In 1858, New York City was the largest city in the United States. Almost eight hundred thousand people lived there! Ships arrived at its port carrying a wide variety of goods, including fabric, clothing, and food, along with people from many countries. Horse-drawn carriages rumbled down crowded streets. And on October 27 of that year, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. was born there.
His father, Theodore Sr., thought the newborn was a pretty baby, but his mother, Martha, nicknamed Mittie, wasn’t so sure. She thought her new son looked like a turtle. The Roosevelts already had a daughter named Anna. She and young Theodore were later joined by a little brother, Elliott, and then baby Corinne. For a time Mrs. Roosevelt’s sister, Annie Bulloch, also lived with the family.
Teedie, as his parents soon called Theodore, was part of a family that had deep roots in America. The first Roosevelt had come to New York from the Netherlands in 1644. The family bought plate glass in Europe and sold it in America. Teedie’s family was quite wealthy. Mr. Roosevelt believed in using his time and his money to help others. One of his concerns was helping orphaned children in New York City to find homes.
ROOSEVELT HOME IN NEW YORK CITY
Young Teedie began his education at home, with his aunt Annie teaching him how to read. For much of his childhood, he battled asthma, which often left him gasping for air and forced him to stay inside. It was during this time that he discovered his great love of books. As he got older, he became healthy enough to develop his strength and become more athletic.
ANNIE BULLOCH
The Roosevelt children and their parents spent their summers in the country outside of New York City. Oyster Bay, on Long Island, later became the family’s second home. In the country, Teedie explored his love of nature and animals.
At nine, he wrote a book describing many of the insects he had seen. Teedie also sometimes brought home the animals he studied. It was not uncommon for snakes and frogs to get loose in the house. Studying nature—and studying in general—was becoming more difficult for Teedie, because he had poor eyesight. He later wrote that he “had no idea how beautiful the world was” until he got glasses at age thirteen. Glasses known as pince-nez, which clipped onto his nose, later became one of his trademarks.
His parents loved to travel and took their children along whenever they could. By the time he was fourteen, Theodore had been to Europe twice and had also sailed down the Nile River in Egypt. Along that famous river, he discovered his love of hunting, which became one of his lifelong passions. During the family’s travels, young Theodore also began learning German. Later he would also learn Latin, Greek, and French.
When Theodore turned sixteen, his family decided that he should go to Harvard College.
For a time he thought about studying to become a natural scientist. But after Theodore entered Harvard in 1876, he found himself drawn to history and to public speaking. He would challenge professors in class and argue with fellow students. It was impossible not to notice another of Theodore’s well-known features—his large teeth. Cartoonists would later poke fun at him by drawing those choppers even bigger than they were. And once, a newspaper called him “Teethadore.”
At Harvard, Theodore gave his first public speech. He sometimes rushed his words, and he spoke with a high-pitched voice that reminded some people of an old woman. But decades later, thousands of people at a time would come out to hear him speak.
Theodore did well at Harvard, and outside of class he enjoyed boxing, riding horses, and rowing.
Theodore suffered a great loss when his father died of cancer in 1878. Writing in his diary, Theodore poured out his sadness. He later told his sister Corinne how important his father had been to him. Throughout his life, before making a major decision, Theodore always considered what his father might have advised.
Theodore finished his studies at Harvard in 1880 and decided to study law at Columbia University in New York. That year, he also married his college sweetheart, Alice Lee. She was a beautiful and charming young woman. Theodore loved her deeply, and he bought her expensive gifts. He promised to spend his money more carefully once he married, but throughout his life he was always generous to his family.
Just before his wedding to Alice, Roosevelt took a hunting trip with his brother, Elliott. They traveled west through Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. Theodore battled asthma, a snakebite, and bitter cold weather. Even so, the trip exploring the wilderness with Elliott was the first of many. Theodore loved life on the American frontier.
