History on Fire
patreon
EPISODE 13 - Ted Roosevelt (Part 1): The Rough Rider And His Demons
🕑 Added 2017-09-21 17:39:05 +0000 UTC “You must still have chaos in yourself to be able to give birth to a dancing star” — Friedrich Nietzsche“History as well as life itself is complicated—neither life nor history is an enterprise for those who seek simplicity and consistency.” — Jared Diamond
He was the first American to receive a brown belt in Judo.
He won the largest percentage of the vote ever by a third-party candidate.
He once took a bullet to the chest shot at point blank range, and rather than going to the hospital went to deliver a 90 minute speech.
He survived tragedies that would break lesser men.
He spent his life fighting against the inner demons trying to destroy him.
He was a perfect embodiment of what Nietzsche probably had in mind when he wrote, “You must still have chaos in yourself to be able to give birth to a dancing star."
He was a warmonger with a diplomatic tact. He was a hunter and an environmentalist. He was a nerd and an athlete. He flirted with white supremacist ideas and yet was very progressive about race by the standards of his day. He was a big proponent of personal responsibility and supported quasi-Socialist policies.
Love him or hate him, he was larger than life.
He was Theodore Roosevelt.
In this episode:
- A sickly child discovers the joys of the strenuous life
- Defeating fear by facing fear
- Having the woman you love die in your arms; into the Dakota wilderness
- “A six year old child on steroids”
- "Black care rarely sits behind a rider whose pace is fast enough"
- “Theodore had to hold on to his optimism very tight, otherwise he couldn’t get through the shadows, the darknesses, surrounding him”
- Marriage # 2
- Why telling Roosevelt “It will break you. You will yield. You are but human;” is a bad idea
- The Rough Riders
- Going to war against his own party
- How Thomas Platt’s plan to eliminate Roosevelt gave him the presidency
