Edith Roosevelt is overshadowed by her niece, Eleanor Roosevelt, in first ladies history, but she was a formidable woman who made a huge impact on the role in her own way. Her quiet strength and dignified persona allowed her husband, Theodore Roosevelt, to become the larger-than-life character we all know and her exquisite taste still impacts the White House today. She is one of the favorite First Ladies that I’ve studied in my Booking It Through History: First Ladies project!
Each month, I’ll detail the life of the first lady and their legacy. Then I’ll share what I learned while studying them, along with ways you can travel in their footsteps through historical sites and museums. I’ll also share books, podcasts, TV shows, and websites where you can learn even more about that first lady. Read all of the way through the blog post or click on the links below to go straight to those sections.
Life
Childhood
Edith Kermit Carow was born in Norwich, Connecticut on August 6, 1861, the first child of Charles and Gertrude Carow. Her father was from a wealthy shipbuilding family while her mother had a prestigious lineage that included Aaron Burr. They moved to a brownstone in New York City near Union Square and little Edith soon became best friends with her neighbors, the Roosevelts.
Edith was especially close with Corinne Roosevelt and her older brother, Theodore “Teedie.” She was often invited to their home (including during the Abraham Lincoln funeral procession when Theodore locked her in a closet due to her crying!) and attended school with them at their home led by their aunt Annie. She and Teedie were often seen sitting on the brownstone steps, reading to each other.
Edith’s reserved personality was overwhelmed by the boisterous Roosevelts, but she fit in as part of the family. Theodore and Corinne spent hours improving their physical health in a home gym, but Edie didn’t care to join in. She did join them in dance classes where Theodore was her most frequent partner.
While the Roosevelts had no worries about money, little Edie noticed that her father’s financial situation was precarious, especially after his descent into alcoholism. When the Roosevelts traveled to Europe and then moved uptown to a more prestigious address, the Carows were left behind.
Edith still attended school with the Roosevelts until she moved to Miss Comstock’s school where she excelled at English and writing, acquiring a lifelong love of Shakespeare. She and Corinne formed a reading club called PORE (Party of Renowned Eligibles), and she stayed close with the entire Roosevelt family, spending summers with them at their rented home in Oyster Bay, New York on Long Island. Theodore loved talking with Edith and rowed her around the bay for hours discussing literature. He even named his boat “Edith” and called her “pretty as a picture” and “very sweet.”
In the fall of 1876, Theodore left for college at Harvard University and he wrote to Edith often. She went with the family to visit in the spring and spent much of the summer with them in Oyster Bay. She was heartbroken when Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. died in February of 1878, and that summer, she and Theodore grew even closer. An engagement seemed imminent.
On August 22, 1878, however, something happened that strained their relationship which is still unknown to this day. Maybe he proposed and she said she wasn’t ready or maybe they fought over their families. No one but Theodore and Edith know what was said that severed their relationship so severely. They stayed in touch but without the warmth or frequency from before.
It was a total surprise when Theodore announced his engagement to Bostonian Alice Lee in January of 1880. The shock was so great that Edith’s family remarked on it over fifty years later. Edith put on a brave face, even giving a party for Theodore and attending the wedding where she danced off the soles of her shoes, but she was heartbroken.
Always preferring solitude to social engagements, Edith retreated into her own world, particularly with her family’s financial issues causing her embarrassment. She attended Corinne’s debut at the end of 1880, but her own marital prospects were bleak. She traveled to Canada with the Roosevelts, including Theodore’s new wife, and was a bridesmaid in Corinne’s wedding, but the only thing she had to look forward to was her participation in the largest ball of the season in March of 1883. However, just days before the event, her father died and she had to cancel her appearance.
