Tell her story. Kathleen dealt, the author of Theodore Roosevelt, a strenuous life. And he is the officers of Edith Roosevelt. The 1900 election, resident it president make cleaning and brought and the roosevelt family as Vice President , but does not last very long because an assassin has other things in mind for president mckenzie. So tell the story of the transition, please, that brings the roosevelt in that very momentous occasion and the white house. Its dramatic because data roosevelt is climbing a mountain many heres the news that mckinley was shot, he rushes down the mountain and comes to buffalo, it looks like mckinley is going to survive, but then blood poisoning sets in and comes to washington. It takes over a nation and its a national tragedy, it really has to come to the presidency because of an assassination, but he really shores america and he turns out to be a very successful president. This is a snapshot of how much experience he brings. A lot of experience behind him in government. They had live together a state assembly men, secretary of the navy, Civil Service commissioner, new York City Police commissioner, governor of new york. So politics to find his life. Politics is defined his life, but he wrote 30 books, he wrote a serious naturalist, he did a lot of things, red widely, traveled a lot. A very expensive and interesting life. And it was his spirit that triumphed and made the country look forward instead of behind. Roosevelt said, its a terrible thing to come into the presidency this way, but it would be a far worse thing to be morbid about it. Well, were going to learn about the women who helped him throughout the administration during our next 90 minutes. But if, we were talking before the program started that the United States at the dawn of the 20th century was really a horse and buggy nation. We have a few quick facts about america at that time period, and during the royal years of the roosevelt and ministration to give you a glimpse of what the country looked like. And 1900, the population of this country was about 76 million, but 38 of people still work in the agricultural industry, where farmers by 1902, we had ended the philippine american war. 1903 was the first time the right brothers fly flew the petrol engine aircraft. 19 oh, for the United States we can work on the panel canal. And by 1908, thats the first year the model t and the horse and buggy age, beginning production. So what can we learn about this country that the roosevelt came to administer . Well, it was a country marked by what historians call progressivism. And there were a group of performers across the nation who were intent upon during all the ills of the past century. Urbanization, emigration, industrialization brought many wonderful things to this nation, but there were also troubles. And, so, these reformers thought they were going to, all at once, abolish child labor, and bring women the vote, and take care of injustices suffered by African Americans. The list went on and on and on. So there was tremendous optimism as roosevelt stepped into the white house and the first year of this new century. Now, weve heard about dirigibles readiness for the white house, but about Edith Roosevelt . She had minutes to Governors Mansion and albany successfully. They had to move from sacrum or hill, their home on long island back and forth, be there on the summer when he was Civil Service commissioner in washington. So she was used to packing up the Sick Children and servants and moving back and forth. She was somebody who knew how to manage things. He was not good with money. He overdrive his Checking Account all the time, and she would organize him in the children. So, fortunately, she was a good manager because thats what a first lady needs to do. One of the things that has been delightful about this, a couple of things, were learning a lot of but we also learned what you are interested in at home, so we want you to be involved and will take telephone calls for your questions by phone from around the country. So ill give you the phone numbers. 2025853880, if you live in the eastern half of the United States and 2025853881 if you live in the mountain are pacific time zone. Also, we have a conversation on facebook, and you can join it by logging on to facebook on cnns, peyton answer questions to the mix about were going to ask about Edith Roosevelt, and her husband, and family. And were taking tweets. And we have a hashtag for the series that we did not have for the first session. And its hashtag first ladies. So send us your questions on twitter. We have a videographer at the sides of the first ladies along the way, in recording the places they lived. Tonight were going to introduce you to two of those associated with the roosevelt. One is sagamore hill. What is . Sagamore hill . Well, its the home he built in the 1800s, and its a big ranging queen and style house. And its where all the fifth graders from the long island Public Schools go, and they get to look at that and one hands on the wall. In the park service does a fantastic job. Well, one thing you should know if youre planning a visit is that its under complete renovation for the next couple of years. Were going to be showing you some of the artifacts inside, but not as much of a tour as we would like, but you will learn a lot nonetheless. In, fact were going to start there with a video of Edith Roosevelt and her children, and you will be hearing from the voice of amy verone, the curator of their collection at sagamore hill. Lets listen. This is a cartoon by thomas and ask, a wellknown newspaper man and cartoon is from new york city. It shows santa claus arriving at the white house, to discover that suddenly there are children in the white house, the roads votes have moved in and the title of the piece is, theres live in the old house yet. It was a gift to the roosevelt, representative of how the country reacted to having the roosevelt in the white house. The country was excited to have a young family, to have the children to watch through the process. To know they had a young and vigorous president with a very vigorous and attractive wife. And, santa claus, frankly is reflecting the countrys attitude of excitement over the liveliness that was in the white house now. The biggest responsibility that it had was to control the press access to the family, and so what you did was arranged to have pictures, professional portraits taken of the children. The first two batches were by francis johnston, a well known Society Photographer in washington. There is a picture of clinton on algonquin, the pony, who is famous for having ridden the elevator and got up to the second floor to visit archie when he was sick. Theres archie on a bicycle, theres kermit with jack, actually, the wonder dog. And there is a picture of alice standing in front of the tree. Most of the pictures were taken outside, several pictures were taken off. Them the ladies home journal article is interesting because you take these photographs and it shows you how they were used by the press, and here we have a picture of clinton in a tree, and a picture of ethel, one of my favorites of the little boy posing with the white house guard. And this is just how president roosevelt children were presented to the public. And, usually, they were used in magazine articles or the back cover of magazines, that sort of thing. Well, thats the theme for this family, 42yearold president , 40 year old first lady coming into the white house. How does the public react and what was the role of the press and promoting what happened in the white house . The public was delighted to Theodore Roosevelt word, there had been a long time since there had been children, so they had been change endlessly, and they become a fascinating part of our watching whats going on in washington, so the children and the newspapers, and there was very little attempt to stop that, i think especially after tiara learned that this was very big press for him, so the children and you saw