In the textbooks, we often learn of politician’s political policies, but do we learn about them socially as a man or woman?  Do we truly learn of the character that makes the man?  After our visit to the Sagamore Hill and Oyster Bay area, I observed the lifestyle of one Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt.  My conclusion; that he was the toughest man ever to grace the Oval Office.  His house at Sagamore Hill was without a doubt the manliest home I have ever seen.  With illusions to the Museum of Natural History, where he is honored, upon entering one feels as though they have just left an African safari.  It was here that he spent his down time summer vacations and treasured the woodsy atmosphere including the immaculate nearby Oyster Bay.

From what I have learned Theodore (he did not like to be called Teddy) was a man of great principle and moral character.  He stood for patriotism and was the only president to win the Congressional Medal of Honor, conservation was also of equal importance to him, as he set up the National Forest and Park service, and he fought against potential monopolies to insure a fair playing field in business and the private sector.  He was a true trailblazer and earned two terms with a possible reelection for a third term under his Bull Moose ticket which fell a little short, as William Howard Taft became the Commander in Chief that year.  He was a boxer, hunter, and true leader and philanthropist around the world, as he also had a hand in the building of the Panama Canal.  He once famously quipped that you should “speak softly and carry a big stick”.  This and other words of wisdom and quotes of his would certainly be useful in promoting class discussion about the man and what he stood for.  I therefore purchased a tiny little booklet entitled The Quotable TR, to encourage student interest and participation.  A couple of my favorites are below……

Fighting

“Don’t hit at all if you can help it; don’t hit a man if you can possibly avoid it; but if you do hit him, put him to sleep.”  (New York City, February 17, 1899)

Failure

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”  (Chicago, Illinois, April 10, 1899)

Unfortunately while inside of the museum, the staff asked that we refrain from taking pictures.  It was then that I decided to purchase a manual about Sagamore Hil and post cards with great visuals, including the North Room where he kept his prized elephant tusks.  Such visual elements should stimulate student interest to find out more about the man and what he stood for as probably our last truly centrist president.  Hopefully, after looking at them students will be able to compare and contrast Teddy Roosevelt the president with his cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the nation’s longest serving president, who hails from Hyde Park to get a better idea about what the family stood for.

We later visited TR’s grave and headed for Oneonta, New York in preparation for the Baseball Hall of Fame.  I could hardly wait to see it for a second time!

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Teddy Roosevelt or "The Old Lion" as he was referred to by one of his sons upon his death

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