On September 6, 1901, an Assassin bullet hit President William McKinley, eventually making Vice President Theodore Roosevelt president. McKinley was assassinated while attending the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, N.Y. When he got the news, Theodore Roosevelt was on vacation in the Adirondack Mountains in New York, and after speeding to Albany, Roosevelt took a train to Buffalo and witnessed McKinley die of a gunshot wound on September 14.
Roosevelt family portrait
Roosevelt, who had just celebrated his 43rd birthday, was the youngest president in history to move into the White House. He and his wife and six children brought the presidential palace to a bustle and liveliness that had never been seen before, along with the family a small pet zoo — including dogs, birds and a pony. The Roosevelts quickly and completely occupied the house and left their distinctive imprint. When he left the White House in 1909, Theodore Roosevelt commented: "I don't think there is a family that likes the White House more than our family." ”
Ike Hoover served in the White House for more than 42 years and eventually became chief of staff in charge of the day-to-day affairs of the White House. His memoirs, published in 1934, provide us with first-hand accounts of Theodore Roosevelt's White House.
Mr. Roosevelt did not appear in the White House immediately after McKinley's funeral, but at the same time Mrs. Roosevelt and her son Teddy arrived, and after a walk around the White House they picked up the rest of the family, and within a week all of them were in the new room. The greatest chaos in the history of the White House began, and the energetic children immediately lost control like wild horses that had lost their reins.
The lives of serious employees are unfortunate. The children explored all the hidden corners, from the basement to the flagpole on the roof, where every walkway and document shelf was thoroughly searched. The inaccessible corners are now filled with the screams and laughter of children. The White House became a playground for them and their partners. Nothing avoids becoming their toys, and everything can be turned into their playroom. This behavior of the children seems to be encouraged by the adults, and no one dares to bravely stop their risk-taking behavior.
One of the children's favorite forms of entertainment is crawling around in the ceiling and under the floor space, where rats and ferrets live for many years. They also enjoyed skating and cycling around the house, especially on the sleek hardwood floors. In fact, with the exception of President and Mrs. Roosevelt, every member of the family had a pair of wooden stilts, no stairs that were too well paved or too steep to climb, no trees that were too high to climb to the top, no fountains that were too deep to soak in, no furniture that was too good or too high to be used for frog jumping and frolicking, no bed too expensive, and no chair decorated too elegantly to be used as a resting place for all kinds of pets in the family.
Getting the pony to take the elevator is just one of many gimmicks. This little guy, speckled, handsome and handsome, had free access to the children's bedrooms. By elevator, he was transported from the basement up two floors to the bedroom floor. As the children grew up, the staff gradually developed the idea that such a situation was really necessary to properly handle things. In fact, in everyday life at the White House, this seems as natural as an officer arresting a freak or preparing a meal by a chef.
Little Teddy and friends
...... From the moment they wake up in the morning, people immediately make plans on how to best enjoy the day. Meal times, office hours, class hours, will all vary to accommodate these plans. I don't know what will interrupt these plans—the weather, a partner, a business, or anything else.
These pastimes take many forms. Of course, the most important thing is horseback riding. Every member of the family was a master of horseback riding, and the president was happiest about Mrs. Roosevelt or a child riding a horse with him. Maybe it's going to be his lawn tennis match. It's fun for him to figure out who he likes to play with in the afternoon. Of course, no one dares to decline an invitation, but as we all know, a bad player will never be invited again.
Usually, the whole family eats breakfast at eight o'clock. After breakfast, the president would spend an hour or so in the study, perhaps reading a book, while Mrs. Roosevelt arranged the details of the day's activities. The president went to his office at half-past nine or ten, and Mrs. Roosevelt went out for a walk or shop, usually accompanied by her secretary or one of her friends.
Archie and Quentin Roosevelt (right) with White House guards
Everyone came back on time for lunch. Famous Roosevelt lunch! When there are no two or more guests for the meal, that's a big problem. It was impossible to prepare an exact number of meals because of the constant announcements from the office that someone had been invited at the last minute, and many times, family and guests had to wait until the large table had changed before they could sit down. This place is really a temporary homestay and how to get everyone enough food is a miracle. After lunch, the rest of the afternoon is spent doing exercise— what the president often calls "exercise."
The family prefers to spend a quiet evening in the library, or play cards, or read popular magazines. The family were bookworms, but didn't read newspapers. Not a moment was wasted, from big to small, they always had a book or a magazine in front of them. The president, in particular, only devours one book, and it's not uncommon for him to finish three or four books in one night. We often see a child lying on the ground eating a piece of candy, his face buried deep in a book. Magazines are published so slowly today that as soon as we see them, we are busy buying them for different members of the family. However, the Roosevelts were all early birds. Unless there is something special on hand, they rarely go to bed after half past ten, and even when they eat out they will come home before ten.