This biography covers Roosevelt's life from birth until he gains the presidency. Early in life young Theodore, Teedie, Roosevelt suffers from a variety of illnesses. His father admonishes him that physical activity serves as the surest cure. Against doctor's orders, Roosevelt embarks on a physical regimen that in fact strengths him, mind and body. Roosevelt moves on to Harvard, where he meets and marries Alice Lee. He quickly gains access to politics as a young New York state assemblyman. He enjoys moderate success in the assembly, though he suffers, at once, the loss of his wife and mother. His father dies while Roosevelt attends Harvard. Feeling alone, Roosevelt travels west. Time in the west broadens Roosevelt's desire for expansion, both personal and national. He gains acquaintances that prove valuable later in life.
As a child, Theodore developed a passion for the natural sciences. This passion remained constant in his life through college where he planned to study to become a scientist at Harvard University. During college, Theodore Roosevelt met his first wife, Alice Lee, who he married in 1880. Tragically, Alice died from Bright’s disease, on Valentines Day in 1884 only days after the birth of their first daughter. Even worse, his mother also died on the same day from a typhoid fever. These events caused much heartache for Theodore Roosevelt causing