their pets, they were very important parts of roosevelt public persona as president. How did that contrast specifically with the mckinley is in the white house and their family life . Mrs. Mckinley wasnt invalid and present mckinley was quite reserved and would not go out and campaign. This was 100 different, and so its a little bit more like the lincolns. And the media was a different during the civil war and stuff that they not report so much about the children. But there were all of these newspapers that people would put pictures of the children in the newspapers. And then all these magazines like mcclures that people would buy. So theres so much more active media so they could publicize what was going on in the white house much more actively. Thats a really important point, and they were all photogenic and they did great stuff. They would steal the cookie trays from the children and slide down the staircase on them. The children will pop out from behind potted palms and scare the guests. They would roller skate and walk on their stilts and their eyes at the policeman. The so the white house staff had their hands full, but it was all terrific price for Theodore Roosevelt. Now, we will talk about the fact that this was the dawn of the new century, but the roosevelt were brought up in the previous century. They are victorian in their attitudes and their culture. What kind of parents were there . They were different kind of parents. Edith could be very strict, a defendant of jonathan edwards, so she thought children should behave and she was really strict. She would turn to theodore and ask him to do the spanking but he did that reluctantly, he was an indulgent parent who liked to play fair and hide and seek, and pillow fights with the kids. So the kids look to him as a large playmate. She had to be the main parent. And regina on twitter wants to know, did you do have reparations about her husband being president and, ill add, about her family, especially after mckinleys assassination . Absolutely, yes. She briefed up security on the quiet whenever she could, so those are her greatest fears, and she wrote about this fear of roosevelt assassination and letters to friends as well. But he felt carrying a gun was enough for him . It was very difficult. How many children were there . Six. The first child was not a product of idiots marriage. You shouldnt dallas. Question explain who alex was, and houston related to the rest of the family. Alice roosevelt was the daughter of theater roosevelt and his first wife. Alex hathaway lee. And when Alan Hathaway lee died in childbirth, they had a rosalynn handed his infant daughter, also named alice, off to a sister anna roosevelt. And so she was raised, and and eat it into the picture and theodore married edith. So alice was anecdotal for the first three years, so that created problems . Yes. She did contribute to a travel book after roosevelt died, and she did do a family history. But you never wrote memoirs, and she didnt burn most of this letters, not all of them. And she want to be very private. So some of her letters especially her letter to her sister survived, but she try to erase a lot of the record because you didnt want people snooping into her private life, even in death. Thats part of the victorian point you brought up earlier. This is very much part and parcel of being a woman of the 19th century. We have one literacy described her children and her views of them. Heres a bit of what she had to say about her family in a letter. Said about, alice alice is very pretty and has a remarkable steady head. Though in some, ways very childlike. Ted is a good boy and its good at school, kermit is odd and good independent. We call our to the beautiful idiot and clinton is the cleverest of the six. Those are terms of endearment, but it sounds a little bit harsh today. What can we tell about her view of her children . It was probably spot on. At that point in time, alice was very beautiful, and had a pretty steady hand, a woman who has wonderful political acumen. Archie had a tough, time he had Health Problems when he was a young lad and kermit was the poetic one, and both of his parents confided in him. He was probably closer to they had a roosevelt than any other of his children. Yes. And i met ethel when she was an older person. She uses very gracious, wonderful lady and i really like to. Everyone loved at all. Yeah. Ethel was thats 30 rock upon, you know, you can build the rest of the family. And ted, poor ted, he bore the brunt of all of his fathers expectations, about manliness, and toughness, and what to do with your life, and all of that. Ill put you on the spot. Betty wants to know where the roosevelt with their six holes in the largest family at the white house . Well, i think so, but im not john tyler had about 15, i dont know if they were all there at the white house. Oh, so you know. Had to be among the largest family ever. Yes it, but that was more typical most. A large of families were common. Kim is watching us from fremont, california. And youre on the air. Whats your question . Yes, ive a question in something that you might address later on in the program. But what was Edith Roosevelt relationship with president roosevelt successor, William Howard taft . Thank you. We will be talking about the tariffs later on in the history. But, very briefly, what did they think and how do they know the tariffs . Well, they had known them when they were working at the Civil Service commission, when so they were social friends. I dont think either throws about cared for mrs. Taft very much but they were friendly during t. R. This presidency and its not until 1910 after taft shows his hand and undoes some of the things that t. R. Did that hostilities broke out. Next is a call from alexander in chandler, indiana. Hello alexander. Hi. I have a question about Theodore Roosevelt. Im happy to hear. Can you tell us how old you are . Im 12 years old. And have you study Theodore Roosevelt and school already . No, but i have written paragraph about him. Hes my favorite president. Why is your favorite . I think he does a lot for this country. Can you name one thing that you like they did it for the country . He fought in the spanish american war. And what question do you have four to historians about him . Did he believe in god and jesus . Okay, thank you. Yes. He did. He was a devout christian. In fact, incorporating religion into edith life, can you talk a little bit about her religion and how it informed. She argued for applied christianity, which is that she would urge her husband to think about how his policies affected the. She was really like what we call a social gospel christian, taking care of the poor, being concerned about the needy. She was an episcopalian and at that time, the Episcopal Church was very devoted to social gospel concern for poor people. So is watching us from lancaster, pennsylvania. Hello. Thank you. I understand that one side of the family wants to be calm roosevelt, and the other roosevelt. Is this true . And which would be witch . Well, that comes from sunrise at camp a bellow, the old movie with we are gerson. So, no, theyre all roosevelt, as an roosevelt. And the lineage of the family, whats their history . They share, the high park roosevelt, and the oyster bay roosevelt share a colonial ancestor. And its a dutch sandler in new york. And then two, three generations down, the family splits. So Theodore Roosevelt was this cousins of Franklin Roosevelt, but the complicated thing is that theater roosevelt had a wonderful knees he loved dearly, eleanor roosevelt, who was his alcoholic brothers daughter, and then franklin married theodore sneeze. So franklin would call theodore cousin theodore, but then you called him uncle theodore. Im feeling the need for family tree. But, yes, there distant cousins. Well, setting the stage for this large and bustling family the, roosevelt moved into the white house and very quickly, it is the determined it wasnt going to work for them. What we have to