WHO IS THE YOUNGEST AMERICAN PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY (Hint: It’s not John F. Kennedy) © 

Feature Photo “White House” by Alexey Topolyanskiy

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Here at Precocious Life We Love History and if we can find a way to give you a little inspiration against a Historical backdrop we’re not going to pass up the chance, so here goes;

I was reading something so inspiring the other night that I just had to share this with all of you so I decided to write about it in a storyline.

THIS IS THE GENESIS OF THIS STORY

I was in 9^th Grade History Class and the teacher asked a history quiz question; “Class who was our youngest US President?”

This was easy, right? It’s John F. Kennedy, everyone knows that!

No, she said, incorrect. Anyone else have a guess? Well the guessing went wild, someone said it was Nixon, then Ulysses S. Grant. Someone even guessed Thomas Jefferson and then someone who had obviously never even opened the History text said “It’s William Henry Harrison”. My goodness! President Harrison was 68 years old before he assumed Office.

The Class was at a loss. Then she said, “It is Theodore Roosevelt”.

Well, that was the first time I had ever heard that and so I began to conduct some research and after a brief study of this man I was a fan for life!

He was perhaps one of the most amazing men in American History aside and apart from being one of our best Presidents. His face adorns the landscape mountain of Mount Rushmore alongside Presidents Lincoln, Washington, and Jefferson.

SO, WHAT WAS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THIS MAN?

OK, I got to hold your interest until I get to the really inspiring part so let’s dig in.

He attended Harvard (BS) & Columbia Law school (JD).

Elected as a Republican to New York State Assembly at age 23.

President of the New York City Police Commissioners.

Author – Treatise – US Navy records. Roosevelt’s carefully researched book, published in 1882, remains one of the most important scholarly studies of previous Naval War of 1812. (footnote, 7, 11)

He was an Army Colonel and War Hero in the Spanish-American War, Cuba in 1898 (See writings, Battle of San Juan Hill, footnotes, 8-12)

Assistant Secretary of The Navy under President William McKinley.

Later in 1898, he became Governor of New York where he uncovered so much corruption that the underbosses conspired to get him out of New York and out of the way so they put him on the Vice-Presidential ticket with President McKinley – There, that would be the last of Him, they thought!

So now he is Vice President of The United States, out of New York and out of the way, or is he?

ALL OF THIS HE ACCOMPLISHED

BEFORE THE AGE OF 42!

Unexpectantly, President McKinley is shot in 1901 and guess who becomes President? Yep, you guessed it, Theodore, at the age of 42 he becomes the youngest President in American History, even to this day.

John F. Kennedy was 43 when he became President so although he was not the youngest President he was the youngest one to Ever be Elected.

PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT

IN SAN FRANSICO, CALIFORNIA 1903

By [Production company unknown] [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. (CC0 1.0) Description: President Roosevelt reviewed the school children of San Francisco from 10:00 am to 10:30 am on Wednesday, May 13, 1903. 

Ok, so back to Theodore.

So, he becomes President and this time with National Power waiting for his wielding and he took full advantage of it. You can go to the history books and learn of the numerous examples of his artful and clever play of skills leaving his political opponents in a political labyrinth.

But as this is an inspirational story and not a Historical one per se suffice it to say that President Theodore Roosevelt caused a paradigm shift in World Power that remains undisturbed to this day.

From that moment on the United States would thereafter be considered the world’s most dominant Superpower. But Europe was unhappy and threatened to test this “New Player’s” role in the ultimate chess game of world affairs. Roosevelt was undaunted.

The President made the announcement that the US would not only occupy where they pleased in Latin America but that they would also Police it. Further, he pronounced that if tested they would defend it.

Europe had just witnessed a most impressive victory of the US over Spain in the 1890s who, had before the War been considered to be invincible and with this victory, the United States acquired many overseas territories including The Philippines.

And so, it was that President Roosevelt had brought the US to the World stage as a major world power and he orchestrated the building of the Panama Canal and seized it as a trustee over that territory.

This resulted in the United States now becoming a dominant international exporter for the first time in US History.

Theodore is the President who would give the Executive Mansion its official name “The White House” (5).

He passed the Sherman Act and stopped monopolies dead in their tracks.

Passed the Meat Inspection Act.

Intervened in Coal Miner’s Strike of 1902 and was responsible for its resolution.

TEDDY ROOSEVELT VIDEO MONTAGE

By [Production company unknown] [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.(CC0 1.0)

Arguably the greatest Environmentalist President in history he passed the Forest Act and set aside almost five times as much land for environmental protection, national parks, and conservation than all of his predecessors combined, 194 million acres.

