Mr. Roosevelt dines with Mr. Washington. Teddy Roosevelt, Part 3.

Teddy Roosevelt was born in 1858, just before the start of the Civil War. Men the age of his father fought in that War. Teddy's own father paid someone to take his place, a common practice at that time. Although the Civil War put an official end to slavery, it did not end discrimination in America. When Teddy became President at the beginning of the 20th century, the equal rights of black Americans was a very sensitive issue.

TR seemed to be making a bold statement when, only a month into his Presidency, he invited Booker T. Washington to have dinner with him at the White House.


Booker T. Washington was the most famous black man in America at the time. Born a slave, he had spent years involved in education, first his own and then encouraging others. He created the Tuskegee Institute where black Americans could earn a degree in a technical field. His approach was not supported by all members of the black community, but he did have influence with many politicans.

When Mr. Washington dined with President Roosevelt at the White House in October, 1901, he was the first black man to do so.



Immediately there was a strong backlash against the President, especially from Southerners. TR was upset by the response but said he would have dinner with whomever he liked, "just as often as I please."
Despite his strong words, President Roosevelt never did invite Mr. Washington again.

All About Alice. Teddy Roosevelt, Part 2.

Before there were movie stars or rock stars or TV celebrities, there was Alice. For a time, Alice was the most famous woman in America. And she didn't have to do anything but be herself.

As the beautiful teenage daughter of the President, newspaper reporters followed her around and wrote about her daily. She never disappointed them.

Everything that Alice did got attention--and not always the good kind. She smoked cigarettes when few women did and often walked around the White House with her pet snake wrapped around her neck. And she even named the snake: Emily Spinach.

Everyone wanted to know all about Alice. She liked to wear a light shade of blue that matched her eyes. "Alice Blue" became the must have color of the season.

Alice loved to be the center of attention. Just like her father, she was a wonderful storyteller. Alice was at her best in a small crowd of people, as they gathered around her, laughing in all of the right places.


Alice outlived all of her younger brothers and sisters. She lived happily in Washington until her death at age 96. By 1980, she had met every President along the way since her own father became President in 1901. She was said to have charmed them all.

Teddy. The First Roosevelt President

Teddy was the first,and perhaps slightly less known, Roosevelt to become President in 1901. When he was Vice President, and off on a "bully" hike as he liked to say, leading the "strenous life" that he so enjoyed, he was told that President McKinley had been shot. Teddy Roosevelt was President for eight years. During this time he showed himself to be a complicated man who enjoyed going into battle as much as a long walk in the woods.

Teddy Roosevelt was, indeed, related to the other Roosevelt President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. They were distant cousins. But TR, as many people called him, had an even closer connection to Franklin's wife, Eleanor Roosevelt.


Growing up, TR had two sisters and a brother. He was very close with his brother, Elliot. They both married and each had a daughter. Teddy's daughter, Alice, was born in February, 1884 and Elliot's daughter Eleanor was born in October of the same year. Elliot had a difficult life and died fairly young. Eleanor was always close with her Uncle despite being much shyer and more soft spoken than her cousin Alice.



Alice Roosevelt, the oldest of TR's six children, was a character in her own right. She deserves a full post of her own.



If you are in New York City, you can learn a lot more about Teddy Roosevelt's life by visiting the home he lived in as a child. Along with a taking an interesting tour of the house, you can see his exercise bicycle, the bloody shirt he was wearing when he was shot while giving a speech (he kept talking for another hour), and a real elephant foot that he used as a garbage can.
Teddy Roosevelt Birthplace







You can also visit the home he shared with his wife and six children on Long Island called Sagamore Hill. Inside the house you'll see the first telephone used by a President, many animal heads TR shot while on safari, and the room and bed which he died in. Outside you can stroll down to the water to where the family went swimming or take a look at the unusual pet cemetary where the kids favorite pets are buried.
Sagamore Hill