show you is a sketch she drew one week after moving to the white house in september of 1901, a plan for the second for that shows how crowd it was to the family in the work space there. What did she do . She picked up on plans and had been underway since caroline harrisons time in the white house, and pretty quickly got together with another influential firm called make him meet and white. This is a big back story here. But to go to the chase, Edith Roosevelt worked very closely with him, and she was tired of living over the store. She wanted to separate the living areas from the public areas. So the upstairs was renovated, the downstairs was renovated. And most people really liked it. The upstairs had, what, seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms, so that was pretty good . Alice had her own bedroom. Ethel had her own bedroom. Mrs. Roosevelt put her own study up there, so the president had a steady and an office on the second floor, but the first lady with a door that i joined. So that was very important to her to be able to knock on the door and say its time for bed, youre working to late. That sort of thing. This change created the white house as we know it today. If you look at photographs of the white house as it existed before they began this renovation, there were large greenhouses around it. Of course, the west wing didnt exist. So she changed the whole feeling of the white house by adding the west wing to it. How cooperative was to congress in this endeavor . Congress voted money for this, and they wanted a better house. It was the moment when the United States became a world power. T. R. Was modernizing the presidency. The United States had arrived as the most successful manufacturing power on earth. And they were in the process of becoming a very serious world power. So i think congress thought of it as a matter of National Pride to have a president house that would be as distinguished as the equivalent in another country. And it was falling down, right . Yes. And there are rats in the white house. Did to show up in the basement when enough people came to write. So it wasnt, it was important for all kinds of reasons. But it was a marvelous projection of these changes as the country takes on a new aspect, so does the executive mansion. Which is now renamed the white house. Because if they had a roosevelt said, their executive mentions in every state, theres only one white house. How long the renovation . Take it was most of one year, wasnt it . 1902. Where did the family stay during the renovation . Well, edith took the children back to sagamore hill over the summer. The renovation started before she left. They were staying in Jackson Place at Lafayette Square. And t. R. Is hit by a trolley in the middle of this, and when hes settling that coal strike. So they have some difficult moments where hes negotiating with labor and management in a wheelchair because he was hit by this trolley accident. How involved with each other roosevelt in the actual renovations . How much of a manager was she, and how much of a vision this you have for the ultimate design of what came out . Edith was very interested in the past and mckim was interested in the president. So mckim had no feeling for the kind of victorian furbelows that edith really enjoyed. And edith, for example, saved the lincoln band. Lincolns a bad set. She came in and made sure that state. She was very interested in history and making sure that it reflected, you know, the long and important past of the United States, but she also had her eye on the bottom line. Because edith also read the account and when the money got tight, he did sos very creative and a steward of the nations money because she took the carpets on the first floor and that were running out of them, and had to recut and go in the corridors upstairs. She took her in from the first floor and had them reup holstered in the curtain material to save money. The congress appropriated 475,000 dollars in 1900 for that project. Marvin is on the line from los angeles. Hello, great to see you back. I have a question about the relationship between Edith Roosevelt and the Franklin Roosevelt. In 1924, they ran from new york and the republican candidate and supported al smith, the first time i came from washington was 1955, hoping to see a celebrity. I walked over to Lafayette Square and saw a crowd, and a slim lady with a broad brim hat was rededicateing a statue that they had dedicated 50 years ago, and alice roosevelt, and this was 1955 after leaving the white house in 1909. She loved to be the center of attention. She did. But the hyde park roosevelt and the oyster bay roosevelts were basically very close. And Franklin Roosevelt loved to come and visit a Theodore Roosevelt and they were friendly. And eleanor, of course, was edith and theodores niece and they t. R. Used to read her poetry. They were quite friendly with her. When eleanor and franklin married in 1905, Theodore Roosevelt gave her way and act the part of her father. And edith signed the marriage license. It is offered to let them be married in the white house. They loved franklin in the beginning, but by the 1920s Teddy Roosevelt had political ambitions and some people accused him of being involved in the scandal, which it turns out was not fair, but eleanor drove a car with a tea put on top to embarrass her cousin. That created bitter feelings for a while, but edith remained somewhat friendly towards eleanor. Joe wants to follow up on your comments about the destroying of the letters by asking, what do historians say about dismissing record . Do we miss the intimate t. R. And edith because of this . Thats a great question. Well, you wrote the biography, what would you think . Well i found some of their correspondents and their childrens papers, so i think we know a lot of course, we want to know more. But i think they we have a pretty good record of what their relationship was like. And Theodore Roosevelt adored Edith Roosevelt, and she was devoted to him, not that they did not have to a little difficult moments. And he was not an easy husband, forgot birthdays, could be very inconsiderate. Wasnt there when the children were born, and was always going off hunting. But we know a lot about them. Even as she did burn some of the letters. He truly did love her. He wrote about her two friends of his and, highly complimentary things. Were going to return to sagamore hill and look at their collection of artifacts from the white house years of the roosevelt. What we are showing you here are objects from the white house, both personal objects from edith, but also this lovely cup, which was you can see the president ial seal . This is a cup and saucer from the White House Service that he didnt ordered in the white house after the renovation was completed. And there was the public was very interested in this activity, in this is an example of that. Its a newspaper article showing the new White House Service. You can see the cup here in the top picture. She ordered 1125 pieces of new china to replace what she called the scraps, the bits and broken pieces from all the white house china sets that were in the house when she got there. What we do have here are examples of an invitation to a garden party that she threw. I love the dinner invitation because theyre very specific. They tell you when to arrive, they tell you when the dinner will be over. So its very clear that youre not to overstate your welcome. Youre not a party with the president afterwards. Here to come, after dinner, and go home afterwards. Some of the other optics you see here include a gold plated vanity set, like the silver one that she had as a younger woman. This was very elaborate. And has her initials carved into it. These are crystal because that were used for perfume and other since. We have a comb, you have a brush. You have, you know, jars for rouge and other lotions. And this, you know, was indicative of her status. She was the first lady and she took that job very seriously this was a set