New York city, Dec. 14, 1795 ; son of James (or
Jacobus) J., and Mary (Van Schaick) Roosevelt ;
grandson of Jacobus and Armatje Bogard (or
Bogert) Roosevelt ; great-grandson of Johannes
and Heyltjes (Sjverts) Roosevelt; great-grand
son of Nicholas and Heyltje Jans (Kunst) Roose
velt ; and great- 3 grandson of Klaas Martensen
and Jannetje (Samuels or Thomas) Roosevelt,
New Amsterdam, 1649. His father was a com
missary of New York troops in the American
Revolution. He was graduated from Columbia
college in 1815, and practised law in partnership
with Peter Jay, 1818-30. He supported General
Jackson for President in 1828, and resided in
Paris, France, 1830-31. On his return to the
United States, he was married, May 30, 1831, to
Cornelia, daughter of Cornelius P. and Rhoda
(Savage) Van Ness of New York city ; resumed
[541]
ROOSEVELT
ROOSEVELT
his law practice, and was a member of the state as
sembly iu 1835 and 1839-40 ; a Democratic repre
sentative in the 27th congress, 1841-43 ; studied
foreign law in England, Holland and France,
and was justice of tlie supreme court of the state
of New York, 1851-59. He was U.S. district ;it-
torney for southern New York, by appointment
of President Buchanan, 1860-61, and served for a
time as judge of the state court of appeals. He
died in New York city, April 5, 1875.
ROOSEVELT, Nicholas, inventor, was born in
New York city, Dec. 27, 1767 ; son of Isaac Roose
velt ; grandson of Jacobus, and, through Johannes
and Nicholas, great 3 -grandson of Klass Marten-
sen Roosevelt, 1649. He received a good edu
cation, and devoted himself to mechanics. In
1783 he made the model of a paddle-wheel boat,
which is said to have been the first on record.
He engaged in manufacturing and inventing in
New York city, and constructed an atmospheric
machine for the Schuyler copper mines in New
Jersey ; the engines for the Philadelphia water
works, and contracted to supply the government
with copper, drawn and rolled, for six battle
ships. In 1797 he built the engines for a steam
boat, the motive-power having been planned by
Robert R. Livingston, but the experiment failed ;
and on Sept. 6, 1798, he invented a vertical wheel
which was the basis of the combination that
made steam navigation practicable. In 1802
Robert Fulton and Livingston adopted Roose
velt s vertical wheel, and a boat was launched in
1802. He was married, Nov. 15, 1808, to Lydia,
daughter of John Henry Latrobe of Washington,
D.C. He became associated witli Fulton in the
introduction of steamboats in Western waters in
1809, and in 1811 built and successfully navigated
the New Orleans down the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers. He retired to Skaiieateles, N.Y., where
he died, July 30. 1854.
ROOSEVELT, Robert Barnwell, lawyer, was
born in New York city, Aug. 17, 1829 ; son of
Cornelius Van Schaick and Margaret ( Barn li ill)
Roosevelt ; grandson of James (or Jacobus) I.
and Mary (Van Schaick) Roosevelt, and a de
scendant of Klaas Martensen and Jannetje
(Samuels or Thomas) Van Roosevelt who came to
this country in August, 1649. He was admitted
to the bar in 1850, and practised in New York till
1871, when he retired. He was the organizer of
the War Democracy in New York ; president of
the Loyal National league ; a contributor to the
fund for fitting out the state militia for thirty
days service, and accompanied the state militia
to Washington to help defend the national
capital. He was president of the New York As
sociation for the Protection of Game and of the
International association to unify the game laws
on the American continent. He presented a bill
to the state legislature for the creation of a fish
ery commission, and on its establishment in 1867
became an active member, serving for many years
as its president, which office he resigned in 1888.
He entered politics on the organization of the
Citizens association to oppose the Tweed ring,
spoke at the meeting that founded the committee
of seventy, and was chairman of its executive
committee that elected Mayor llavemeyer and
destroyed the ring. He was vice-president of the
Reform club; and with Charles S. Halpine, es
tablished and edited the New York Citizen, which
he continued to edit for some time after Mr.
