Theodore Roosevelt's Birthday
BillJones
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Theodore Roosevelt was born to a wealthy family in 1858. Despite his family's affluence, his childhood was not an easy one because of persistent illness. Young Theodore had severe asthma, and families members doubted that he would survive into adulthood. At one point his father pulled him aside and told him that he would have to battle to overcome his afflictions. Theodore took that advice to heart and lived the "robust life" with large doses of sports and exercise.
Roosevelt graduated from Harvard University in 1880 and launched a career in the politics. As a member of the New York State Legislature in the early to mid 1880s he pushed for reform legislation with the support of like minded governor, Grover Cleveland, despite the fact that Cleveland was a Democrat and Roosevelt was a Republican.
Tragedy struck in the mid 1880s when Roosevelt's mother and his young wife died within 24 hours of each other. Mrs. Roosevelt had just given birth to Theodore's oldest daughter, Alice. Devastated by grief Roosevelt moved out west where he worked on a cattle ranch that he owned. Alice was left with family members, and that strained her relationship with her father for the rest of their lives.
After Roosevelt returned to the east he took a number civil service and elected positions. These included head of the U.S. Civil Service Commission (1889-1895), president of the New York City police commission (Note his photo on set of the TV series "Blue Bloods.) and assistant secretary of the navy (1897 - 1898). While he was secretary of the navy he became strong advocate of the war with Spain. He actively backed that position when he left his desk job and led a volunteer cavalry unit the "Rough Riders" into battle.
Roosevelt won glory on the battlefield and that gave him a huge boost into elective politics. In the 19th century many politicians boosted their careers by laying claim to a glowing military record. In 1899 he parlayed his hero status into an election win as governor of New York. It is sometimes hard to date exactly when some political pieces were first issued, but this was the image that Roosevelt presented to the voting public over the next several years on a number of political buttons, posters and tokens.
In 1900 Theodore Roosevelt won the Republican vice presidential nomination on a ticket headed by William McKinley. Roosevelt won this spot on the ticket because the New York State politicians were looking to kick him upstairs. Roosevelt was too much of a reformer for them, and they figured that they could get him out of their hair if he became vice president, which generally viewed as an honorary, powerless position.
Some Republican power brokers were not pleased with this. McKinley's chief fund raiser, Mark Hanna, was appalled. "Do you realize that you have put the mad man within a heartbeat of the presidency?" he cried. Hanna's worst fears were realized when an assassin killed William McKinley at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York.
As president Theodore Roosevelt was a noted activist and reformer. He pushed legislation that regulated the food and drug industries and attacked corporate trusts. Although he was known as a "trust buster," Roosevelt generally preferred regulation over the breaking up of large corporation. He started the construction of the Panama Canal with the aid of a bit of gunboat diplomacy. He was also a effective mediator has he brought the sides together to end a coal strike and broken an end to a war between Japan and Russia. For that achievement Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize. Here is a token that celebrated Roosevelt's role in ending the coal strike in hard rubber.
Theodore Roosevelt also caused quite a stir when he invited Booker T. Washington to dine with him in the Whitehouse. This was the first time than an African-American had received such an invitation. This button is generally considered to be critical of the visit because of the informal position of Washington sitting in the chair and the presence of alcohol in a bottle between the two men.
Perhaps Roosevelt's most significant accomplishment was the transfer of 125 million acres of public land into forest preserves. He doubled the national parks, created sixteen national monuments, including California's Muir Woods and started 51 wildlife refuges. These conservation efforts are today Theodore Roosevelt's most significant legacy.
In 1904 Theodore Roosevelt easily won his own term in the White House over Judge Alton B. Parker. Following that win Roosevelt announced that he would not seek a second term as president. Later Roosevelt would call the worst political mistake of his life.
This pin which noted the fact that were pence nez was from that campaign. His running mate was Charles Fairbanks.
In 1908 Theodore Roosevelt picked William Howard Taft to be his presidential successor. Taft had held a number of positions in the Roosevelt administration, and it seemed like a good fit. Taft easily won the presidency over William Jennings Bryan that November. This button noted bond between Roosevelt and Taft, but that bond would be broken in less than four years.
After he left the White House, Theodore Roosevelt embarked on a number of strenuous explorations into wildness areas. On a trip down the Amazon he nearly died, and the effects of that experiences had a profound effect upon his health.
In 1912 Theodore Roosevelt had a major break with president Taft. Historians point to Roosevelt's disappointment with the less progressive agenda of the Taft administration, but in my opinion, more than anything else, Roosevelt missed the presidency and wanted to win it back.
Roosevelt entered the primaries to win the Republican nomination away from Taft, but in those days, as it is today, sitting presidents welded considerable power. Taft was able to bottle up Roosevelt's support at the national convention, and was easily re-nominated as president.
Undaunted Roosevelt declared "My hat is in the ring!" and ran for president under the Progressive or "Bull Moose" Party banner. Roosevelt's presence in the race split the Republican vote, and three the election to Woodrow Wilson. In 1912 the Republicans were the third party as Taft finished a distant third in the Electoral College.
This button makes fun of capitalist Republicans (in a top hat) who were no happy about Roosevelt's third party bid on the Bull Moose ticket.