of her glove, and it was lined with velvet, and held a dozen pair or so of gloves. She loved fans. He collected fans, she also like to carry fans at public perceptions. She liked to stand in line next to t. R. He loves to shake hands. And she found that by holding posies or fans, she did not have to shake hands with strangest, and was delighted by that. They said of china is the families china. They did not use the former white house china for their everyday meals. They used this china, which is english. And you can see that it is pretty plain in design, except for t. R. s initials in blue in the middle of the plate. As first lady she did receive a lot of gifts, both from friends and family, but also from foreign leaders. These lovely little bracelets were silver bracelets sent to her by the ember of at the center, which is now ethiopia. This is a box which goes with the silver bracelets and she even wrote notes to herself to remember where the Different Things came from. And it says on their silver bracelets sent to mrs. Roosevelt senior by the epicenter of abyssinia at the white house. Weve open the case he can get a closeup look at the figurines, which were given to her by the french government. They made a french porcelain, theyre instead of 14, and were used to decorate tables at state dinners at the white house, but it was very clear that they had been a gift to her and she made very clear that she took them when she left the white house. A sense of life under the roosevelts. We are making the point that this was the dawn of america on the International Stage and roosevelt, as he adventuring an imperial president in some ways. How did they use their social aspects of the white house to advance the view . In order for the United States to be taken seriously as a world power, the United States had to entertain heads of state so the white house changing made a difference. Plus all those diplomatic receptions that happened at dinners and open events, big dinners, it was Something Like 40,000 people came to the white house in the first year. It was just amazing. It creates goodwill, and you have dinner with someone, youre more likely to agree with him or work with them afterwards. Sometimes we estimate the power of face to face. They knew how to socialize, and they were very energetic and entertaining. I want to underscore that number. 40,000 guests in the white house the first year alone. Thats an effort. It really is too much, but if youre highly organized and you have a social secretary, you really know how to do this. As t. R. Modernize the president and change the navy and change the government and created the first far eastern desk in the state department, you know, its really amateur hour in the 19th century in the federal government. In the early 20th century, t. R. And edith were modernizes. The hiring of the social secretary was one of the things that most historians point to as Edith Roosevelt really being a harbinger of the modern first lady. What was the concept of a social secretary . How did she use her . She hired a woman named Isabella Hagner who was very interesting and her own right. By 8 16, she was an orphan who had brothers to take care of, and she worked for the social registers, and then she worked for the war department. She did this task of being a social secretary, where you would help eat women with their correspondents, with whatever houses today she might have had. And this is what bill did for andrew roosevelt, or deters sister the one who raised alice, bamie so she was an old hand at this, was bell hagner. And she came into the Roosevelt White house at a time in the first play was inundated by all of it details of alice his debut. Alex is making her social debut, and there were letters to right. There were invitations to offer, and there are flowers all these things to be taken care of. Thats when bell stepped in. And then she stayed until the end and was quite a member of the family. At one point, is said that she thought of her as a daughter. So they had quite a close relationship. You know, belle became a surrogate mother in some ways when the children cannot go to eat it for thinks they needed, like some of the children wanted sweet scented then when they were off at school. So they brought to you belle and said could you send us some treats . And alice was not supposed to take a bracelet from a young man, but she didnt away, and lasted. Well, and she had to ask for belles help to recover this piece of jewelry she was not supposed to take. For edith and belle hagner, the managing of the socialist i was very serious business, and that edith was a tough manager, was controlling her guest lists and who would be there . She dont want people who were adulterers or was unacceptable socially to be part of their entertainment. And, you know, of course most people were white and there werent that many jews invited to the white house in those days. So keep in mind, this is kind of the wasp ascendancy era of social life. And so exclusive society was washington elites and people in government, foreign diplomats and people like new york society. It was an exclusive group. Its important because she begins what is a much longer tradition out of the sort of reoxidation of the office of the first lady. Now belle is not the first social secretary ever, but shes the one that stays in longest and start us down this path. Mrs. Taft, you will learn next week, does not have the same social secretary relationship, and that is to her peril. Thats the point for us, and the influence of Edith Roosevelt, she began the bureaucrat is a shun of the rule first lady. Exactly. The professionalization. Professionalization. Thats a better way to put it. Lets go back to calls, lets go to bug. Hes with us. Im a major teddy ile, and just a sideline note, we have a great connection in st. Louis with t. R. , with the worlds fair, and i know that History Museum in forest park, theres a great photograph of him at the opening ceremony. My question is this, and i guess because he did so much, i have trouble keeping dates straight. I do know that i believe that his first wife and his mother died the same day and that more or less forced him to go west, take up the cowboy life. I guess when he came back when did he marry edith . Especially was it before the spanish american war . And did she help him very much to overcome that sorrow of his first wife and his mother . And thanks for taking my call. Well, im going to ask a very brief touching on the story because later on the program will spend more information on their early relationship and how they came together. So we acetates of the marriage, just give him that. February 14th, 1884 as when alex his first wife dies, and then t. R. Marys edith december 1886. And the spanish american war is july, largely july, 1898. So and you are right. Theres a very unforgettable story about the death of Theodore Roosevelts first wife. But were going to keep you hang on a little bit if you dont know it already. Ill tell you later in the program. Ed is watching us in north dakota, and its a special out, thats a very special place. This is roosevelt territory in missouri. I, think for taking my call. Im the chairman of the theater roosevelt foundation, and our effort with the foundation is a really sustain the legacy of t. R. s time as a cattle ranch or in the badlands of Western North dakota. I was curious if your guests will talk to us a little bit about, you know, you are mentioning that there was an effort of keeping the socially unacceptable people out of the white house. Tell us a little bit about how the first lady felt when t. R. s cowboy friends and rough riders would come and visit in the white house. Well, in, fact i think edith understood that his times in the dakotas was really precious to him. T. R. Said he would never be president if it had been first time in the dakotas, which now north dakota, his ranches. And the Theodore Roosevelt center there at dickinson state, is a wonderful project. I think she