Halpine s death. He was a Democratic repre
sentative in the 42d congress, 1871-73, where lie
was the author of the bill originating the U.S.
fish commission. He was U.S. minister to the
Netherlands, 1888-90 ; treasurer of the Democra
tic national committee, 1892. and a member of
the board of aldermen of New York city. He
was one of the founders of the Union League
club, then a non-partisan body ; a commissioner
of the Brooklyn bridge ; president of the Sons of
the American Revolution, and a member of the
American Association for the Advancement of
Science. He was chairman of the commission
formed for the protection of the soldiers during
the war with Spain, 1898 ; of the commission to
aid the Boers in their war with Great Britain in
1899-1901 ; a member of the committee to receive
the Duke Alexis, of the committee to celebrate
the Columbus Centennial, of the De\vey recep
tion committee, and of various other public com
mittees. He was married first, in October, 1850,
to Elizabeth, daughter of John F. Ellis of New
York city, and secondly, Aug. ly, 1888, to Marion
T. Fortescue, widowed daughter of John O Shea.
Nenagh, Ireland. He is the author of: Game
Fish of North America (1862); Game Birds of
America (1866); Superior -FYs//,mr;(1865) : Florida
and the Game Water Birds (1868); Fice Acres
Too Much (1869); Progressive Petticoats (1871);
Fish Hatching and Fish Catching; Loce and
Luck, an Idyl of the Great South Bay of Long
Island, and numerous contributions to periodical
literature.
ROOSEVELT, Theodore, twenty sixth Presi
dent of the United States, was born in New York
city, Oct. 27, 1858 ; son of Theodore (1831-1878)
and Martha (Bulloch) Roosevelt, grandson of
Cornelius Van Schaack and Margaret (Barnhill)
Roosevelt, great-grandson of James (or Jacobus)
John and Mary (Van Schaack) Roosevelt, and a
descendant in a direct line from Claes Martens-
zoon and Jannetje (Thomas) Van Rosevelt, who
came to New Amsterdam from Holland about
1651. He attended for a short time the Mc-
Mullen school, New York city, but was so frail
in health that he was unable to continue, and
1542]
ROOSEVELT
ROOSEVELT
was then placed under private instructors at
his home. He was tutored for college by Mr.
Cutler, subsequently the founder of the Cutler
school, and was graduated from Harvard in 1880.
He \vas married Sept. 23, 1880, to Alice, daughter
of George Cabot and
Caroline (Haskell)
Lee of Boston, Mass.
She died in 1883, leav
ing one daughter,
Alice Lee. He be
came a student in
the New York Law-
school : was a Repub
lican member of the
New York assembly.
1882, 1883 and 1884;
was candidate of his
party for speaker of
the assembly in 1884 ;
chairman of the
committee on cities
and of a special committee known as the Roose
velt investigating committee. As a supporter
of the civil service reform, he introduced bills
which became laws affecting the government
of New York city and especially the patron
age exercised by the sheriff, county clerk and
register, which greatly reformed the conduct
of their respective offices. He was a delegate to
the Republican state convention of 1884 ; dele-
gate-at-large from New York and chairman of
the New York delegation to the Republican
national convention that met at Chicago, June
3, 1884 ; purchased the Elk Horn and the Chimney
Butte ranches at Medora on the Little Missouri
river in North Dakota, where he lived, 1884-86.
He was a member of the New York state militia,
acquaintances on the Western Plains, including
cowboys and miners, with some members of the
college athletic clubs of New York and Boston
men who could ride, shoot and live in the open.