After the election Roosevelt continued to in the public eye. He was a strong supporter of American involvement in World War I, but when one of his sons died in battle, the reality of what can happen in war struck him hard. It has been seen that the boy in Theodore Roosevelt died with the death of his son.
Theodore Roosevelt returned the Republican Party in 1916. Although he supported the war effort, he opposed Woodrow Wilson's League of Nations and disagreed with the progressive president on a number of issues. Many thought that Roosevelt would be the Republican presidential candidate in 1920, but death claimed him in January of 1919.
Roosevelt graduated from Harvard University in 1880 and launched a career in the politics. As a member of the New York State Legislature in the early to mid 1880s he pushed for reform legislation with the support of like minded governor, Grover Cleveland, despite the fact that Cleveland was a Democrat and Roosevelt was a Republican.
Tragedy struck in the mid 1880s when Roosevelt's mother and his young wife died within 24 hours of each other. Mrs. Roosevelt had just given birth to Theodore's oldest daughter, Alice. Devastated by grief Roosevelt moved out west where he worked on a cattle ranch that he owned. Alice was left with family members, and that strained her relationship with her father for the rest of their lives.
After Roosevelt returned to the east he took a number civil service and elected positions. These included head of the U.S. Civil Service Commission (1889-1895), president of the New York City police commission (Note his photo on set of the TV series "Blue Bloods.) and assistant secretary of the navy (1897 - 1898). While he was secretary of the navy he became strong advocate of the war with Spain. He actively backed that position when he left his desk job and led a volunteer cavalry unit the "Rough Riders" into battle.
Roosevelt won glory on the battlefield and that gave him a huge boost into elective politics. In the 19th century many politicians boosted their careers by laying claim to a glowing military record. In 1899 he parlayed his hero status into an election win as governor of New York. It is sometimes hard to date exactly when some political pieces were first issued, but this was the image that Roosevelt presented to the voting public over the next several years on a number of political buttons, posters and tokens.
In 1900 Theodore Roosevelt won the Republican vice presidential nomination on a ticket headed by William McKinley. Roosevelt won this spot on the ticket because the New York State politicians were looking to kick him upstairs. Roosevelt was too much of a reformer for them, and they figured that they could get him out of their hair if he became vice president, which generally viewed as an honorary, powerless position.
Some Republican power brokers were not pleased with this. McKinley's chief fund raiser, Mark Hanna, was appalled. "Do you realize that you have put the mad man within a heartbeat of the presidency?" he cried. Hanna's worst fears were realized when an assassin killed William McKinley at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York.
As president Theodore Roosevelt was a noted activist and reformer. He pushed legislation that regulated the food and drug industries and attacked corporate trusts. Although he was known as a "trust buster," Roosevelt generally preferred regulation over the breaking up of large corporation. He started the construction of the Panama Canal with the aid of a bit of gunboat diplomacy. He was also a effective mediator has he brought the sides together to end a coal strike and broken an end to a war between Japan and Russia. For that achievement Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize. Here is a token that celebrated Roosevelt's role in ending the coal strike in hard rubber.
Theodore Roosevelt also caused quite a stir when he invited Booker T. Washington to dine with him in the Whitehouse. This was the first time than an African-American had received such an invitation. This button is generally considered to be critical of the visit because of the informal position of Washington sitting in the chair and the presence of alcohol in a bottle between the two men.
Perhaps Roosevelt's most significant accomplishment was the transfer of 125 million acres of public land into forest preserves. He doubled the national parks, created sixteen national monuments, including California's Muir Woods and started 51 wildlife refuges. These conservation efforts are today Theodore Roosevelt's most significant legacy.
In 1904 Theodore Roosevelt easily won his own term in the White House over Judge Alton B. Parker. Following that win Roosevelt announced that he would not seek a second term as president. Later Roosevelt would call the worst political mistake of his life.
This pin which noted the fact that were pence nez was from that campaign. His running mate was Charles Fairbanks.
In 1908 Theodore Roosevelt picked William Howard Taft to be his presidential successor. Taft had held a number of positions in the Roosevelt administration, and it seemed like a good fit. Taft easily won the presidency over William Jennings Bryan that November. This button noted bond between Roosevelt and Taft, but that bond would be broken in less than four years.
After he left the White House, Theodore Roosevelt embarked on a number of strenuous explorations into wildness areas. On a trip down the Amazon he nearly died, and the effects of that experiences had a profound effect upon his health.
In 1912 Theodore Roosevelt had a major break with president Taft. Historians point to Roosevelt's disappointment with the less progressive agenda of the Taft administration, but in my opinion, more than anything else, Roosevelt missed the presidency and wanted to win it back.
Roosevelt entered the primaries to win the Republican nomination away from Taft, but in those days, as it is today, sitting presidents welded considerable power. Taft was able to bottle up Roosevelt's support at the national convention, and was easily re-nominated as president.
Undaunted Roosevelt declared "My hat is in the ring!" and ran for president under the Progressive or "Bull Moose" Party banner. Roosevelt's presence in the race split the Republican vote, and three the election to Woodrow Wilson. In 1912 the Republicans were the third party as Taft finished a distant third in the Electoral College.