But he was more than that; he was a historian and published some of the most interesting and detailed writings from his after-presidency world safari travels and almost died from severe illness during one of these many adventures (8).

He was a Philosopher and his 18 Books are so well written (see, footnote, 12) that after his publications some called him “the Shakespeare of US Philosophy” (that may be a little ‘mucho’ bravado but I think you get the point).

He was shot at point-blank range once while delivering a speech. The bullet broke through a metal eyeglass container and penetrated into his chest. With blood drenching his shirt he continued another 90 minutes after which he went to the hospital where he was nearly collapsed and was admitted.

OK, I PROMISED YOU INSPIRATION

AND HERE IT IS

Valentine’s Day – February, 14^th – On this day in 1884, future President Theodore Roosevelt’s wife (Alice Lee) and his mother die, only hours apart on the same day (footnote 1). Only two days earlier she had given birth to the couple’s daughter, Alice. This is the entry in his diary on that day:

WWI BRINGS TRAGEDY TO

FORMER PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

On July 15, 1918, a cable (telegram) arrived at his Sagamore Hill Estate on Long Island in “Cove Neck” informing him that his youngest son Quentin was missing in action in France (footnote 2).

That night he sat on the porch, all night and repeatedly refused to go to bed. Through the night, he quietly watched as the sunset and all through the night he gazed at the stars as they graced the twilight sky. Yet, he remained still and watched as the sun rose in the east the following morning (footnote 3).

Within hours of that morning, Roosevelt remained on the porch where he learned from press accounts and later from a personal telegram from President Woodrow Wilson that his youngest son, Quentin had been killed in action when his plane was shot down by a German aviator (footnote 4).

He had strongly objected to his youngest son serving in the war as he already had three other sons fighting. Quentin’s passing left him heartbroken from which he would never recover. He died six months later.

BUT THAT’S NOT THE END OF OUR STORY. 

READ WITH ME A LITTLE FURTHER.

And there were so many memorable Quotes. I found them incredibly witty, fanciful and enigmatically intelligent such as “I want to wear out, not Rust out”.

I read many others and they all left me with a chuckle – all, except one.

As I almost closed the book of reading about this extraordinary man’s life there was one quote that caught my attention out the corner of my eye.

I almost missed it and I am glad that I didn’t because I will never forget it. I would like to share it with you, my dear and special guests to Our (yours & mine) web/ Blog page.

After all, we promised to try to leave you with inspiration so here it is. It Read:

‘No One Cares How Much You Know Until They Know How Much You Care.’

I must admit that one brought the World one of my tears. You see, after all of his accomplishments & tragedies he still had a compassionate Heart.

A Sagamore Estate, San Juan Hill and ‘Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stick’, Heart.

Thank you for sharing your life and times with us Mr. President, I am deeply moved.

Sincerely, David

P.S. Please contact us and tell us how we did, did we deliver?

1. See – This Day in History – http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/theodore-roosevelts-wife-and-mother-die
2. Newsday – A Son’s Death Hastened Teddy Roosevelt’s – http://www.newsday.com/long-island/a-son-s-death-hastened-teddy-roosevelt-s-1.2518155
3. Wikipedia – Biography – The Life of Quentin Roosevelt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Roosevelt
4. France Revisited – Quentin Roosevelt, President’s Son, the Most Famous American Killed in France in WWI –http://francerevisited.com/2012/07/quentin-roosevelt-presidents-son-the-most-famous-american-killed-in-france-in-wwi-2/
5. White House Museum: http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/floor1/elevator-hall.htm
6. Fighting the Flying Circus: richthofen.com
7. Author – Treatise – US Navy records – Roosevelt 1913, p. 35.
8. Roosevelt – Writer – Author – As an editor of Outlook magazine, Roosevelt had weekly access to a large, educated national audience. In all, Roosevelt wrote about 18 books (each in several editions), including his autobiography, The Rough Riders, History of the Naval War of 1812, and others on subjects such as ranching, explorations, and wildlife. His most ambitious book was the four – volume narrative The Winning of the West, focused on the American frontier in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
9. Roosevelt, Theodore (2006).An Autobiography. Echo Library. ISBN 978-1-4068-0155-2.
10. Roosevelt, Theodore (1904). The Rough Riders. New York: The Review of Reviews Company.
11. Roosevelt, Theodore (1900). The Naval War of 1812. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
12. Richard Slotkin, “Nostalgia and progress: Theodore Roosevelt’s myth of the frontier”. American Quarterly (1981) 335 pp: 608–637.

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