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Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt were fifth cousins. Eleanor was Theodore's niece and Franklin's wife. Coming from two branches of the same New York, Dutch-American clan, the three had much in common. Together they transformed the office of the president, the position of First Lady, the nature of American politics and the role of America in the world. No other family in American history, possibly excepting the Adamses, has had a greater impact on the course of the nation's history. |  |
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Theodore and Franklin were both wealthy, both served in the New York State legislature, both held the position of governor of New York and Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and both became very popular presidents. Though Theodore was a Republican and Franklin a Democrat Roosevelt, they shared many political ideals—both were Progressives—but they were also quite different in character and personality. Theodore was the bane of conservatives in his own party, while Franklin was too conservative for many critics on his left. Both had fiercely loyal followers and harsh critics inside and outside their parties, and both used the power of the presidency—TR's "bully pulpit"—in an unprecedented manner. This Roosevelt site is designed to provide students of history with a research exercise. It offers links to information about the Roosevelts, documents, and suggested projects for classroom assigments at any level from high school through college.
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