understood. She had visited the ranches that pr had understood that his time being a ranch or meant everything to him. So she put up with some people who she might have not chosen as friends, you know, desperados and farmers and cowboys who t. R. Loved, so she accepted them. And thats the key piece of it, because she went to north dakota when she was very new in the marriage and quite a young woman. And head over heels in love with her husband, and he was head over heels in love with north dakota. And so she loved, you know, she want to know all about the things that he loved. I think those people had a marvelously colorful characters from north korea and a rosy patina for her. Did they keep the rain throughout the presidency . No. He had to salad. Basically, he was a field cattle ranchers. The weather was against him. Yes, they froze. Those were hardiness my grandfather was a wheat farmer not too far from there and those were hard times, very hard times. It is now a National Park, his ranch . Yes, there is a National Park. North dakota is having an oil boom, well, natural gas boom in some of the landscape is being bothered a bit, but weve been to the ranches and theyre great. And theres a very large t. R. Contingent. North dakota and minnesota, they love them there. They do. Its important to understand did or roosevelt, you have to understand north dakota. And if you go to north dakota, you can see the badlands, you can see the side of the aisle corn, you know so, there is the National Park and those amazing park Service People around that and the Theodore Roosevelt center, where theyre digitizing 155,000 letters and all of the things that roosevelt was doing. And then there is the Medora Foundation that your caller mentioned, so theres a joint effort to keep the memory of theater was well alive, and to remind us of the importance. Donors in silver spring, maryland, outside of washington. Hello. How did edith and theodore meet and how long with their courtship before they married . Okay. Will answer that. We promised we answer that. But, before i leave the question about the period of time of the white house years, one of the other things we think of with modern first ladies, particularly with jacqueline kennedy, was bringing renowned performers into the white house. And this was something that Edith Roosevelt also did during their tenure. How did she approach introducing americans to culture and supporting culture and the arts in the white house . Well, she had the musical taste of the pair, would you say . Oh yes. Dana roosevelt he wasnt that is present grant who famously said, i know two songs, one of the most inky doodle dandy and the other one isnt. But she loved classical music, Edith Roosevelt. So she work with the stein wing company and brought amazing entertainers to the white house, including pablo castles and jan para ski, the pianist. She brought the entire philadelphia orchestra at one time. Shes very attuned to this. He just had tastes that were in line with her husbands family. She loved the corcoran art gallery, for example. So theater and art and music, classic music were very important to edith. Also what they recall new growth spirituals. T. R. But indian songs, they want people to discover america. He helped encourage don low max to discover cowboy songs. They want people to understand america had culture, it was not a Colonial Society anymore dependent upon great european cultures borrowing artists, and the white house had a really arrived culturally. So theyre very important in that sense. Once the white house was remodelled, there was space to have these performers on a stage. Since they had sagamore hail, why do they need a retreat called pine not . It took a while to get to sagamore heal, because its in long island, whereas edith especially in 1905 and 1906, where he had a lot of political conflict and a lot of difficulty, the pure food and drug act, and all kinds of times when hes having a rough time in the presidency, and hes gained a lot of weight. So she wants him to have an overnight in the cabin. Ive been to this cabin, its very primitive. Its outdoor. Theres no plumbing, theres no electricity, theres nothing. And she did not cook, so he had to cook for her on a kerosene stove. And they had to do everything for themselves. But they needed a quick escape. We took a camera there lets take a look at it. Oh, you did . Oh, great. But remember, this is a very wealthy family who has grown up in the height of society. And keep that in mind when you see the house that edith built called pine not in the rural part actually, the wilderness of virginia. Lets watch that next. Edith sought a place for rest and repairs for the president close enough to d. C. That he could get out here as often as needed, but far enough away that there was wilderness. So she bought the cottage and 15 acres and her renovations that she prescribed for 280 dollars. The date is written in her name, and the renovations that she did include this porch, what she called her piazza. She specified that it be supported by this untrimmed cedar posts. These are the original, most of what you see is original. And the color of the house now is the color that it was when the roosevelt were here. The interior is completely unfinished. They are bare because edith wanted them to be left that way. She wanted to have a totally rustic feel as the porch, and wanted to be natural every. Since this room was originally divided into two and edith opened it out into a lodge like room. She wanted to have the family be able to be here together. And they cooked their meals by the fireplace. Generally t. R. What do the cooking and edith what a boil the water for the tee. And the children would fetch the wood and do the various things that were needed to get meals together. When needed saw the cottage for the first time, there were no fireplaces. The cottage was unfinished, and so these fireplaces were done to her specification, and she designed these wonderful stone ledges that are built into the fireplace to provide some functionality and some. Interest as were in the center of the room, to the kind of shook of the whole thing. And edith specified, she moved him to the side for really two reasons. One, she wanted the bottom floor to be in open lodge like room. The other is that she wanted to create a room upstairs. This is a tiny roommate of created for ethel. But i think the special feature of this was that it had a door so that at the wouldve been able to shut off her brothers from entering her room. This is where edith and t. R. Slapped, so this would be the master bedroom, as it were. But clearly, as you can see, the light streaming through the boards, its no more better appointed than any of the other rooms. This is the boys room. So all for the boys wouldve slept in this room and they were here. And it too has a wonderful mantle, and better yet, it has the stone supports that edith wouldve designed. This was a family place. And that, sends it was unique for the roosevelt because hail had become a place where t. R. Had politicians and press and constantly a hub of activity. This was the one place where it was private family time and the roosevelt made it very clear that they did not anyone but family here. So you want to make a point or just tells a story about pine not . Only to buttress what kathy said about the reason pine not was important because there was no more privacy at the white house, a little more at sagamore hail at this time. An order for it to get her husband away he had to go far off the grid. Lets see how far off the grid was. Driving distance from washington, along would take free to get . There its about an hour. This ive given a top there, and theres a big t. R. Contingent right around charlottesville. And you can go and visit the pine knot if youre interested. So pretty rustic. Good have to be a perimeter, and the press we hang out the perimeter and making sure they can capture them coming and going to get them. What was it like . The president them alone