Theodore Roosevelt: A Brief Biography

Theodore Roosevelt, while a considerably competent president, was a man of deep remorse and sorrow that hung over him for most of his life. Long before the day he was sworn into office, his life was quite dark and bleak, as even the happiest moments of his life were soon erased by unfortunate events that haunted him continuously. From childhood ailments to death in the family, Theodore Teedie/Teddy Roosevelt kept his demons close to his chest.

Let us begin with a few brief examples in Theodore’s childhood. As a child, he suffered from chronic asthma and nearsightedness, much like his siblings who also suffered from various health problems. Despite this, he had quite a curious mind which tended to annoy those around him, specifically his teachers in Harvard University when he was eighteen years of age. Speaking of his school life, young Theodore was a problematic child despite his willingness to learn. His fashion sense as well as his room full of specimens and mounted animals were alarmingly unusual to his more conservative classmates, and faculty members soon learned to be weary around young Roosevelt. Soon, however, Theodore became more sombre and serious towards his studies, as his father died of stomach cancer in the year 1878. Theodore was devastated by this loss, as he regarded his father as the “greatest man he ever knew”, …show more content…
From his childhood life with asthma to experiencing the pain of death within his family, he felt the sting of woe at various points in his life. Not even his love life was spared, as Alice was stolen from him by the icy touch of death, as well as his mother. However, this man did receive a happy ending, finding a new wife and, after much failure, becoming vastly successful in the realm of politics. Perhaps we can thank these tragedies in Theodore’s life for what they turned the man into: an iconic figure in our national