alice, too. I didn’t know much about the others, thank you for the lesson. I will certainly say a prayer for you and your family, happy early Father’s Day.
I wasn't sure you would, but was hoping you'd give darling Alice some space. In retrospect of course I realize it would have been almost impossible not to. One of my favorite Teddy quotes, he, replying to a comment at a cabinet meeting or such saying something like; "I can govern the country or my daughter. I can't do both. Which do you choose?"
"...that white imperialism was a progressive force that would uplift benighted brown people the world over" back in the day was not a uncommon tenet and if you replace the words 'white imperialism' with civilization not,in my opinion entirely false. One could also contend, then and today civilization, western civilization is rather pale compared to the rest of the globe.
Hum, civilization today is pretty much a pale shade of white and ivory (If Sax Rhomer had called it the Ivory Peril instead of the Yellow Peril I doubt Dr. Fu Manchu would have generated quite the same fears.). On the other hand those that spout the concept of white supremacy, pro or con, tend to be the least civilized.
Roosevelt believed that the world could be uplifted by the benevolent hand of white imperialism, as opposed to leaving foreign peoples alone to work out their own course. It’s not the whiteness of the project that was the problem, but the mission itself.
This is a good essay and contains many things about TR's children that I didn't know.
There is much to admire about TR in his life, but in my opinion his full story also provides great warning about failing your ultimate test.
The year is 1912. TR hasn't been President for nearly 4 years, having handed the office over to his designated successor William Howard Taft. There is a rumbling split in the Republican Party, largely led by TR (meddling in politics after leaving the White House) who believes that the Republican Party is not progressive enough (yes, that progressive, the definition hasn't changed much) and so he stands for the nomination. He is narrowly defeated as the party stays with the incumbent, and most note that TR had already served almost two full terms as President, seeing how he replaced McKinley only six months in. (Serving only two terms was tradition only at that point, started by George Washington. The 22nd Amendment would not be passed until 1951 after the unprecedented four terms of another President named Roosevelt. TR had previously stated all the way up into 1912 that he would not run again but changed his mind.)
Not to be denied, TR immediately stood up his own party, the "Bull Moose" Progressive party, largely splitting the Republican Party along the nomination voting lines at the convention. This not only handed the Presidential election to Woodrow Wilson, it also created Democratic Party majorities in both Houses of Congress. The Progressive Party would then work WITH the Democratic Party to create supermajorities in both some state legislatures and the US Congress. (Wilson ended up with over 400 electoral votes but won only 41.8% of the popular vote.)
What followed was perhaps the most destructive Congress in the history of the United States.
The 16th Amendment had been floating around state legislatures since 1909 looking for ratification and was largely understood to be a dead letter as the more conservative wing of the Republican Party wouldn't support it. With the team up of the Progressive Party and the Democratic Party, it was finally ratified in February of 1913. The Seventeenth Amendment was likewise ratified in April 1913 largely on the same wave of Progressive or "Reform" sentiment.
The Revenue Act of 1913 beginning the permanent Federal Income Tax was passed on October 3, 1913. The Federal Reserve Act was passed on December 23, 1913. And Woodrow Wilson went on to two terms, including getting the US involved in a European war and firmly entrenching the American managerial state.
To my mind, Roosevelt had up until 1912 already clenched a very nice legacy, only clouded by his strong support of the beginnings of the United States as a contender for world wide Empire. He allowed his personal ego and elitism to lead him to support the radical liberalism of the French Revolution, ideas I believe TR himself roundly rejected in his personal life. Although I find much to admire in his personal life, I feel he failed his ultimate test and I no longer consider him a great President or politician as it is taught by our national mythology.
It’s the greatest men that accomplish the greatest things; when they do good they make the world enormously better, and when they fail it becomes correspondingly worse. I can agree with your assessment to some extent but I would still say that on the balance Roosevelt should be admired, if for no other reason than his willingness to live up to his principles even when it cost him greatly. The problem was less that there was a president like Roosevelt and more that there were so few others like him.
As a bookish introvert with bad eyesight that grew up to find a much more well rounded person through outdoor and martial pursuits, I have a great deal of admiration for TR as a person, and I'm not past admitting that in reading some of his works he became something of an inspiration. However, I view him as somewhat of a tragic figure because he betrayed his personal values in the political sphere through hubris and sentimentality, and so I like to point out "the rest of the story" as a cautionary tale.