This button makes fun of capitalist Republicans (in a top hat) who were no happy about Roosevelt's third party bid on the Bull Moose ticket.
After the election Roosevelt continued to in the public eye. He was a strong supporter of American involvement in World War I, but when one of his sons died in battle, the reality of what can happen in war struck him hard. It has been seen that the boy in Theodore Roosevelt died with the death of his son.
Theodore Roosevelt returned the Republican Party in 1916. Although he supported the war effort, he opposed Woodrow Wilson's League of Nations and disagreed with the progressive president on a number of issues. Many thought that Roosevelt would be the Republican presidential candidate in 1920, but death claimed him in January of 1919.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
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Comments
Bully.
(I was expecting to see a Saint at the end of the OP.
<< <i>(I was expecting to see a Saint at the end of the OP. ) >>
Okay. Here is Theodore Roosevelt's "pet baby." He admitted to being a "crack brain" on the subject of high relief coinage.
Teddy is my favorite President, and he should be on the National Parks Series!
love that high relief $20
Steve
Oh and Happy Birthday Teddy
The Germans took a photo of Quentin's body lying next to his wrecked aircraft and made it into a postcard that was widely distributed. This proved to be a propaganda blunder. Germans who saw the postcard were impressed that the son of a US president would actually be involved in front line combat.
Many great quotes but one sums him up: "No man is above the law and no one is below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it." Teddy wasn't much for asking permission.
"Look up, old boy, and see what you get." -William Bonney.
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
TTT
Very readable "Theodore Rex" by Edmund Morris is recommended for anyone who is interested in more about TR. Only the second in a (completed) trilogy
More every presidential candidate needs to cultivate a theme and a personal image for his campaign. Sometimes that image is something that might be in his background, but it might not be a true image of his current status. For example Abraham Lincoln was presented as the "the rail splitter" in 1860. Although he did admit to splitting rails in his youth, he was by then a highly successful lawyer. Somehow "highly paid railroad lawyer" would have made him seem like a man of the people.
In a similar vein, Theodore Roosevelt was born into wealth and was for the most part financially secure all of his like. Of course "born rich and still doing well" would not be a winning image. Just ask Mitt Romney. Instead Roosevelt drew on his image as a western cowboy and as a hero of the Spanish - American War. The cowboy image was presented by this view of the Roosevelt "North Dakota - The Roosevelt cabin" and the war hero appeared on this view of TR on horseback.
And of course no voter wanted to be "a Maverick" and stray from the Roosevelt herd.
Steve
<< <i>The "My hat is in the ring" piece is totally Cool, I would imagine thats a scarce item, being the Bull Moose Party 1912 ?
Steve >>
There are several 1912 "hat in the ring" buttons, and all of them are scarce and expensive. In addition to the piece I posted above, there is a piece with a Rough Rider hat in the middle of a circle and another with the hat in the middle of a boxing ring. All of the sell from a couple to several hundred dollars.
Many 1912 Bull Moose campaign pieces are scarce and expensive. The most common of them is white metal stickpin with a moose on it. Some collectors think that some of those pieces were issued for the fraternal organization, but they are genially collected as 1912 Progrssive Party items.
Condition does play an important role in the value of political items. There is not as much emphasis on "perfect" as there is in coins, but a piece that has obvious defects, even if it is vert scarce takes a big hit price wise. Discoloration from rust, which results in brown spots called "foxing," is one type of major problem. Mutilation is another.
<< <i>We need another one just like him. >>
yes we do and for sure
<< <i>We had another hard azz like TR. his name was General Curtis LeMay. From where I am standing right now I can see where TRs campaign train stopped and he gave a speech in 1912. >>
Army Air Force General Lemay, who was George Wallace's running mate, initiated the low level firebombing campaign against Japan on the night of March 9-10, 1945 with an attack on Tokyo that was even more deadly than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings. About 25% of Tokyo was destroyed. Civilian casualties were extremely high. The previous nine month campaign of bombing Japan, first from bases in China and later from bases in the Marianas, had met with only limited success because it was conducted from very high altitudes and often failed to hit the intended targets. (They still had a lot to learn about very high altitude bombing.)
LeMay said that if the US were to have lost the war he knew he would be tried as a war criminal. Regardless, the low level firebombing campaign proved to be extremely effective but still didn't bring about the Japanese surrender. It still took the dropping of the atomic bombs and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria to bring the war to a close. The Emperor finally, in spite of opposition, ordered an end to the war. (He never actually said "surrender".)
The African-American gentleman looks familiar.
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
I am a big fan. Here's is an early campaign poster for NY Governor thats hanging in "The Big Four" restaurant in San Francisco. My wife and I had our wedding reception there last year.
[URL=http://s1016.photobucket.com/user/sethstellacapcom/media/IMG_0796-1.jpg.html]
Old Thread from 5 years ago, Typical Gold Thread By Bill Jones, what's really cool is I requested to Bill to do something on Teddy's Birthday and he granted my wish, as I am a Huge Fan of Teddy Roosevelt
Thank Again Bill
Steve