He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel, Ma} 6,
1898, and was promoted to the rank of colonel
after the battle of La Quassina, San Juan, when
Col. Leonard Wood was promoted brigadier-
general and assigned to the governorship of
Santiago. When the war closed, the Republican
party of his native state nominated him their
candidate for governor and he was elected over
Van Wyck, Democrat, Kline, Prohibitionist, Han-
ford, Social Labor, and Bacon, Citizen s ticket,
by a plurality of 17,786 votes in a total vote of
1,343,968. He served as governor of New York,
1899-1900. His administration as governor was
conspicuous in his thorough work in reforming
the canal boards : instituting an improved system
of civil service, including the adoption of the
merit system in county offices, and in calling an
extra session of the legislature to secure the
passage of a bill he had recommended at the
general session, taking as real estate the value of
railroads and other franchises to use public streets,
in spite of the protests of corporations and Re
publican leaders. He was nominated Vice-
President ef the United States by the Republican
national convention that met at Philadelphia,
June, 1900, where he was forced by the demands
of the western delegates to accept the nomina
tion with William McKinley for President, and
he was elected Nov. 6, 1900. He warf sworn into
office as the twenty-sixth President of the United
States, Sept. 14, 1901, by reason of the assassina
tion of President McKinley, Roosevelt being at
the time less than forty-three years old, the
youngest man in the history of the United States
1884-88, serving in the 8th regiment, N.G.S.N.Y., to have attained the chief magistracy of the gov-
as lieutenant, and for three years as captain.
He was married secondly, Dec. 2, 1886, to Edith
Kermit, daughter of Charles and Gertrude Eliza
beth (Tyler) Carow of New York city. He was
the unsuccessful Republican candidate for mayor
of New York city in 1886, when AbramS. Hewitt
was elected ; was in May, 1889, appointed on the
U.S. civil service commission in Washington,
D.C., by President Harrison and served as presi
dent of the commission. He was continued in
office by President Cleveland, but resigned in
May. 1893, to accept the position of police com
missioner of New York city in the administration
of Mayor Strong, and he was president of the
bi-partisan board, 1895-97. He was appointed
assistant secretary of the U.S. navy in April,
1897, by President McKinley, and on the declara
tion of the war with Spain in April, 1898, lie re
signed to recruit the 1st U.S.V. cavalry, a regi
ment of " Rough Riders " made up mostly of his
eminent. In assuming the presidency, he re-
appointed the entire cabinet of President Mc
Kinley as it existed at the time of his death, and
he announced that it should be his purpose to
carry out absolutely unbroken the political policy
worked out by his predecessor. The cabinet with
the changes during his administration, was as
follows ; John Hay of the District of Columbia,
secretary of state ; Lyman J. Gage of Illinois,
secretary of the treasury, who resigned in 1902,
and was succeeded by Leslie M. Shaw of Iowa ;
Elihu Root of New York, secretary of war;
Ethan A. Hitchcock of Missouri, secretary of the
interior ; John D. Long of Massachusetts, secre
tary of the navy, who resigned in 1902 and was
succeeded by William H. Moody of Massachu
setts ; James Wilson of Iowa, secretary of agri
culture ; Charles Emory Smith of Pennsylvania,
postmaster-general, who resigned in 1902 and was
succeeded by Henry C. Payne of Wisconsin ;
[543]
ROOSEVELT
ROOSEVELT
Philander C. Knox of Pennsylvania as attorney-
general, and George Bruce Cortelyou of Ne\v
York (former secretary to the President) secre
tary of commerce and agriculture, an executive
department newly created by congress in Feb
ruary, 1903, Mr. Cortelyou taking the oath of
office on February 18. The diplomatic represen
tatives continued from McKiiiley s administra
tion were : Joseph H. Choate of New York, U.S.
ambassador to Great Britain ; Horace Porter of
New York, U.S. ambassador to France ; Robert
S. McCormick of Illinois, U.S. minister to
Austria until Jan. 8, 1903. when he was trans
ferred as U.S. ambassador to Russia ; Charle
magne Tower of Philadelphia, U.S., ambassador
to Russia, transferred Jan. 8. 1903, to Germany ;
Andrew D. White of New York, U.S. ambassador
to Germany, who resigned December, 1902 ;
George von L. Meyer of Massachusetts, U.S.
