The Childhood of Theodore Roosevelt

I. Earliest life

A. Birth--born in New York City on October 27, 1858

B. Father's family

1. Knickerbocker heritage--Roosevelt clan were established on Manhattan Island by the mid-1600s as Dutch traders.

2. Cornelius Van Schaact Roosevelt (CVS)--ran an importing firm and was a founder of the Chemical Bank. CVS was joined in the family firm by two sons--James and Theodore. CVS was well-off  enough financially that as wedding presents he gave each of his five sons a  brownstone in Manhattan to start off their married lives in.

3. Theodore Roosevelt, Sr.--known in the family as Thee. By his children's accounts an extremely loving father who doted on his children--particularly the two eldest,  Anne (called Bamie) and Theodore (Teadie), who developed severe health problems while quite young.

C. Mother's family

1. Southern-bred--Martha Bulloch (called Mittie) was born to an old aristocratic Georgian family; an ancestor was  even the Revolutionary-era governor in Georgia.

2. Just 18--when she  married Theodore Roosevelt, and went  to live with him in NYC. She was remembered by her children as a terrific story-teller, and  regaled them with tales of her family and the life in the South.

3. James Bulloch--Martha's older brother was a dashing sea merchant, who became the premier blockade-runner for the Confederacy during the Civil War.

II. Civil War

A. "Rich Man's War and a Poor Man's Fight"

1. Theodore Roosevelt, Sr.--chose to hire a replacement rather than fight in the war. Family stories claim Roosevelt was forever after  guilt-ridden over this decision; however, no one from his social circle volunteered, either, so his guilt was probably diminished. He probably felt little guilt while he and his associates canvassed the city for volunteers to fight in their stead.

2. Allotment Committee--Theodore Roosevelt was instrumental in convincing Congress to pass the Allotment Act, which provided a way for soldiers to send money home to support their families.

3. New York City Draft Riot--in July 1863, white working-class New Yorkers rioted in protest of the new Conscription Act as well as the change in war aims signaled by the Emancipation Proclamation.

a. Roosevelt Sr. was part of the contingent of upper class New Yorkers who organized themselves into militias to defend their homes and businesses from rioters.

b. After the riot was quelled, the upper class New Yorkers marched with the newly inducted black soldiers through the white working-class areas in a show of force.

III. Manliness

A. "Muscular Christianity"--in the years before the Civil War, masculinity underwent something of a change, and ideas of what constituted masculinity evolved.

1. YMCA--the Young Man's Christian Association was established in the United States in 1851, and Roosevelt Sr. became an enthusiastic supporter. The YMCA became a way to foster the  growth of "muscular Christianity," emphasizing the growth of a strong body to complimenta strong spiritual life.

B. Civil War--also helped to redefine masculinity, as those who participated in the fighting were viewed as being more masculine--and those who did  not participate had to find other ways of demonstrating their masculinity.

C. Neurasthania--the nervous disorder of the well-to-do. Although this largely afflicted women (although a small number of men were also diagnosed with the disorder, it necessitated retreat to a variety of spas and resorts to "take the cure." The development of this disease was believed by many to be the result of the upper class becoming "over-civilized," and in danger of losing out the the "under-civilized" peoples of the world.

IV Family Dynamics

A. Doting father--Theodore Roosevelt Sr. was by all accounts a doting, loving, father, willing to walk the floor with his children in his arms to comfort them when they were ill. He also accomodated his wife's frequent illnesses and assumed many of her duties in running the household. At the same time, he was very  demanding, especially on matters of morality.

B. Absent mother--the longer Martha and Theodore were married, the more debilitating and frequent her illnesses became. She probably used her illnesses--and those of 3 of her 4 children--as a way to keep her sister and mother living in her household, since they assisted in running the household and caring for the children. She spent a considerable amount of time at various spas and resorts, taking treatments. She also seems to have used her medical condition to limit sexual contact with her husband, since there were no more children or pregnancies after Corrine.

C. Anne (referred to as Bamie)-- probably afflicted with Pott's Disease, which eventually caused a curvature of her spine. The treatment she received for this disease as a young child caused her severe pain, which could only be relieved by lying face down. Bamie was her father's favorite. Despite her affliction, she was viewed by others in the family as having the sharpest mind--and was the rock upon who everyone elso could lean on.

D. Theodore--fathers namesake, but his mother's favorite. Roosevelt acquired his skills as an orator from his mother, who encouraged him to engage with her  in repartee. His childhood bouts of  asthma left him a sickly, feeble  child--but he compensated by engaging in a life of the mind well beyond his tender years.

E. Elliot--the best athlete of the children, and the most well-tempered, as well. Very early in life he became larger than his big brother, and the target for many of his barbs--but also served an Teadie's  protector.

R. Corinne--the youngest member  of the family. She was also afflicted with asthma, although not as severely as Teadie.

V.  Conclusion--Although born into a great deal of affluence, Roosevelt also experienceda great deal of fear and pain as a youngster. His mother's favorite, he had to compete with his siblings for the attention of the father they all adored--something that the asthma attacks helped accomplish.