Edith served as a bridesmaid in Corinne’s wedding and remained close with the family. Theodore’s wife, Alice, tried making friends with Edith but never could get past her reserved personality. Alice was the opposite of Edith – blond, tall, athletic, and bubbly – and she and Theodore were thrilled to learn they were expecting in the spring of 1883. Tragedy struck on February 14, 1884 as Alice died just days after giving birth to a daughter. Theodore rushed home from his position in the state assembly and was there to be with not only his dying wife but his dying mother who passed away on the same day. Edith attended the funeral but was not able to get close to Theodore in his grief.
“The light has gone out of my life.” Theodore Roosevelt
Courtship and Marriage
Edith continued seeing Theodore’s sisters as they raised little Alice while Theodore spent time grieving in North Dakota. When he returned, he specifically asked them to avoid having Edith in the house while he was there. We don’t know what happened to allow Theodore and Edith to cross paths in the fall of 1885, but we do know that soon they were secretly engaged. Edith was taking a trip to Europe with her mother and sister, and while there, she and Theodore were married on December 2, 1885 at St. George’s Church in Hanover Square. Edith knew that “someday, somehow, she would marry Theodore Roosevelt,” and her wish had come true.
Edith and Theodore honeymooned throughout Europe, and Edith called it the most idyllic time of her life. She met her literary idols, like Robert Browning, and enjoyed seeing the sites she had read about her entire life. By the end of the honeymoon, she was pregnant and insisted on Theodore bringing Alice to their home upon their return to New York City so they could be a family.
“You know all about me darling. I never could have loved anyone else. I love you with all the passion of a girl who has never loved before.” Edith Roosevelt
They moved to their home on Oyster Bay called Sagamore Hill. While Theodore originally designed the home for Alice, Edith was the mistress of Sagamore Hill, and it was her primary home for the rest of her life.
She gave birth to Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. on September 12, 1887 and spent the next decade having children – Kermit, Ethel, Archibald, and Quentin. It’s thought that Edith suffered from postpartum depression with each child, and she was very ill after Quentin’s birth along with enduring several miscarriages. Her resolute character helped her through these challenges.
While they were creating their family, they were also building Theodore’s career as he moved up the political ladder. He was named a Civil Services commissioner in President Harrison’s administration, and Edith loved visiting Washington and its museums. She even attended the New Year’s Day reception at the White House in 1890, but First Lady Caroline Harrison wasn’t there.
While Theodore was often away, Edith reigned over her beloved Sagamore Hill, controlling the family finances and overseeing the modest farming operations. Their finances were stable in comparison with the average American, but Edith always worried about money after suffering through her father’s financial demise.
The children were gregarious and exuberant just like their father, and they had a menagerie of pets including a badger! When they were at Sagamore Hill, they frolicked in the ocean and traipsed about the property like an adventurer. Edith didn’t shy away from joining them for swims, leading her son to say, “When mother was a little girl, she must have been a boy.”
Theodore joined in with them and once became injured by a windmill blade. Edith calmly said, “Theodore, I should wish you would do your bleeding in the bathroom. You’re spoiling every rug in the house.” She often said that Theodore was her “oldest and rather worst child.”
Edith loved spending time with the urbane Washington society, including the formidable Henry Adams who said that Theodore lived in “abject terror” of Edith. Adams thought highly of her and her erudite ways.
She also traveled with Theodore to his beloved North Dakota ranch and to Yellowstone. She endured the primitive conditions with grace. She was unflappable.
A family crisis back home weighed heavily on her mind as Theodore’s brother, Elliott, descended into alcoholism. His wife died and he followed soon thereafter, leaving his children in the care of relatives. Edith helped with his awkward daughter, Eleanor who was Alice’s age, as much as she could. Eleanor spent many summers with the rambunctious Roosevelts and could barely keep up.
Theodore soon was named Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President William McKinley and by 1898, he was leading his “Rough Riders” up the slopes of San Juan in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Edith visited him in Tampa before he left and helped nurse injured and sick soldiers upon their return to New York.
