25. Roosevelt never fully recovered his health after the South American Expedition
Roosevelt gradually regained some of his strength following his return to the United States, but he never returned to full health. He had been so ill on the expedition that he contemplated suicide, believing his illness slowed the rest of the expedition to the point that it was a threat to them all. Kermit persuaded him to continue. Though Roosevelt lacked his former vigor, his voice was heard throughout the First World War, highly critical of Wilson. Congress authorized Roosevelt to raise a unit similar to the Rough Riders, and the old warrior was willing, but Wilson announced that such a unit would not be deployed with the American Expeditionary Force, and the idea died on the vine.
In January, 1919, Roosevelt experienced breathing difficulties reminiscent of his asthma attacks as a boy. He summoned a doctor to his Sagamore Hill home, and reported he was feeling much better after receiving treatment. The next morning he was found dead, having died in his sleep at the age of sixty, in the early morning hours of January 6. He was buried at Youngs Memorial Cemetery overlooking Oyster Bay. He has been called the most well-read of any American president other than Thomas Jefferson, though where he found time for reading is hard to imagine.
Where do we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
“TR: The Last Romantic”. Henry W. Brands. 1997
“The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America”. Douglas Brinkley. 2009
“The Rough Riders”. Theodore Roosevelt, 1902
“Governor Theodore Roosevelt”. Article, National Governors Association. Online
“Theodore Roosevelt”. Article, About the Presidents. White House Online
“The War of 1912”. Patricia O’Toole, TIME Magazine. June 25, 2006
“Through the Brazilian Wilderness”. Theodore Roosevelt. 1914
“Theodore Roosevelt Dies Suddenly At Oyster Bay Home”. The New York Times, January 7, 1919. Online
