7 Curious Facts About the Roosevelts
The Roosevelts are one of American history’s most prolific and influential political families: Leaders such as Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Eleanor Roosevelt not only redefined the eras in which they lived but also shaped the country for decades to come, in some ways changing the very political fabric of the nation.
The family arrived in pre-independence America around 1649, when Dutch immigrant Claes Martenszen van Rosenvelt and his wife Jennetjke began life in New Amsterdam (later known as New York). Shortly after their arrival in the Americas, anglicized variations of the family surname began appearing, with their son Nicholas — born in 1658 — becoming among the first to bear the name “Roosevelt.” Nicholas also became the first Roosevelt to hold political office in the Americas, serving as an alderman in the West Ward of New York City from 1698 to 1701, and again in 1715. The political clout of the Roosevelt family ballooned from there, reaching new heights in the 20th century when both Teddy and FDR served as President, guiding the country through harrowing times. Meanwhile, FDR’s wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, broke barriers by carving out a new role for women in American society and politics, and spent her lifetime advocating for humanitarian issues. Here are seven facts about this uniquely influential family.
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Theodore Roosevelt Witnessed Abraham Lincoln’s Funeral Procession
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was one of the most shocking and profoundly impactful events in American history. While thousands of countrymen laid eyes on the fallen leader’s funeral procession, perhaps none proved to be more famous than Theodore Roosevelt. Just 6 years old at the time, young Roosevelt gazed down at Lincoln’s casket from the second story of his family’s home on Broadway in New York City. As the late President passed the Roosevelt mansion on April 25, 1865, a perfectly timed photograph captured the image of two young boys — Teddy and his brother Elliot — looking out from the window. Like Lincoln, Roosevelt was one of the most renowned Presidents in U.S. history, though their similarities didn’t end there. While on the campaign trail in 1912, Roosevelt was struck by the bullet of a would-be assassin, but he was miraculously saved when the projectile hit a folded speech that Teddy had tucked in his breast pocket.
FDR Was Related to 11 Other Presidents
It’s commonly known that Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt were related (the 26th and 32nd Presidents were fifth cousins), but FDR’s familial ties to American Presidents extend far beyond that one link. In fact, he’s related to a total of 11 Presidents by blood and marriage: John Adams, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Harrison, William Howard Taft, and of course, Teddy. What’s more, FDR and his wife Eleanor were related as well, and not just by marriage. The pair were fifth cousins once removed, as Eleanor’s father, Elliott Roosevelt, was the brother of Theodore Roosevelt. The trio was so deeply intertwined that on Franklin and Eleanor’s wedding day, Teddy was the one to give Eleanor away in honor of his dearly departed sibling.
Eleanor Roosevelt Held the First Press Conference by a First Lady
After her husband took office in 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt worked tirelessly not only to redefine the role of First Lady, but also to provide a voice for American women. Unlike most of her predecessors, she took an active role in the administration, and on March 6, 1933, she hosted the first official press conference conducted by a First Lady. What’s more, Roosevelt invited 35 female reporters to the press event. The successful women-only media summit wasn’t just a one-off, as the First Lady held 348 further press conferences over the next 12 years, helping to boost the voices of women in the American press. She also welcomed other notable women in politics to field questions at these events, including Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins — the first female Cabinet member — and foreign dignitaries such as Soong Mei-ling, the first lady of the Republic of China. Thanks to her efforts, Roosevelt laid the groundwork for future First Spouses to take on more active roles in governing the nation.
Teddy Was the First President to Win a Nobel Peace Prize
Four U.S. Presidents have taken home the Nobel Peace Prize, including Woodrow Wilson in 1920, Jimmy Carter in 2002, and Barack Obama in 2009. But it all began with President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. Teddy was not only the first American President to earn the distinction, but also the first statesman of any kind to receive a Nobel honor. Roosevelt was awarded the accolade for his efforts in brokering peace during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, though his victory didn’t come without controversy. Critics derided the President as “military mad,” while others vocalized their displeasure with his imperialistic tendencies in the Philippines. Despite this, Roosevelt was granted the esteemed prize — just one of the historic “firsts” set by the Roosevelt family.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Unsuccessfully Ran for Vice President in 1920
Thanks to modern-day constitutional term limits, no individual has won, nor likely will ever win, more presidential elections than Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Though he’s known as a prolific commander in chief, FDR had significantly worse luck when it came to running for Vice President. During the 1920 election, Democratic candidate James M. Cox tapped Roosevelt — assistant secretary of the Navy, at the time — as his running mate against Warren G. Harding. (Incidentally, Harding campaigned on the promise of a “return to normalcy,” which rejected the activism-driven policies that became popular during the administration of Franklin’s cousin, Theodore.) While on the campaign trail, FDR was derided by critics for being too immature, and he and Cox ultimately suffered a staggering defeat at the polls. In the wake of this loss, FDR shied away from politics until successfully becoming governor of New York in 1929, and later President in 1933.
FDR Was the First Sitting President to Fly in a Plane
January 11, 1943, was a major day in the world of aviation. Long before Air Force One performed its maiden voyage, FDR made history in 1943 as the first sitting President to fly aboard an aircraft. (Incidentally, the first former President to fly in a plane was Teddy in 1910.) Amid the turmoil of World War II, Roosevelt decided to travel to Morocco to meet with British leader Winston Churchill. Given that German submarine activity made boating through the Atlantic far too dangerous at the time, the President hopped on a Pan Am Boeing 314 flying boat and took off, unaware that this would soon become the U.S. President’s preferred travel method. The plane made several stops to refuel in Trinidad, Brazil, and The Gambia before FDR switched to a Douglas C-54 transport plane that ushered him to his destination in Casablanca. Two years later, a special bulletproof, wheelchair-accessible plane was constructed to usher FDR to the Yalta Conference to discuss the postwar reorganization of Europe, though that aircraft fell out of operation in 1947. The call sign Air Force One was first used just six years later in 1953, during Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration.
Eleanor Roosevelt Flew With Amelia Earhart
FDR wasn’t the only Roosevelt to make history in the skies. Ten years before her husband set off on a flight across the Atlantic, Eleanor Roosevelt accompanied pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart during an impromptu excursion from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore and back. The decision to fly was a spur-of-the-moment event, after the pair attended a White House gala together on April 20, 1933. Clad in their formal wear, Earhart and Roosevelt departed the event and headed to nearby Hoover Field in Arlington, Virginia, where they hopped into a twin-engine Curtiss Condor plane. Though Earhart piloted the flight, Roosevelt — who had recently applied for a student pilot license — spent time sitting in the cockpit. Roosevelt ultimately gave up on her pursuit of a full-time pilot’s license, but her brief foray into the skies with one of history’s greatest aviators won’t soon be forgotten.
