(Theodore Roosevelt in 1885, from the United States Library of
Congress, [Public Domain-US] via Creative Commons)
At only twenty-three years of
age, Theodore Roosevelt was elected as a member of the New York Assembly, and
within three years he became one of the state’s most prominent politicians. He
was a long way from considering a run for presidential office (he would later
be the 26th President of the United States), and he was not yet a
member of the ‘Rough Riders,’ that would become an iconic piece of his legendary persona.
No, in 1884, Theodore Roosevelt
was a state politician content with his lot in life. He was happily married and anxiously anticipating his
first daughter. By February, his wife was nine months pregnant. His world, however, would be shattered on February 14th
1884, when he received devastating
news—His wife and mother were both
dead. His wife, Alice Hathaway Lee
Roosevelt, died due to childbirth complication. Roosevelt’s first child, his
daughter Alice, was born only two days prior. Theodore’s mother also died on
February 14th. She caught ill while tending to the needs of her pregnant daughter-in-law, but she
never recovered and eventually succumbed to the illness.
Theodore Roosevelt fled from New York to face
his grief in the Dakotas, where he ranched and lived the life of a
frontiersman. He spent free time hunting the local wildlife, and even helped
chase down a criminal. He proved to be a lackluster rancher, but the rough and
gritty lifestyle brought Roosevelt back from his depression. He was ready to
return to public life.
Written by C. Keith Hansley
thehistorianshut.com
Source:
- PBS Documentary: The Roosevelts: An intimate History by Ken Burns.
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