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Teddy Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27th, 1858 in New York City into a wealthy family. Known also as T.R. and to the public, but never to friends and intimates as Teddy. His youth differed from those of the “log cabin” Presidents but he still struggled at times. He struggled quite a bit against ill health but he persevered and became an advocate of the strenuous life.
He married his first wife Alice Hathaway Lee and together they had one daughter, Alice Lee Roosevelt. On February 14th of 1884, his wife died of an undiagnosed case of Bright’s Disease two days after their daughter was born. His mother Mittie died in the same house on the very same day from Typhoid Fever. Shortly after the simultaneous deaths of his wife and mother, Roosevelt left his daughter in the care of his sister in New York, and moved out to Dakota Territory.
He returned to the east in where in 1885, he built Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay, New York. This would become his home and estate until his death. He ran for the mayor of New York City in 1886 as “The Cowboy of the Dakotas”, he came in third. Shortly after the election he traveled to London and married his childhood sweetheart, Edith Kemit Carow.
When he returned to the public life in 1888 he campaigned for Benjamin Harrison in the president election. He soon appointed Roosevelt to the Civil Service commission where he served until 1895. During his term he fought against the spoilsmen and also demanded the enforcement of civil service laws. He became president of the Board of the New York City Police Commissioners in 1895. During the two years he served he radically reformed New Yorks police department. Roosevelt and his commissioners established new disciplinary rules, established a bicycle squad to police New Yorks traffic problems, and standardized the use of pistols by officers.
In 1897 Roosevelt was appointed to the post of Assistant Secretary to the Navy by president William McKinley. He was...