Step into the wild and woolly world of Theodore Roosevelt, the larger-than-life 26th President of the United States. Forget what you think you know about teddy bears – we’re here to unpack 20 Teddy Roosevelt facts that reveal the man behind the mustache, the Rough Rider who wrestled with bears (figuratively and literally), and the trailblazer who left an indelible paw print on American history. Get ready to Teddy-talk!
1-5 Interesting Facts About Teddy Roosevelt
1. Teddy Roosevelt’s academic pursuits reflected his progressive views. His 1880 undergraduate thesis at Harvard, titled “The Practicability of Equalizing Men and Women before the Law,” advocated for women’s rights, including property ownership, and argued in favor of women keeping their birth names upon marriage.
2. Known for his physical prowess, Theodore Roosevelt was a successful boxer at Harvard. He once found himself in a bar fight. Why, you ask? Because some guy called him “four eyes” and demanded he pay for drinks. This guy even had two guns! But Teddy, being Teddy, knocked him out and took away his guns.
3. Theodore Roosevelt watched his mother die of typhoid fever and then immediately had to go upstairs and see his wife die of complications from childbirth.
4. As if that wasn’t dramatic enough, the death of T.R.’s wife came two days after she gave birth to his first child (also named Alice). Unfortunately, the relationship between father and daughter didn’t exactly improve from there.
5. In his diary that night, Roosevelt, at twenty-six, wrote the poignant words, “The light has gone out of my life.”
6-10 Fun Facts About Teddy Roosevelt
6. The eccentricities extended to Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter Alice, who kept a pet snake named Emily Spinach. Carrying it around the White House in her purse, she would surprise people by taking it out unexpectedly.
7. When a dignitary complained about Alice Roosevelt, President Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter, smoking on top of the White House, Roosevelt responded, “I can be President of the United States, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both.”
8. The iconic ‘Teddy Bear’ originated from a cartoon depicting President Theodore Roosevelt sparing a wounded bear on a hunting trip. This success prompted supporters of William Taft in the next election to attempt to popularize a stuffed possum associated with their candidate, which proved unsuccessful.
9. Despite his popularity as “Teddy,” Theodore Roosevelt openly disliked the nickname and preferred to be addressed as Colonel or Theodore, especially by those working closely with him.
10. During his presidency, Theodore Roosevelt had a variety of exotic animals, including a lion, a coyote, a hyena, a black bear, and a zebra, residing on the White House grounds. He was also an avid hunter, shooting 11,397 creatures, including some endangered species. Additionally, he employed individuals to search for the remains of a mammoth, a quest in which he ultimately succeeded.
11-15 Surprising Facts About Teddy Roosevelt
11. In 1902, after a Black female postmaster was unjustly pressured out of her position in Mississippi, President Theodore Roosevelt took a stand. Despite her removal, he continued to pay her federal salary and imposed a symbolic punishment on the town by rerouting their mail to Greenville, 30 miles away.
12. In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt took a bold stance against the dangers of American football after 19 college students died that year while playing the game. So, he put his foot down and threatened to ban the sport. In response, 62 colleges formed an association in New York City, birthing what we now know as the NCAA. Crisis averted, football lives on.
13. In 1912, Teddy delivered an 84-minute campaign speech with an undressed bullet wound in his chest. Not only did he survive the attempt on his life, but he used part of his speaking time to roast the shooter for not doing a good enough job.
14. In the realm of controversial ideas, Teddy believed in criminal sterilization. A bit extreme, but then again, he was never one to shy away from bold initiatives.
15. The White House has a history of reported ghostly sightings, with both Theodore and Eleanor Roosevelt claiming encounters with the presence of Abraham Lincoln. Margaret Truman, Winston Churchill, and Henry Truman have also reported similar experiences during their stays.
16-20 Shocking Facts About Teddy Roosevelt
16. Teddy Roosevelt’s love for coffee was no joke. As a kid, he got strong coffee and cigar puffs to tackle asthma. As an adult, he guzzled up to 40 cups a day. His son even joked that Dad’s ideal coffee mug might be “more in the nature of a bathtub.”
17. Tragically, Quentin Roosevelt, the son of President Theodore Roosevelt, served as a pilot in World War I and was killed in combat. Germany, thinking it could score some propaganda points, made a postcard featuring the fallen pilot and his plane. The twist? Germans were shocked and impressed that a president’s son went down on active duty.
18. Teddy Roosevelt Jr., the son of President Theodore Roosevelt, made history during the D-Day invasion at Normandy. He was the oldest man to land on the beaches, the only individual to invade Normandy alongside his son (Cpt. Quentin Roosevelt II on Omaha Beach), and the sole general to lead his troops on Omaha Beach armed only with a cane and a pistol.
19. A trailblazer in presidential travel, Theodore Roosevelt broke tradition as the first sitting president to take an international trip, visiting Panama. Apparently, mingling with royalty was once a presidential no-no, but Teddy decided it was time for a change in America’s travel game.
20. Contrary to a common misconception, Theodore Roosevelt opposed the inclusion of the phrase “In God We Trust” on money, not due to secular concerns but to avoid cheapening such a motto by its use on coins.
That’s it for this post guys, I hope you had fun while reading about 20 Fun Teddy Roosevelt facts.
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