when they winter . I think the press left them alone. Edith lastly because she was worried that there will be intruders, and she did not feel safe. But i think the secret service protected them finally. But it was close to a farm that friends of theirs had, so they would have food come over. Wasnt it at pine knot that john burrows came to visit found a flying squirrel . He thought he heard, something and discovered it was secret serviceman that edith secretly put there to protect and she didnt even tell t. R. About the extra secret service. He did think he needed it, but he carried a pistol. And he was cavalier about it, whereas she was worried. She was very wary because in fact people would come eventually, he was shot in the 1912 campaign, and mckinley had been shot. And there were other attempts to get at him. So she had a reason to be nervous. Adrian myers asked, was it into hiking, nature and hunting . She really enjoyed being outside and living a more rustic life. I think she believes in the simple life, you know, getting away from society and not needing all of the modern comforts. Im not sure that she ever hunted. I dont know for hunting. She did certainly hike, but i also know that after a certain number of children, i think she decided that these hikes that Theodore Roosevelt was so promoted to doing, he would take out a book and just read. His younger sister virgo on those hikes, walking through the swamp or climbing. And he would take his kids in any neighbors on these big hikes. She did not like that. But she is not like other victorian ladies, she traveled around the world and then she goes on a canoe trip to a dozen waterfall. She does a lot of interesting for someone her age. Next is johnny in denver, colorado. Hello. I, thank you for your series, i hope it continues. My question is about not rest more and whether it was what had an opinion about the monument, seeing as he was alive during his conception and construction. She knew the person who carved in, i dont remember reading anything im not sure that its finished by the time she . Right now, its been us in the twenties or thirties . We are not sure she ever season. So i dont remember her opinion and theres some people who think that he should not be there, but he supported t. R. And admire him very much for his 1912 Bull Moose Party third party run. So i think the fact that it is a bull moose monument, a monument to other great president s. Robert about how she lived, barbara says, id like to know if edith cooked . Back to the cookies, i guess. Do you know if he prepared food . No, she always had servants. And i think he was proud that she had never made a bed in her life except at pine knot. Elaine is in california. Hello. Elaine . Yes, hello. Youre on the, go. I want to know where she may have stood on the Womens Movement that was going on. I mean, the vote for women did not come until 1920. But where did edith stand on this . I would like to know the answer to that. Thank you. Well she said in private that she thought suffers was a good idea. Women could vote in western states first. So in 1904, you could vote in utah and colorado and other western states. So i think she was a very quiet about it. But when susan be anthony came to the white house, it was alice who wanted to talk to susan b anthony. So i think alice was the most person most sympathetic to suffrage. Barbaras and pay aria. Hello. Yes, id like to know whether its true that Theodore Roosevelt asked booker to washington as it gets to dinner. And if so, was that a first . Well, its october 16th, 1902, Theodore Roosevelt does invite booker to washington, who was the leader of the tea institute, in a very important figure in African American history. Booker tea washington was somebody who rose up from slavery and was recognized as a very important educator, but also dealt with political patronage for the Republican Party. So edith and t. R. Had him to dinner, which was, you know, Frederick Douglas had come to the white house to talk to lincoln, but i dont think a dinner was involved. So its not the first time an African American came to be an adviser, but it may be the first dinner. Could be. Could be. I think it was the, first put people in the south went crazy. People threatened to kill t. R. They said that she put a bomb under his car. That he promoted that he advocated socially quoted between blacks and whites. So we have to remember, an African American history, after reconstruction, this is the navy air, this is the low point of their segregation. Legal segregation passed by southern states. And African Americans in the south were treated very badly. So it was controversial to cross the color line socially it seems like an important time to talk about edith attitudes about African Americans. Lou gold and his biography of her gives a number of citations of personal correspondence where she would use but we would very much considered derogatory terms about African Americans, and he writes in his book, it is roosevelt rachel comments fall within the range of general white attitude towards blacks among the american upper class in these years. Pejorative descriptions of African Americans were delivered in the circles without much conscious thought of implications. Nonetheless, the attacks of her views of her husband has not been explored and discussions at the president s own racial policies. What kind of influence can we know that she might have had in his thinking and ultimately, his actions as president on this topic . Lets think. This is a couple who spent time together every day. They went horseback riding, walking, they were together every night over what betty ford would later call the first pillow. So they had a very close relationship, very loving relationship. And i think what lewis is doing in his book, and i would call doctor gould the founder of modern first lady scholarship, but hes looking at these letters and the terms that immediate as using to describe African Americans, and finding, them certainly, as you just read, within the boundaries of what white americans used, right . But they are more extreme than what we know the adorable used. So what kind of influence does she have on her husband . Thats not something we havent plump yet. We dont know. We dont really know. It be interesting to look at the timing of the brownsville incident with some of the things that edith has written in some of the places that she said . Whats the brownsville incident . African american soldiers were falsely accused of shooting of the town of brownsville, texas when they faced terrible segregation and local hostility. And t. R. Didnt really want to know the details, and just assume they were guilty. So they got dishonourable discharges and i think quite unjustly. So he had had a fair amount of African American support in the north where people could vote. And they were certainly he lost him over that. And gould makes the point that, later, as he was no longer going to run for president , he was less attended to the needs of African Americans. So its a very interesting question that dr. Gould has in this book. It prompts more questions. I think its also a good eye terrible topic, but it shows you that history is never done being written. Theres always more questions to ask, and this is a good. When the music channels that miss roosevelt had in the white house, she brought on these singers of spirituals. That was consider giving them an audience at that time. It wasnt a minstrel show, it was a spiritual. We have to be careful about looking back, so much has changed. Very true. At the end of his life he appeared on a stage with the neb did boys and said justice has not been done to black people, and this is something i want to face. And their daughter taught African Americans at sunday school as well. So its a very interesting race in the roosevelt topic. Theyre not eleanor roosevelt, okay . Okay, lets go back to sagamore hill, the family home in long island and learn more about their collection that shows the family