I still admire him despite his faults. Also, he did push for a Central Bank and Income Tax which were Progressive Goals at the time. So, they weren't unique to the Wilson Administration. The Youtube channel Monsieur Z has an excellent video on Wilson and a series called the Seven Ages of America where he goes into this when he gets to the Progressive Era.
Praying for you and your family this Father's Day. I obviously don't know you personally, but if you're inspiring your children the same way your pieces inspire your readers, they're off to a great start.
I hope to do so, and thank you very much!
I was today years old when I found out that Theodore Roosevelt was married twice and that Alice Roosevelt had a different mother than her younger siblings. Thanks for that!
There are a few books about her out there, one of them is linked in the part of the essay about her. The great tragedy of her life is that she died too early to prove that women could, in fact, meme.
I don't know bro, her whole life had, or was memeing, including sitting atop the roof of the White House smoking, bored of all she surveyed.
I genuinely believe you to be one of the most important writers alive today. No homo.
That’s very kind, but I’m hardly even the best writer in the timeline.
Another excellent piece. Thank you for this.
Thank you for reading.
Excellent Essay. Teddy Roosevelt, Huey Long, and Andrew Jackson are my favorite Americans in the history of our country. I have the first of Edmund Morris's Trilogy "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt." Haven't finished it, but it is excellent.
I knew about Quentin the youngest, but the other children led quite interesting and sometimes tragic lives. That family picture does feel like it's from a whole other world. Keep up the great work and God Bless.
Thank you very much. There’s so much more I could have said, but the essay was long enough already. As I noted, any of them could be a subject unto him or herself.
Do you think you could do an overview of Huey Long and his family as well?
I could look into it.
Great. No rush. Peace
I loved this, and you are correct - I'd forgotten completely about the Teapot Dome scandal. I watched the video and it all came rushing back. There is so much to admire about Teddy Roosevelt, and, as you've noted, some things to dislike, but I agree on that on balance I would rather have been seated at his table for conversation than with many others who've held the post as President.
Excellent essay. Thanks for putting me some knowledge. Your closing remarks hit the target perfectly.
Thank you so much. I’m glad I could write something edifying.
Few people had as diverse and tragic a life story as Teddy did- and most of the other Presidents never came close to his achievements in and out of the office.
Apart from perhaps Nixon, I don't think anyone approached the office of President better prepared for the job.
Beautiful essay about one of the most extraordinary American families.
Such poetic beautiful last paragraph with the metaphor of how to inspire children.
Thanks for this essay. Fascinating to read about TR's children, a topic new to me.
If you’re interested in learning more, this is one of the books I drew upon.
The Lion's Pride: Theodore Roosevelt and His Family in Peace and War https://a.co/d/6OKPwXu
Brilliant essay worthy of the brilliant man. Thank you so very much
Thank you
TR has always been interesting to me, and Alice, too. I didn’t know much about the others, thank you for the lesson. I will certainly say a prayer for you and your family, happy early Father’s Day.
A prayer is always appreciated.
Not too shabby, L'brian!
I wasn't sure you would, but was hoping you'd give darling Alice some space. In retrospect of course I realize it would have been almost impossible not to. One of my favorite Teddy quotes, he, replying to a comment at a cabinet meeting or such saying something like; "I can govern the country or my daughter. I can't do both. Which do you choose?"
"...that white imperialism was a progressive force that would uplift benighted brown people the world over" back in the day was not a uncommon tenet and if you replace the words 'white imperialism' with civilization not,in my opinion entirely false. One could also contend, then and today civilization, western civilization is rather pale compared to the rest of the globe.
Hum, civilization today is pretty much a pale shade of white and ivory (If Sax Rhomer had called it the Ivory Peril instead of the Yellow Peril I doubt Dr. Fu Manchu would have generated quite the same fears.). On the other hand those that spout the concept of white supremacy, pro or con, tend to be the least civilized.
Roosevelt believed that the world could be uplifted by the benevolent hand of white imperialism, as opposed to leaving foreign peoples alone to work out their own course. It’s not the whiteness of the project that was the problem, but the mission itself.