1. The Early Life of Theodore Roosevelt

2. Childhood
Roosevelt was the son of a wealthy Dutch man from New York and a Southern Bell
He was born in 1858 in New York and was a very sickly young boy
He had terrible asthma and needed to be home schooled
He was still a lively child and he studied animals with a passion

3. Teddy and His Parents

4. Young Adult Life
Encouraged by his father, Teddy started working out to strengthen himself
He learned how to box and weight lift
By the time he went to Harvard, he was a strong young man
He would run to his classes and was constantly full of energy and talking
Every afternoon he would take an 8 mile walk

5. Young Teddy

6. Father’s Death
While in his second year of college, Teddy’s father died at the age of 46
It seriously effected him, his father had been his role model
“No words can tell how I shall miss your counsel and advice.”
Throughout his presidency, Theodore never made a major decision without asking himself what his father would have done

7. College and Wife
Teddy joined the lightweight boxing team and practically every other club on campus
While in school he met Alice Hathaway Lee, the cousin of a classmate
Her nickname was sunshine
Teddy was madly in love with her and drove over to her parents house and after much pleading, Alice agreed to marry him

8. Teddy and Alice

9. Married Life Teddy and Alice were married in October of 1880
They lived a happy life with his family, traveling to Europe for several months
Roosevelt became the youngest man in the Albany Legislature at 23 years old
Alice became pregnant and gave birth in 1884 while Roosevelt was away

10. Tragedy
Roosevelt was sent a telegram telling him his wife had given birth
He started home when he received another telegram telling him his wife was very ill
Roosevelt arrived home in time to be with Alice as she died
Roosevelt’s mother also died that day in the next room over
They had a double funeral and baptized the baby girl the next day

11. Go West Young Man
Roosevelt said that all of the light had gone out of him life
He didn’t know what to do with his new daughter so he left her in the care of his sister
He went out to the badlands in the Dakotas where he worked through his grief
Teddy worked hard for two years as a cowboy in the Dakotas

12. The Badlands

14. Roosevelt’s Return
When Roosevelt returned home, his sister had made sure that an old family friend, Edith Kermit Carow, was there to greet him
Roosevelt was very opposed to the idea of a widower remarrying but he soon fell in love with his childhood friend
Roosevelt and Edith had a small wedding in London where she had moved with her family

15. Edith Roosevelt

16. Police Commissioner
Teddy became a police commissioner of New York City
He required that in order to be a policeman, you had to be able to read and write
He also required standard weapons and training on those weapons founding the police academy in its early form
He would disguise himself and wander around the city to make sure his officers were on duty
He enjoyed his midnight walks, being able to interact with all kinds of people

17. The Spanish American War
“A splendid little war”
Roosevelt was the Assistant U.S. Navy Secretary when war was declared on Spain
Teddy got permission to start a volunteer cavalry known as the Rough Riders
Teddy and his men were fearless as they charges up the San Juan Hills
Cuba was taken a few days later and the war ended with the Treaty of Paris where Spain ceded Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philipines

18. American Imperialism
After the victory against Spain, America became an imperialistic country
“The White Man’s Burden” –by Rudyard Kipling 1899
Hawaii –Queen Liliuokalani