life of the roosevelt, so lets watch that. This is a fascinating piece. You know, most people take baby pictures and snapshots. The roosevelts at some point, had three of her children, kermit, ethel, and archie, they had reliefs none of them. Obviously, this was work done by a professional sculptor and wouldve been expensive. It fascinates me similar pieces for the older children to the youngest. We have this piece. She raised her five children she kept it through the years. There are references to them Walking Around in a little red shoes. All of the children had little red shoes at some point in her letters. She kept those. Roosevelts children the brand the books were brandnew and they read them with their children. Books were important roosevelt. I love the fact that he had won in french and that he introduce them to a new language. To make it easier to learn french. This is from the 19 twenties and thirties. It basically tells the story of her familys life. It is a story of her husband and herself and their children. It goes on to show roosevelts career. For cuba. Being president. It sure his conservation interest. At the bottom you see the uniform with the gold star frequent in, it was very poignant very touching. It was what was important to her. From resources, this video was on our website. Weve been accumulating all of our programs for the series if youve been watching us along the way. There are individual biographies for each of the first ladies of the United States. Cspan. Org slash first ladies. The special feature for this one is another item he had stuck under the desk an interesting story behind. You have to go on the website and click on the link to find out. Another resources early to tell you about is the White House Historical association. Theyve been so helpful and helping out and the resources the biographies of the first ladies of the United States. We are making it available for you on the website. You can have individual biographies of each of the first ladies. It can be prepared well get back to as quickly as we can. There is. Thats what it looks like. You can have that as part of your own collection. I would like to get to the part where people have been asking about the early years of edith fully roosevelt. How how did that happen . They grew up in the same neighborhood in new york city. He grew up on his 20th street. They were in tune together. They watched the civil war. The man without arms and legs marching down union square. They read books together. They were like family is a true that they watched abraham lincolns funeral procession . Yes and she cried when she saw the invalids and elders. That was 1865. You can see this on the screen. It is a miraculous find. Really. People thought that it was a romance and terms that he married someone else. Theres an argument that we dont really know what happened. There was some sort of a fight. After that, they broke apart. She was with a wealthy banker. A very beautiful woman. She was charming and athletic. He was incredibly taken by her. She had many suitors. He had to work hard to get her. Charmed her. Finally, he became so familiar 1880 he was just 21. They were very very young. It was not unusual at that time. How young were they married . 1884. For years. This is the story earlier said we would never forget. If you havent heard it before. Tell us the story about what happened to the roosevelt house on valentines day in 1884. The baby had been born two days before, but the mother had a kidney disease. He said come down, your mother is in. So he finally came down on a train to new york and came to the house. They both died that day. It was a tragedy. It broke his heart. He had already been there was very sad. It is so hard to imagine losing your mother, and your young wife three days after childbirth. What happened to roosevelt . Was it surprising that he married again . It was a surprise for him. He told his sister, dont let me run into edith your house. When roosevelt went out, he thought he was never going to marry again. He was under the no option that you are committed to your wife even after she died. I have no constancy i have no constancy, he said. It was an impromptu meeting. They discovered that there it was rekindled. They did not tell anyone about it. Other people had noticed. It was in the newspaper that they were engaged. He had roosevelt to be able to travel from that and mary edith at that time. People said he didnt know what he was doing. He was devastated. She knew him before the struggle. The death of his father, mother, the death of his wife. The biographer of alice roosevelt,. What was the relationship like between the two . Thats a great question she once said she was actually a very good mother. He was indulgent with alice. She said i would not go to boarding school. Her stepmother caved into that. But as she got older i think, she was seeking attention that she never had. She couldnt quite get it from her father or her stepmother. Once they began to cross these lines of propriety, the relationship got more strained. Mr. Difference was there a difference in the way she treated she had been a little bit spoiled. Her grandparents would buy her anything. I think edith would have preferred a more traditional daughter. I think that was tough. Nobody ever seemed to talk to alice about her mothers death. They were never willing to explain to her why she had a different mother. On twitter, the question is what was the relationship between edith and any had a little white house where they would come to have secret meetings. She was before edith moved in. There was a little bit of competition between her and edith. Most of the time they worked together. She was a really important person to roosevelt. Well take a look at how edith it was always the five or six years that they were married and lived here. After the white house even though it was hard to heat and winter. It really was the center of their life, even if they werent here. It was where their hearts were. Edith rent the household. And all the places that they lived. And albany and washington d. C. She managed investments. What we have here is an account book from 1891 i think it is. It is basically and she kept track of the expenses that she kept four every month of the year. It was broken down into grocery bills. Paying for plummer to come in and do the repairs. She counted every penny. She kept very good track of what the household was spending. They did not try to be self sufficient. What edith wanted was basically to offset the expenses living there. Reduce the cost of having horses their. They did have a Lovely Garden that produced everything from point to strawberries. They had a harbor that had different kind of grapes, blueberry fields. The idea was to reduce the cost and maintaining when people would come up, they would sign their name just like they would at the white house. Usually, even families signed the book. Her brother in the who was karouns husband who is visiting. There are signatures from them. Sometimes, i dont think eat it theres this wonderful little illustration by a guest. When their friends were here and family were here. They would know what they were up to when they were visiting. I would like to spend a few minutes on a big topic. He did roosevelt at her husbands office administration. The statistics from the twoyear term. Two turman ministration. In 1904 1905 something you said earlier was very contentious. 