The Roosevelts: An Intimate History

Episode 1

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Sun, Sep 14, 2014112 mins

The Roosevelt family originally migrated from Holland in the 17th century. They eventually became one of New York's most prominent families with a dedication to public service. Teddy Roosevelt was the second of four children and suffered from ill-health in his youth. Teddy's father was a philanthropist who dedicated half of his time to charitable organizations. The senior Roosevelt's wife, a Southerner, begged him not to enlist in the Union Army during the Civil War and he obliged, something Teddy never forgave him for and for which he tried to make amends in his own career. He studied at Harvard and met his future wife Alice there, the sister of a classmate. He was first elected to the New York state assembly at age 26 but lost his wife Alice, who died in childbirth. He became a rancher and later a New York City police commissioner. He was Under-Secretary of the Navy when the Spanish-American war broke out and at 39 years of age formed his own troop to fight in Cuba. His exploits there made him a household name and he was elected Governor of New York. He was elected vice president and on president McKinley's death from an assassins bullet in 1901, he became president at the age of 42. Meanwhile, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born at his father's country estate near the town of Hyde Park. Like his more famous cousin, Franklin went to Harvard and as he grew older, developed a keen interest in politics.