ambassador to Italy, and Bellamy Storer of Ohio,
U.S. minister to Spain, transferred December,
1903 to Austria as U.S. ambassador and being
succeeded at Madrid, Spain, by Arthur Sherburne
Hardy, late U.S. envoy to Switzerland. A
vacancy occurred on the bench of the U.S.
supreme court by the resignation of Associate
Justice Horace Gray, and on Aug. 11, 1902,
President Roosevelt appointed Oliver Wendell
Holmes of Massachusetts, associate justice, and
oil the resignation of Associate Justice George
Shiras, Jr., in 1903, he appointed Judge William
R. Day of the U.S. circuit court, associate justice.
His first message to congress followed the line of
policy foreshadowed in McKinley s last speech at
Buffalo, and as President, he made extended
journeys through the various states, the welcome
extended to him being alike generous and uni
versal in New England and in the Southern
states. It is safe to say that no President who
had reached the office through the Vice-Presi
dency began his administration under better
auspices or with less of partisan opposition and
criticism. His recommendations were acknow
ledged to be- wise and conservative and while
congress did not adopt them all, it gave to each
careful consideration. His action in reference to
the coal strike of 1902 restored order and secured
a return of the miners to their work, and at the
same time made the working men feel that their
cause had not suffered from his counsel. In the
complications arising from the Venezuela diffi
culties in 1902-03, he maintained the Monroe
doctrine in all negotiations with the European
powers interested, and was honored by the gov
ernment of Venezuela in being named as an ac
ceptable arbitrator, which duty he gracefully
avoided by proposing the Hague tribunal as the
proper means for arriving at a peaceful solution.
Later when the European powers involved ob
jected to appearing before the Hague court, they
unanimously suggested the President of. the
United States as a more satisfactory arbitrator,
a position which he declined, and U.S. Consul
Bowen arranged the term of settlement. When
the United States senate failed to act upon the
treaties providing for an Isthmian canal and to
secure reciprocity with Cuba. President Roosevelt
called an extraordinary session of the senate,
and the treaties were ratified, March 5. 1903.
He enjoyed high social, literary and academic
distinction before he became President, having
been elected a member of the Columbia Histori
cal society to which he contributed papers on the
Dutch colonies of New Amsterdam ; the National
Geographic society ; the Union League club
and the Century association of New York city ;
the Anthropological society of Washington, the
American Museum of Natural History of which
he was a trustee, as he was of the State Charities
Association, and of the Newsboys Lodging House
of which his father was the organizer and a
liberal patron. He organized in 1887 and was the
first president of the Boone and Crockett club,
whose objects are the hunting of big game, ex
ploration, and preservation of game and forests,
holding the office until 189(3. He instituted, Feb.
2, 1899, and was the first commander, of the Naval
and Military Order of the Spanish-American
War; and became a member of the Rough Riders
association, organized in Cuba before the dis-
bandment of the 1st Regiment, U.S. Volunteers
Cavalry, and of the National Association o& Span
ish-American War Veterans, incorporated Dec.
14, 1899. He was made an honorary member of
the Union League club of Chicago in 1902, and of
the Alpine club of London. He received the
honorary degree of LL.D. from Columbia in 1899,
from Yale in October, 1901, and from Harvard in
1902, having been elected a member of the Har
vard University board of overseers in 1895. He
is the author of : History of the Naivd War of
IS 13 (1882) ; Hunting Trips of a Ranchman
(1885) ; Life of Thomas H. Beaton (1880) and
Life of Gouverneur Morris (1887) in the " Amer
ican Statesmen Series"; Ranch Life aiid the
Hunting Trail (1888) ; Essays on Practical
Politics (1888) ; The Winning of the WestThe
Founding of the AUeghany Commonwealths,
1784-00 (Vol. I. and II.. 1889) ; History of New
York City (1890) ; The Wilderness Hunter (1893) :
" The Boone and Crockett Club Series " edited
by Mr. Roosevelt and George Bird Grinnell :
American Big Game Hunting (1893) ; Hunting in
Many Lands (1895) and The, Trail and Camp Fire
(1890) ; Hero Tales from American History, 14
tales by Theodore Roosevelt and 12 by Henry
Cabot Lodge (1895) ; The Winning of the West-
Louisiana and the North West (Vols. III. and
LB44]
ROOT
ROOT
IV., 189:3-96) ; American Ideals (1897) ; The Rough
Eiders (1899) ; Oliver Croimrell (1900) : The
Strenuous Life (1900), and The Deer Family of
which he was part author (1902).
