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Episode Description
Matt Briney joins host Adam Camac to discuss the life and legacy of President Theodore Roosevelt. Matt is the Chief Communications Officer at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, which is scheduled to open during the summer of 2026. Matt previously worked at George Washington’s Mount Vernon as Vice President of Communications.
1:28 – The guest’s interest in Theodore Roosevelt and why Theodore Roosevelt is one of the guest’s favorite presidents
2:27 – Theodore Roosevelt’s early life, family background, and early political career
4:23 – How Theodore Roosevelt was different from most of the other people in New York politics and how having a different outlook and persona helped him rise up the ranks of New York politics
6:42 – Class expectations and distinctions of the era, how Theodore Roosevelt bucked the trend and behaved in unexpected ways for someone of his background and class
8:54 – How Theodore Roosevelt ends up becoming Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President William McKinley and how the short time during which he held that role was significant in his ultimate rise to becoming president
11:02 – Leading the Rough Riders in Cuba during the Spanish-American War
15:49 – How leading the Rough Riders helped Theodore Roosevelt continue to rise up the political ranks and helped him become Governor of New York pretty quickly afterwards
17:43 – Theodore Roosevelt’s brief tenure as Governor of New York, how he ended up being William McKinley’s vice presidential running mate during McKinley’s successful reelection campaign for president in 1900
20:59 – Theodore Roosevelt’s six months as vice president until he became president following William McKinley being assassinated in September of 1901
22:45 – How the country reacted to the assassination of William McKinley
25:02 – An overview of Theodore Roosevelt’s time as president, key policies, how he was the first modern president in a lot of ways
30:13 – Theodore Roosevelt as a trust buster, how his policies differed from his predecessors in this area
32:54 – The regulation of railroads and the Pure Food and Drug Act and the establishment of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during Roosevelt’s time as president
35:27 – The construction of the Panama Canal, winning a Nobel Peace Prize for brokering the end of the Russo-Japanese War, the Great White Fleet, and other key events and aspects of Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy
39:10 – The Roosevelt Corollary
40:47 – Theodore Roosevelt’s involvement with rule changes and safety concerns in college football
43:20 – Theodore Roosevelt’s relationship with his successor as president and former protege, William Howard Taft
45:58 – The assassination attempt against Theodore Roosevelt during his 1912 campaign for president as the Bull Moose (Progressive) Party candidate, how the assassination attempt affected him
47:58 – Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” speech
51:30 – Theodore Roosevelt’s spouses and children, his time living in North Dakota and how that shaped who he became
54:57 – The seven years of Theodore Roosevelt’s life between his unsuccessful run for president in 1912 and his untimely passing in 1919
57:09 – Important things to understand about Theodore Roosevelt’s legacy
59:33 – Other notable Theodore Roosevelt stories
1:01:04 – Resources for learning about Theodore Roosevelt and the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
Websites, Resources, and Social Media Links Mentioned
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University
Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” Speech
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library on Facebook
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library on Instagram
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library on X
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library on LinkedIn
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library on YouTube
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20. The Real History of Chicago with Peter Alter (4/19/24)
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