Political Life
Theodore’s rise in prominence led him to the governor’s mansion in 1898. Edith relished her time in Albany as First Lady, and with the children older, she had more time to pursue philanthropy and intellectual pursuits. When Theodore was considered as a nominee for McKinley’s vice-president, she didn’t want him to accept. When he won, she sadly left the governor’s mansion and packed once again for Washington.
She attended the 1901 inaugural ball, spending time with Ida McKinley, and left afterwards for Sagamore Hill. With Congress adjourned until December, she had time to travel, spending the early fall in the Adirondack mountains. The family was there when President McKinley was assassinated. They were hiking and were passed by messengers sent to tell Theodore that the president was dying and he must go to Buffalo. She attended President McKinley’s funeral but wasn’t allowed to see Ida McKinley who was too distraught for visitors. Edith went back to Sagamore Hill and packed for a big move to the Executive Mansion.
White House Years
Edith came into a White House in mourning, but her exuberant family soon made it a rollicking place to be although Edith quickly realized the building was too small for her large family. She threw open the windows to air the house out and rearranged the furniture but it was evident that a large-scale renovation was needed. Congress appropriated the needed funds and Edith helped the architects redesign the building to give the family more private space, moving the offices to a new west wing. They removed all of the Victorian furnishings, like the Tiffany screen, and brought the decor back in line with the Federalist time period. Theodore christened the refurbished executive mansion as the White House.
Edith decided to display the former First Ladies portraits in the downstairs hallway, creating a gallery space that still exists today. She also ordered a new presidential china service that was the first to include the US seal and collected the old pieces for display, creating the china displays that are still there. She destroyed all of the old, chipped china to cut down on the purchase of White House china by citizens which she considered tacky.
The children were all in school with the two oldest boys away at boarding school. The younger kids were in Washington schools and generally ran wild outside of school time. They brought their menagerie of pets to the White House and surprised many congressmen with snakes and guinea pigs. When Archie was sick, Quentin even smuggled their pony into the White House elevator to cheer him up!
Edith took her role as First Lady very seriously and was the first First Lady to hire a social secretary to help with her correspondence. She was well suited to the role with exquisite taste and manners. She controlled her press image by releasing only the images that she had taken and approved. It whetted the public’s appetite while protecting their privacy.
She entertained in a gracious and tasteful way, holding bouquets at receptions to keep from shaking the thousands of hands. She and Theodore believed the president should pay out of his own pocket for entertaining so they hired outside caterers to handle all of the events. She held the debut of both Alice and Ethel at the White House and hosted Alice’s wedding to Congressman Nicholas Longworth in 1906.
“There have been so few happy women in the White House. I think myself and Mrs. Cleveland were the only two, so far as I remember, who were entirely happy there.”
They spent summers at Sagamore Hill, giving it the name the “Summer White House.” Theodore always made time to ride and row with Edith and play with children. She even helped him fell trees and wielded an axe! They invited their Oyster Bay neighbors to visit at the end of the summer and 8,000 people came! Edith was a gracious hostess which was hard as she was such a private person.
Theodore ran for reelection in 1904 and won but announced he wouldn’t run again to Edith’s chagrin. Her 1905 inaugural dress had a design of plumes and birds woven in gold thread.
She reveled in her time in the White House but wanted to find a closer retreat where they could relax. She purchased a small cabin in the woods near Charlottesville, Virginia named “Pine Knot,” and the family spent many happy times roughing it there.
She accompanied Theodore on his trips including to Panama and the south. They spent time at his mother’s childhood plantation in Roswell, Georgia before he continued further south without Edith.
Edith was dealing with the children’s growing pains from Ted, Jr.’s Harvard travails to Quentin’s mischievous “White House gang” of neighborhood boys up to no good. Alice was impetuous and snarky but a leader in Washington society (she would be called the “other Washington Monument” until her death in 1980!).
She also kept up with her niece, Eleanor, and even offered to help with her wedding to a distant cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Edith was sad to leave the White House in 1909, especially when she learned of Helen Taft’s plans to fire all of the White House staff. The last few weeks before they left were made even harder with the tragic death of Corinne’s son. Edith was glad to have her retreat at Sagamore Hill to sooth her troubled mind.
