Lesser Known Facts about the Roosevelt's

As a teacher, I feel obligated to assign my students a nightly reading out of their textbook.  Realistically, I know that only about 5% of my students actually read it.  I can usually tell which ones read the textbook and which ones don't.  When I taught AP United States History, however, I had a sure-fire way of finding out who the textbook-readers were.  

There was a section in the Great Depression chapter which was dedicated to Eleanor Roosevelt.  The section described all the amazing projects that she was involved in during her life.  Hidden in a little footnote, there is a blurb about Eleanor having a lesbian relationship with a reporter.  In every class, there would be one student who would raise their hand and ask if that footnote was true.  The rest of the class would quickly perk up as they learn this new piece of information (those were the students who obviously did not read the night before!)

I, myself, had never heard about that rumor, but I was compelled to do some research.  I found out that both Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt were very likely involved in clandestine affairs.  While many of Eleanor's relationships were never officially proven, they are generally regarded to be true.

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt.  She was also the fifth cousin of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  They began their relationship when Franklin was a student at Harvard and were married at a relatively early age.  Teddy Roosevelt, in fact, gave Eleanor away at her wedding.  The first ten years of their marriage were dominated with young children.  Eleanor felt that all she did was make babies during those years.

Their marriage reached a crisis when Eleanor discovered that Franklin was having a secret affair with her social secretary, Lucy Mercer.  Eleanor gave Franklin the opportunity to divorce her.  Franklin's mother threatened to disinherit him if he did.  So, in the end, Franklin ended his affair and stayed with Eleanor.  For Eleanor, the romantic relationship was never the same for her after the affair with Mercer.  But, she always respected her husband and he continually looked to her for advice.  When Franklin was struck with polio, Eleanor became his "legs" as well.  She would travel for him and relay important information.

Eleanor was rumored to have a few affairs of her own.  She was close friends with three openly gay women.  They all lived in the same house together and Eleanor would often spend the night.  Some historians also suggest that she had an affair with her bodyguard.  But Eleanor's most famous possible affair was with a female reporter named Lenora Hickok.  It is believed that this affair lasted for many years.  Lenora did give Eleanor a ring at one point.  Eleanor had also written some very intimate letters to Lenora.  Eleanor's relatives deny that this relationship ever became sexual.  They claim that Eleanor usually talked to many people in an overly affectionate way.

I did not write this post in order to besmirch the good name of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.  FDR is personally one of my favorite presidents.  And Eleanor is far and above my favorite First Lady.  She was such a wonderful and caring person.  During the Depression, Franklin worked hard to help the "forgotten man".  But this forgotten man did not usually include minorities and women (they were too low on the priority list).  It was outspoken and compassionate Eleanor who championed their plight.

The Original Family Feud

My sister is a big fan of the game show, Family Feud.  She convinced my husband, brother, brother-in-law and myself to submit an audition tape in order to appear on the show.  Keep your fingers crossed for us!

After we finished filming the audition, I started thinking about the most famous family feud in American History:  The Hatfield's and McCoy's.  So I decided to do a little research in order to find out what they were fighting over.  What I discovered was a confusing series of disputes which originiated during the Civil War.  There was even a forbidden love relationship that was reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet.

The McCoy family lived on the border of Kentucky.  They sided with the North during the Civil War and were led by "Ole Ran'l" McCoy who instilled in his sons a fierce family loyalty and pride. The Hatfield family lived on the border of West Virginia.  Even though their state sided with the North during the Civil War, they were Southern sympathizers.  The Hatfield's were led by the equally proud "Devil Anse" Hatfield.  Even though the two families were constantly at odds, they would often marry each other given the slim pickins of residents in the area.

The hostilities started when Ole Ran'l's Norther soldier brother was found dead in a cave.  The murderer was never found, but most people suspected the Southern sympathiser, Devil Anse Hatfield. The most famous feud between the two families was over a pig, believe it or not.  It began when Ole Ran'l McCoy visited his brother-in-law, Floyd Hatfield.  Ole Ran'l saw a pig that looked familiar and accused his brother-in-law of stealing it.  The fight went all the way to court.  The judge, a Hatfield as well, decided in favor of Floyd Hatfield.  That did not go over very well with Ole Ran'l McCoy.

In the midst of all this pig fighting, there was a blossoming love forming between the children of the leaders of each family.  Roseanna McCoy had fallen madly in love with Johnse Hatfield.  One night, while the two lovers were engaging in a private trist, Roseanna's three brothers broke in and abruptly ended their relations.  They grabbed Johnse and claimed that they were taking him to jail.  Roseanna knew that her brothers were probably going to kill Johnse before they get anywhere near the jail.  So she quickly went to Johnse's father, Devil Anse Hatfield, and informed him what her brothers had done.