1908, the federal bureau of investigation said if we look at what she contributed to this. Edith played a large role behind the scenes. Bought an invisible government. We will not call the president by his first name anymore, he will be called mister president. That was edith. He played a role in personnel. He tried to get rid of an impasse it or he said i pulled everything i needed to pull to get you here. The man in the white house will talk to her about the post office scandal. It could also be a pathway for roosevelt to discuss matters of privacy that he could not discuss with all the time they spent together walking. She read many newspapers. He did not have time. Eat it left to read newspapers. She would cut out articles and handed to him. When there were topics about him. She favored his conservation policy. Later on, in 1912, she calls the day after he loses. She edited his speeches and his articles. He really talked with her. She was a discussed what happened she was a very active first lady. What was it like in minnesota . I have a quick question concerning edith. The presidency and after what she active in Washington Society after that . Did she have much influence our relationship as he began his run . Thank you for that question. Were going to backtrack a little bit. Roosevelt leaves the white house. They believe the political careers over. They said that. She thought she went on a safari in africa. She joins him. They write camels together in egypt. They revisit places from their honeymoon. A travel around europe. And he comes back and gets into political trouble, because the Republican Party he hasnt really done a great job of putting the parties together. It was a painful moment. They knew he could not win. This is one of the primary it was hard to predict. Nobody knew what that meant. When it came time, so many years after, you know roosevelt died, 1919. He was 60 years old. How did he die . His heart gave up. He had a leg injury and fever. He had rheumatism. Hes in that shape. She was in the house when he died. Did he die . He did. Many of them, they look for a long time. He went to south america many times. He went around the world. The caribbeans. He traveled with some of the children. Was she political . The itll result junior was the secretary of the navy. He ran for governor. He tried to follow his fathers footsteps but it did not work very well. I losing three of her sons. That was horrible. Unbelievably horrible. Yes. He died in world war i. And world war ii, you want to steal the story . Kermit kills himself. The family did not want to talk about that for many years. Alice outlived everyone. Well, im not sure what you are searching for, but she married a man about 15 years, Nicholas Long worth, who everybody thought might become president , which would put alice in the white house as first lady. That wouldve been interesting. And they have a sort of torturous relationship, i would say. Eventually, she will have a child. It will not be nick will not be the father that. Child the most powerful republican in washington, d. C. Will be the fighter that child, william bharara. And then she will become a sort of . What i well, i would say she was a wise political observer and people sought out her dining, table sought out her advice for really 60 years. She was an icon in washington d. C. The other washington monument, she was famously called. Im going to show a little more of the clip that we started our program that is the republican rallies that she spoke. At i i want to understand the family politics of both sides of the roosevelts. Lets watch and well come back to. You inaudible im a new yorker. Here i passed my childhood and my youth. Here, my forebears were born and reared these children. Therefore, it is fitting that might should be the honor i welcoming the president of the United States to our city. So there we look at her one dip into politics in her post white house years. What should people know about that that relationship between the two roosevelt families and their political aspirations . Well she was mad at eleanor for the teapot dome car and she was supporting ted and his political ambitions and she was being a loyal republican. Herbert hoover had given money to the Bull Moose Party, and i think a lot of people saw hoover as a progressive republican in tiaras mold. David wells wants to know, which of the progressive moments was closest to mrs. Roosevelt . Well, she supported parks and playgrounds in oyster bay. I would not think of her as being an active reformer, but you know, she was sympathetic with some of the progressive reforms. We have about four minutes. Were going to tie a bow around all of this on what weve learned about you did throws vault. Lets take a first call from july monroe, michigan whos been waiting. Hi jewel. I have a question for stacey. I read her book about alice, and i was totally impressed with it. Its the only book ive ever seen written about her. I just want to ask the question, were her impersonations of eleanor as good as everybody said they were . Yes, apparently they really really were that good. She did a mean one of mrs. Taft that got in the way of the transition from the roosevelt to taft white house as well. But she is a pretty good mimic. And i did read that is they were departing the white house, and the tops were coming in, and she was photographed sticking her tongue out at the press to express your opinions about the transition . I would not be surprised. David wells wants to know what ways was edith risible best suited to be a 20th century first lady . Well, i think the 20th First Century ladies of had to be partners. Its such a demanding job that the president really needs not only emotional support but the need practical help. So there have been quite delegations throughout the history of the first lady a ladies time in the 20th century. That was an excellent answer, dr. Donaldson. Do you know roosevelt said, i have never seen in any other win in the power being the best of wives and mothers, the wisest manager of the household, and at the same time, the ideal greatly and mistress of the white house. Well, this would answer a viewers question about what strengthen particular did you did have that helped her husband become a successful president . She was patient. That was the most important characteristic with with the adore . Well, one of the things we dont talk a lot about, and we could spend two hours on this alone, is how very different these two were in terms of their personalities and characters, right . And so, where theodore was all going and never met a stranger, edith was much more reserved and i think that part of her part of her wisdom was knowing when to give Theodore Roosevelt his head, and when to say now theodore, dont you think . She calm him down when he was. She calmed him, yes. He was more excitable, and more impulsive, and shes quite calm and deliberate. Right. But she was a better judge of people, everyone said that, and theodore was, and he often said, whenever i went against inside vice, i regretted it. Im going to squeeze in a last question from robert in pennsylvania. Hey robert. Quick question please. I, thanks for taking my call. You mentioned that roosevelt came from a wealthy family. I was interested in the source of his wealth and if they maintained their wealth during his presidency, why she seemed to be silkens conscientious about money . Thats you. Go. inaudible the changes she made there was a very clear sense that edith had. The future was going to be terrific. Thank you for being with us tonight. To talk to us about the life of edith, the first lady me. If you enjoyed watching first ladies, pick up a copy of the book, first ladies. Through interviews with top historians, now available in paperback. Hardcover, or as an ebook. First ladies, influence an image on American History tv. It examines the private lives that public role of the nations first lady through interviews with top historians. Tuesday night, we look at ellen wilson, edith wilson and florence hearting. Helen wilson who is an accomplished painter, created a private studio among the rich renovated ruins of the third floor the white house. Following president would wilsons debilitating stroke, edith wilson finally ran the executive branch of government for the remainder of wilson second term, including matters of state. Florence hearting was the first first lady to vote in a president ial election and to receive secret service protection. Watch first lady, influence and image, tuesday 8 pm eastern on American History tv on cspan 3