ROOT, Eleazer, educator, was born in Canaan,
N.Y., March (5, 1802; son of Dr. Eleazer Root,
He was graduated from Williams college, A.B.
1821. A.M., 1824; was tutor at Williams, 1822;
studied law at Hudson, N.Y.. was admitted to
the bar, 1824, and practised in Hudson until 18:30,
when lie removed to Virginia for his health. He
was professor of languages at Hampdeii Sidney
college, Va., for a short time, established and for
several years conducted a private seminary, and
in 1845 removed to Waukesha, Wis. , where lie
founded Carroll college (chartered Jan. 31. 1840)
and was its president and professor of Latin and
and Greek, 1840-48. He was a delegate from
Waukesha to the second state constitutional con
vention of 1847-48, where he advocated public
schools and drew up Article X. (on Education) of
the constitution as adopted, providing for a state
superintendent of public instruction, the estab
lishment and maintenance of public schools, and
the establishment of a state university. He was
a charter member of the board of regents of the
University of Wisconsin, 1848-53, serving as first
president pro tempore of the board, 1848-50 ; was
the first state superintendent of public instruc
tion, 1849-52, a member of the state assembly,
1852, superintendent of schools in Fond du Lac
county, 1852-53, and then removed to western
Texas and was professor of languages in Giuula-
lupe county for four j-ears, removing to Wiscon
sin shortly before the civil war. He was .one of
the founders and promoters of the Wisconsin
Historical society ; was for a time a resident of
St. Louis, Mo. (about 1871): took orders in the
Protestant Episcopal church, and served as
rector of Trinity church, St. Augustine, Fla.,
1874-S4. He died in St. Augustine. July 25, 1887.
ROOT, Elihu, cabinet officer, was born in
Clinton. X.Y.. Feb. 15. 1845; son of Oren and
Nancy Whitney (Buttrick) Root, and brother of
Oren. Root (q.v.). He attended the common
schools ; was graduated from Hamilton college in
1864 ; assisted his brother Oren, who was principal
of the academy at Rome. X.Y.. in 1865 ; was
graduated from the law department of the Uni
versity of the City of New York in 1867 ; was ad
mitted to the bar, and practised in Ne\v York
city, first in partnership with John H. Strahan
and later with Judge Willard Bartlett. He was
married, Jan. 8, 1878, to Clara, daughter of Salem
H. Wales of New York city. He was by appoint
ment of President Arthur, U.S. attorney of the
southern district of Xew York. 1883-85 ; was a
member of the county committee ; chairman of
the Republican county committee, 1880-87, and
delegate at large to the state constitutional con
vention of 1894, being chairman of its judiciary
committee. He was employed as counsel for
William M. Tweed on the exposure of the " Tweed
ring" frauds; for Judge Hilton in the Stewart
will cases, and for
the Sugar trust and
various political liti
gations. He was ap
pointed secretary of
war by President Mc-
Kinley, Aug. 1, 1899,
as successor to Rus
sell A. Alger, and was
re-appointed, March
5, 1901, being con
tinued in the office
by President Roose
velt. He was made a
member of the execu
tive committee of the
Carnegie Institution,
Washington. B.C., in 1902. The honorary degree
of LL.D. was conferred on him by Hamilton col
lege in 1894. and by Yale in 1900.