Devil Anse Hatfield was able to save his son in time, but Johnse was too scared to continue his relationship with Roseanna.  He moved his attentions to Roseanna's cousin, which apparently was a more acceptable choice for the McCoy family.  Roseanna's story is tragic enough to rival Shakespeare's Juliet.  She was pregnant with Johnse's child, but soon miscarried.  She went back to her father, Ole Ran'l McCoy, where she was treated as a traitor because she revealed her brothers' plan to the enemy.  She died a few years later.

Roseanna's brothers later went on to stab and shoot Devil Anse Hatfield's brother.  The Hatfield's took revenge by killing the brothers in front of their pleading mother.  Over the next ten years, more beatings and killings occurred.  When all was said and done, 13 people were killed in this most famous family feud.

Spooky Death

Twenty years ago, when I watched Silence of the Lambs for the first time in the theater, I was too scared to go home.  I had to buy tickets to the next showing of a Steve Martin movie because I needed to force the spine-tingling terror out of myself.  As the years passed, I would periodically watch the movie on television.  I guess that I am a glutton for punishment because it would affect me just as much as the first time that I saw it. 

Last night, as I was watching Silence of the Lambs on television (yet again), I realized that I was no longer scared.  I found myself able to watch it without cringing under the covers of my bed.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe it is because I have finally desensitized myself to creepy moths, clothes made out of skin and holes in the cellar.  But whatever the reason for the cessation of my fears, I am so proud of myself!  

This morning, I tried to think if there were any stories in history that still spook me out.  And I immediately thought of the death of Rasputin.     


Grigori Rasputin was a Russian monk who was rumored to have healing powers.  He was evenually hired by the tsar and tsarina of Russia.  They desperately need his help for their son, Alexie, who suffered from hemophelia.  Rasputin did such a good job that he eventually became a trusted adviser to the royal family.  Many Russians looked upon this favored relationship with suspicion and anger.  The husband of the tsar's niece, Felix Yusupov led a plot to murder Rasputin.  He invited the monk to his house on the pretense that he would meet and possiblibly have a sexual interlude with his wife.  Rasputin, who had a passion for wine and sex, willingly went to Yusupov's palace.  The plan was to serve the monk poisoned wine and pastries.  Yusupov and his accomplices wanted to do a thorough job so they put enough cyanide on the pastry to kill five men.

While Rasputin waited for Yusupov's wife, he offered him the poisonous fare.  At first, Rasputin refused, but then changed his mind and ate a pastry.  He should have quickly died after that, but Rasputin continued to eat, drink and be merry.  After a while, Yusupov began to get worried that the Rasputin would never die, so he shot him in the back.  Rasputin fell to the ground, apparently dead.  Yusupov went to inform his accomplices what happened and then went back to check on the body.  When he leaned in to check his pulse, Rasputin opened his eyes, sat up and began to choke the terrified unsuccessful murderer.  Yusupov was able to escape and run to the safety of his friends, while Rasputin also escaped and ran into the courtyard.

The assassins chased after Rasputin and shot him two more times.  Rasputin fell to the ground, apparently dead again.  Yusupov beat Raputin's head several times just for good measure.  They tied Rasputin's hands and feet, wrapped him in a blanket and dumped his body into a hole in the frozen river.  Rasputin's body was found two days later.  His had been found frozen in a way to indicate that he had tried to undo the rope.  And there was a small amount of water in his lungs as if he breathed it in.

Over the years, many people have questioned the validity of this story.  The main witness and perpetuater of the story was Yusupov.  He seemed to enjoy bragging about it.  Was it possible for a man to be poisoned, shot three times, have his head beaten in and still survive?  That is, survive long enough to be drowned.  If it is true, then it is pretty spooky.

Coincidence or Fate?

Years ago, when I was teaching an 11th grade American History class, I asked "Does anyone know the date that Congress signed the Declaration of Independence?"  Not one student raised their hand to tell me the answer to a question which I thought was obvious.  Some of them pretended to be working intently on their assignment while others avoided eye contact.  Even under those daunting conditions, I was not ready to give up.  I gave them hints like "It's a big holiday...It's in the summer."  Still, the room was eerily quiet.  Finally after a very long awkward pause, a girl raised her hand and asked "Isn't it July 4th?"  Even though she was correct, her answer upset me.  Because the only student who knew the answer to that question was a FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT from Spain!  I was flabergasted that the only person who knew the answer wasn't even from America.  

July 4th is a very important date in our history.  It was the day that we officially declared our independence from England.  But did you know that the creators of this famous document died on the 50th anniversary of its signing?  Thomas Jefferson was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence while John Adams was on the committee which helped him.  Was this a coincidence that both great men died on the same day or was it  fate?

The political atmosphere during the early years of America was charged with rivalry and borderline hatred.  Two political parties quickly emerged by the time George Washington was finished with his second term in office.  Each disagreed on the direction that this young country should take.  The Federalists won the first victory when John Adams took office as the second President of the United States.  However, the Democrat-Republicans claimed the evenutual victory when Thomas Jefferson won the next two elections.  Even though Adams and Jefferson had been in agreement when they wrote and signed the Declaration of Independece in 1776, the bitter presidential campaingns against each other had left them nothing less than enemies.  Even though Adams was older, he would often gleefully boast that he would outlive Jefferson.

