1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, a 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: show that takes you on a quick trip through history 4 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: every day of the week. I'm Gabe Lucier, and in 5 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: this episode, we're talking about the day when the rough 6 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: rider President went for a smooth ride through the streets 7 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: of Hartford, Connecticut and didn't much care for. The day 8 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: was August twenty second, nineteen oh two. Theodore Roosevelt became 9 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: the first American president to make a public appearance riding 10 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 1: in an automobile. His momentous ride took place during a 11 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 1: tour of New England while campaigning on behalf of the 12 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: Republican candidates in that fall's midterm elections. Riding in the 13 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: front seat of an early electric car, the president spent 14 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: several hoursading supporters who had gathered along the roadside in Hartford. 15 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: His car was preceded by a Union Army veteran on 16 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 1: horseback and was escorted on three sides by uniformed policemen 17 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 1: on bicycles. The onlookers didn't realize it at the time, 18 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: but they were witnessing the birth of a new symbol 19 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: of the American presidency the first presidential motorcade. Given his 20 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 1: adventurous reputation, it's no surprise that Teddy Roosevelt racked up 21 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: a ton of presidential firsts during his tenure. For example, 22 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: he was the first president to ride in a submarine, 23 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,759 Speaker 1: the first to leave the country while in office, and 24 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: the first to host a black American booker T. Washington, 25 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: at the White House. He was, not, however, the first 26 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 1: to ride in a car. That distinction goes to his predecessor, 27 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: fellow Republican President William McKinley. In eighteen ninety nine, McKinley 28 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: rode in a steam powered car piloted by its inventor, F. O. Stanley. However, 29 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: McKinley's drive was a private affair and wasn't witnessed by 30 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: the public or by the press. That technicality allowed Roosevelt 31 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: to claim yet another presidential first, becoming the first sitting 32 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 1: president to ride in a car publicly as part of 33 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: his official duties. He did so in the late summer 34 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: of nineteen o two, during the second year of his 35 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: first term in office. After arriving in Hartford by train 36 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:33,639 Speaker 1: on the morning of August twenty second, Roosevelt climbed into 37 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:38,399 Speaker 1: a Columbia Electric Victoria Phaeton, which had been manufactured right 38 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: there in Hartford. He then set off through the city streets, 39 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,600 Speaker 1: waving to the thousands of men, women and children who 40 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,920 Speaker 1: had come out to cheer him on. Sitting alongside the 41 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: President in the front seat was Colonel J. L. Green 42 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: of Hartford, but neither of the men were actually driving 43 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: the car. Instead, it was piloted by two chauffeurs who 44 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: sat behind Roosevelt and Green on an elevated box, a 45 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 1: holdover from the design of horse drawn carriages. The event 46 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: epitomized the changing nature of transportation during the era, mingling 47 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:16,839 Speaker 1: the horse, the bicycle, and the automobile on the very 48 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: same street. At the time, car production was still in 49 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 1: its infancy, and roughly half of the nation's automobiles were electric. 50 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: The other half were mostly driven by steam, with only 51 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: a small fraction of cars using the internal combustion engines 52 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: that would come to dominate the industry for the rest 53 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: of the twentieth century. The Victoria Phaeton was propelled by 54 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: two rear electric motors, which drew power from twenty two 55 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: vault batteries. The combined weight of the batteries was about 56 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: eight hundred pounds, approximately forty percent of the vehicle's total weight. 57 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: The result was a car that topped out at just 58 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: thirteen miles per hour. Roosevelt probably never even went that fast. 59 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 1: Since his leisurely drive through Hartford took nearly three hours, 60 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: they were likely going only about four miles per hour. Today, 61 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: riding in a car is about the least impressive way 62 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: for a president to travel, but it was a different 63 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 1: story in nineteen oh two. Back then, only the wealthiest 64 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: families could afford to own something as cutting edge or 65 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: as impractical as a motor car. The Victoria Phaeton, for example, 66 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:33,039 Speaker 1: carried a sticker price of three thousand dollars, roughly five 67 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:37,039 Speaker 1: times the average annual wage. Watching one of those roll 68 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 1: down your street likely would have been a draw in itself, 69 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: whether the president was riding shotgun or not, Aside from 70 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:47,800 Speaker 1: its appeal as the status symbol, though, the automobile also 71 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: made Roosevelt's tour more efficient. He was able to stop 72 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 1: at different points along the route to shake hands, and 73 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 1: then continue on, all the while waving to the people 74 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 1: along the street. According to the New New York Times, 75 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: this new approach to public appearances was a real winner 76 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: as it quote seems to have given the people the 77 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 1: opportunity desired of seeing him. The Times also reported that 78 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 1: Roosevelt was pleased with the outcome and that he quite 79 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: enjoyed riding in the quote handsome Victoria automobile. He certainly 80 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 1: looked happy enough and the photos taken that day, but 81 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: there's reason to think the President may not have had 82 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 1: such a great time after all. Writing to a friend 83 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 1: in nineteen oh five, Roosevelt admitted his distaste for automobiles, saying, quote, 84 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:39,039 Speaker 1: Motor cars are a trial, aren't they. I suppose that 85 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:41,840 Speaker 1: ultimately we will get them into their proper place in 86 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 1: the scheme of nature, and when by law and custom 87 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: their use is regulated in proper fashion, their objectionable features 88 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: will probably be eliminated. But just at present, I regard 89 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:58,599 Speaker 1: them as distinct additions to the discomfort of living the 90 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 1: rough and tumble. President much preferred horses to cars, so 91 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: when it came time for his second inauguration, he decided 92 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: not to replicate his outing in Hartford and chose to 93 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: ride in a carriage instead. I'm Gabe Lucier, and hopefully 94 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: you now know a little more about history today than 95 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,479 Speaker 1: you did yesterday. If you'd like to keep up with 96 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: the show, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and 97 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: Instagram at TDI HC Show. You can also rate and 98 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: review the show on Apple Podcasts, or you can write 99 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 1: to me directly at this Day at iHeartMedia dot com. 100 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: Thanks to Chandler Mays for producing the show, and thank 101 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:43,280 Speaker 1: you for listening. I'll see you back here again tomorrow 102 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: for another day in history class.