1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hi again everyone, It's Eves and welcome to 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:10,800 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class, a show where history waits 4 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: for no one. Today is October. The day it was 5 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 1: October fifty eight. Theodore Roosevelt was born in New York City. 6 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: Roosevelt went on to become the twenty six president of 7 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: the United States, one who was known for his conservationism, 8 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: for expanding the powers of the presidency, and for initiating 9 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 1: construction on the Panama Canal, among other acts. Theodore Roosevelt Jr. 10 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: Was born into a wealthy family. His father, Theodore Roosevelt Senior, 11 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: was a businessman and philanthropist, and his mother, Martha Bullock, 12 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: was from a slave owning plantation family. Partly because he 13 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: had severe asthma, Roosevelt was educated by private tutors as 14 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: a child. At an early age, he developed an interest 15 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 1: in nature and became an avid naturalist, but in his 16 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: education he decided to pursue politics in history. He graduated 17 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 1: from Harvard College and married his wife, Alice Hathaway Lee, 18 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: in eighteen eighty. After graduating, he began attending Columbia Law School. 19 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: After a year there, he dropped out and entered politics, 20 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: as he was elected to the New York State Assembly 21 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: at age three, but tragedy struck in eighteen eighty four 22 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: in his last term in the Assembly, when his mother 23 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: and his wife died on the same day. He moved 24 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 1: to the Dakota Territory and established a ranch there. He 25 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: stayed out west for two years, delving into his study 26 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: of history and acting as a frontier sheriff. In eighteen 27 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: eighty six, he went back to New York, where he 28 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: lost a campaign for New York City mayor. Roosevelt married 29 00:01:57,080 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: Edith Carroll that December, and he went on to serve 30 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: as a civil service commissioner, president of the New York 31 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 1: City Police Board, and President William McKinley's assistant secretary of 32 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: the Navy. As assistant Secretary, Roosevelt ardently accepted imperialistic theories. 33 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,919 Speaker 1: He lobbied for a bigger navy, and he championed war 34 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: against Spain. When the Spanish American War broke out in 35 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:24,640 Speaker 1: eight he resigned as assistant secretary and organized the first U. S. 36 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, known as the Rough Writers. Roosevelt commanded 37 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: the unit in Cuba, where they fought in the war, 38 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 1: including the Battle of San Juan Hill, a major U 39 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 1: S victory. When he returned to New York in eight 40 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: Roosevelt was treated as a war hero. He was elected 41 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: as governor of New York that year, and he immediately 42 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: began instituting reforms, removing corrupt officials, enacting legislation to regulate corporations, 43 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: and displaying his resolve despite the demands of his Republican bosses. 44 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: The party bosses believe they could put an end to 45 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,639 Speaker 1: his progressive policies by tapping him for the Republican vice 46 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: presidential nomination in nineteen hundred and William McKinley and Roosevelt 47 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 1: were elected president and vice president, but McKinley was assassinated 48 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: in September of nineteen o one, and Roosevelt became president 49 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,239 Speaker 1: at age forty two, making him the youngest person ever 50 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: to become president of the United States. As president, Roosevelt 51 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: acted on his belief that the government should be an 52 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 1: arbiter between conflicting forces like capital and labor, as well 53 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: as conservation and development. He became known as a trustbuster, 54 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 1: and he focused on issues regarding the conservation of natural 55 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: resources Roosevelt also sought to expand the United States role 56 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 1: as a world power. He won the nineteen o four 57 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: U S presidential election advocating for a square deal between 58 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 1: capital and labor. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 59 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: in nineteen o six for negotiating peace in the Russo 60 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: Japanese War. When his presidential term ended in nineteen o nine, 61 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: he went on a year long safari in East Africa 62 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: with his son, and he toured Europe. Though he had 63 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: said he wouldn't run again, he was unhappy with William 64 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: Taft's presidency and he campaigned for the Republican nomination in 65 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 1: nineteen twelve. That effort flopped, so he and his supporters 66 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: for the Progressive Party, and he campaigned on a platform 67 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:24,839 Speaker 1: of new nationalism, but Democrat Woodrow Wilson won the election, 68 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:29,679 Speaker 1: and Roosevelt attacked him throughout his presidency. Roosevelt was favored 69 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 1: for the nineteen twenty Republican presidential nomination, but he died 70 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: in January of nineteen nineteen. Many historians consider him one 71 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: of the best presidents in US history. I'm Eaves, jeffco 72 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,240 Speaker 1: and hopefully you know a little more about history today 73 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:47,719 Speaker 1: than you did yesterday. We just gave you a slice 74 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 1: of Roosevelt's life, but you can learn a lot more 75 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: about his fascinating story in the new Mental Floss podcast 76 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 1: History Versus. The first season is all about Teddy Roosevelt. 77 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 1: It just launched. You can listen wherever you listen to podcasts. 78 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 1: If you have any burning questions or comments, you can 79 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 1: leave us a note at t d i h C 80 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 1: Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or if you want 81 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: to get a little more fancy, you can send us 82 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: an email at this day at i heart media dot com. 83 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening. We'll see you same place tomorrow. 84 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the I 85 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,039 Speaker 1: Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 86 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.