ROOT, Erastus, representative, was born in
Hebron, Conn., March 16, 1773. He was grad
uated from Dartmouth college in 1793 ; was ad
mitted to the bar in 1796, and settled in practice
in Delhi, N.Y. He was a member of the state as
sembly, 1798-1802, and many terms subsequently ;
a Democratic representative in the 8th, llth, 14th
and 22d congresses. 1803-05, 1809-11, 1815-17 and
1831-33 ; state senator, 1812-15 ; a member of the
state assembly, 1818-22 and 1830 ; lieutenant-
governor of the state, 1823-25, and again state
senator, 1841-45. The honorary degree of A.M.
was conferred on him by Union college in 1823.
He is the author of: Aildresses to the People
(1824). He died suddenly in New York city,
when en route for Washington, Dec. 24, 1846.
ROOT, George Frederick, composer, was born
in Sheffield, Berkshire county, Mass., Aug. 30,
1820 ; son of Frederick Ferdinand and Sarah
(Flint) Root, and grandson of Azariah Root and
of Col. Daniel Flint. In 1836 he was left with
the entire management of his father s farm and
family. Having learned to play several musical
instruments, he soon after went to Boston, where
he obtained employment with A. N. Johnson, a
prominent musician, who gave him lessons on
the piano and in voice culture. He became suc
cessful as a music teacher; removed in 1844 to
New York city, where he taught in a school
founded by Jacob Abbott (q.v.); and was mar
ried in 1845 to Mary Olive Woodman. He went
to Paris in 1850, studied singing under Alary and
began his career as a composer. He originated
the Normal musical institutes and was a member
[5451
ROOT
ROOT
of the faculty at the New York meeting in 1872.
He is the author of many songs which attained
great popularity, including : Hazel Dell (1853) ;
Rosalie, the Prairie Flower (1855); The First Gun
is Fired, May God Protect the Right (1801); Bat
tle Cry of Freedom (1861); Just Before tJie Battle,
Mother (\863); The Vacant Chair; Tramp, Tramp,
Tramp, the Boys are Marching (1864); The Old
Folks are Gone ; A Hundred Years Ago ; Old Poto
mac Shore, and There s Manic in the Air. Among
his cantatas are : The Floicer Queen ; Daniel, and
The Haymakers ; and he also wrote many Sunday-
school songs including: Tlie Shining Shore;
Jeirels ; Ring the Bells of Heaven; Knocking,
Knocking, Wlio is Tliere ? He published : The
Young Ladies Choir, and the Academy Vocalist,
and is the author of : The Story of a Musical Life.
He died at Bailey s Island, Maine, Aug. 6, 1895.
ROOT, Jesse, delegate, was born in Coventry,
Conn., Dec. 28, 1737 (or January, 1737?); son of
Ebenezer and Sarah (Strong) Root, and grandson
of Thomas Root of Northampton. He was gradu
ated from the College of New Jersey, A.B. , 1756,
A.M., 1759, studied theology with Dr. Samuel
Lock wood of Andover, and preached for two or
three years, leaving the ministry for financial
reasons. He was married in 1758 to Mary Banks
of Newark, N.J. He was admitted to the bar in
1763 and established himself in practice at Hart
ford, Conn. In 1775 he by his individual notes
aided to secure funds for the expedition against
Ticonderoga. In 1776 he organized a company of
volunteers at Hartford, receiving commission as
captain dated DecemberSl ; was made lieutenant-
colonel, shortly after joined Washington s army
at Peekskill, N.Y., and was subsequently made
adjutant-general. He was a delegate to the Con
tinental congress, 1778-83 ; a representative in
the state legislature ; state attorney, 1785-89 ;
judge of the superior court in 1789 and chief jus
tice of Connecticut, 1796-1807. He delivered the
address of welcome when Washington visited
Hartford in 1790. He was a member of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of
the Connecticut academy. The honorary degree
of A.M. was conferred on him by Yale college in
17G6. He is the author of : Reports of Cases, Ad
judged in the Courts of Errors of Connecticut
(2 vols., 1798-1802). He died in Coventry, Conn.,
March 29, 1822.