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 Natio