Years after both men had left office and retired in the comfort of their homes in Virginia and Massachusetts, they began to correspond with each other.  Their friendship, which had existed in the early days of the Revolution, gradually returned.  Jefferson spent his final years in physical discomfort with what was probably cancer.  It did indeed look as if Adam's prediction of outliving him would come true.  As the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence was approaching, Jefferson would often awake from his sleep asking what day it was.  It seemed as if he was waiting for July 4th.

Adams' health had begun to fail as well.  July 4, 1826 found both Adams and Jefferson lying in their death beds.  Jefferson died a few hours before Adams.  Adams did not know that Jefferson had died and it is rumored that Adams said "Thomas Jefferson survives" just before he died.  It seems appropriate that both great men died on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  A date which will (hopefully) be remembered for generations to come.  

The Vanguard Debacle

During my childhood, I remember referring to the USSR as "The Bad Guys."  I watched movies where the Soviets were the villains.  I was always so happy when the American heroes prevailed. Even though I grew up living in fear of atomic warfare and Kremlin spies, I was confident that the US would prevail.  However, as I began to study history, I realized that there was a time when Americans were was not as confident in their inevitable victory.

On October 4, 1957, the USSR launched the first man-made satellite into space.  Even the name of this spacecraft, the Sputnik, still has a negative connotation in our country.  Americans were shocked that the Soviets had beaten us to the punch.  While we recognized their power, we always felt that we were better and would accomplish every major event first.  Hadn't we built the first atomic weapon?  So when we realized that the USSR was winning the Space Race, we were taken aback, but still confident in our ability to do better.  On November 3, 1957, the Soviets launched the Sputnik 2.  This satellite even had a dog named Laika inside it.  Americans were worried, of course, but knew that our government would not let us down. 

The government's most brilliant scientists quickly whipped together a satellite of their own.  The Vanguard.  Americans were excited that we could officially enter the Space Race.  They were soon to be very disappointed.  On December 6, 1957, the Vanguard was launched at Cape Canaveral, Florida.  The Vanguard successfully lifted about four feet off the ground, but then quickly collapsed and exploded into flames.  This was the worst possible news for Americans.  The Soviets had already successully launched two satellites and yet we could not even get one higher than four feet off of the ground.  Our confidence in the superiority of our nation was faltering.

Thankfully, some good things came out of this debacle.  The government decided to officially create NASA.  This group eventually helped us win the Space Race.  Another great outcome was that Congress passed the National Defense Education Act.  This law provided funding to increase the amount of science and math taught to American students.  Never again, were we going to fall behind the Soviets.

  

Paper saved Theodore Roosevelt

One show that my entire family loves to watch together is MythBusters.  Last week, we were completely captivated by the episode where the hosts were trying to prove whether or not Japanese warriors wore paper armor.  They were surprised by the strength of the paper as it deflected knives, swords, and bullets.  I, however, was not surprised by the power of paper.  I already knew a story where a famous president was saved by paper.

Even though Teddy Roosevelt was no longer in office, he decided that he could do a better job than the current president, William Howard Taft.  He came out of retirement and even created a new political party in order to run in the 1912 Presidential election.  The Bull Moose Party, officially dubbed the Progressive Party, was gaining in popularity.  Roosevelt's followers were excited about the possibility of having the charasmatic president in office again and were daily entertained by his witty critiques of President Taft.  At one point, Roosevelt even called Taft a "fat head with the brains of a guinea pig." 

The main concern that some Americans had with Roosevelt's campaign was that, if he won, this would be his third term as President.  Up to this point, no one had ever served more than two terms.  It had become a unofficial rule that no one would serve more terms than the beloved George Washington.  One infuriated man, named John Schrank, had followed Roosevelt for weeks just waiting for an opportunity to get close to the former President.  He got his chance to shoot Roosevelt in Milwalkee, Wisconsin. 

Roosevelt had planned on giving a rather long campaign speech that night in October to a group of his supporters.  His 50 page speech was neatly folded in half and tucked away in his coat's breast pocket.  As he entered the building in which his admirers were waiting, Schrank was finally able to get close enough to Roosevelt.  It was a direct shot in the chest, and by all accounts, it should have killed the presidential candidate.  Luckily for Roosevelt, the bullet was slowed down by the lengthly speech in his coat pocket.  While the bullet still punctured his chest, the speech literally saved his life.

Schank was immediately apprehended and Roosevelt went on to give one of his most memorable speeches.  He stood up on the podium and told the audience that he had just been shot.  In fact, the bullet was still inside him.  "But it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose," he boldly announced.  Roosevelt took out his blood-stained speech which still had the bullet hole and proceeded to read the entire script. 

Schrank eventually achieved his goal, in that Roosevelt never won his third term as president.  The victor of the Election of 1912 was Woodrow Wilson, another great president in his own right.  And the would-be assassin, Schrank, spent the rest of his life in a  mental institution.