Post-White House
The Roosevelt family settled back into the routines of Sagamore Hill, but Theodore and Kermit soon left for a year-long trip to Africa. Edith renovated the house and then shut it up, touring Europe and joining up with Theodore after almost a year’s absence. She toured the pyramids and met with royalty, including the militarized Kaiser Wilhelm. She and Theodore represented the United States at the funeral of England’s King Edward VII and met the Russian czar.
They finally went home in time to welcome their first grandchild, Ted’s little Grace who was born in 1911. Edith accompanied Theodore on his trips out west and to South America before she had a health scare. She was thrown from her horse at Sagamore Hill and was unconscious for 36 hours. It left her without a sense of smell for the rest of her life.
Theodore couldn’t stay away from politics and was lured back into running for president against his successor, William Howard Taft. As he was campaigning, Edith’s worst fears came true – he was shot by an assassin’s bullet but thankfully his glasses case and thickly folded speech kept the bullet from doing too much damage. He even continued his speech before seeking treatment! Edith had to breathe a sigh of relief when he lost the election in 1912.
Edith now found herself split between dealing with the needs of her grown kids and Theodore’s wanderlust. Theodore planned a trip deep into the heart of the Amazon while Edith accompanied him and Kermit to South America to start the trip. Ethel and Archie married and soon gave her more grandchildren.
Archie’s wedding in 1917 was the last time the entire family was together.
“They have all gone away from the house on the hill, but it is quite right and best.” Edith Roosevelt
Woodrow Wilson was now the president, and he was promising to keep America out of the Great War in Europe, much to Theodore’s dismay. Archie served in the British military and the other boys joined once America started fighting in 1917. All four served with honor and bravery but young Quentin didn’t come home. His plane was shot down by the Germans in July of 1918. Theodore learned of a possible death when a reporter friend brought him a notice that said “Watch Sagamore Hill.” He knew something had happened to one of the boys. He didn’t tell Edith that night but waited until the confirmation the next day. She was heartbroken and the president was never the same.
“You cannot bring up boys as eagles and expect them to turn out sparrows.” Edith Roosevelt
Theodore rejoiced with the end of the war in November, but his health had taken a downturn. Edith nursed him through painful abscess surgeries and rheumatism. He took a turn for the worse in early 1919 and died of an embolism on January 6, 1919.
“The old lion is dead.” Archibald Roosevelt
Widowhood
Edith was now a widow at the age of 57. She closed up Sagamore Hill and traveled to Europe where she visited Quentin’s grave at Chaméry and installed a fountain in his memory. She spent the next decades of her life alternating between traveling and spending time at Sagamore Hill. She visited exotic places and even did a two-month around the world trip with Kermit where they experienced earthquakes in Japan and the bitter cold of a Siberian transcontinental train. She saw the wonders of South America, including Iguazu Falls, and South Africa. With no children to care for, she was allowed to let her wanderlust fly.
“Women who marry pass their best and happiest years in giving life and fostering it…those born with the wanderfoot are sometimes irked by the weight of the always beloved shackles. Then the birds fly, the nest is empty, and at the feet of the knitters in the sun lies the wide world.” Edith Roosevelt
She stayed involved in politics, supporting the Republican tickets even when it was against her own distant relative, Franklin Roosevelt. She never forgave Eleanor Roosevelt for campaigning against Ted when he ran for governor. She lived through 17 presidencies and knew 7 personally.
She also became involved in studying her family genealogy, writing a book about her mother’s family and purchasing a home in Connecticut linked to them. She helped foster Theodore’s legacy and laid the cornerstone for the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace Museum where she grew up with Theodore. She also helped unveil the (now removed) statue of Theodore in front of the American Natural History Museum. However, she destroyed most of her letters with Theodore to prevent future historians from delving into their personal writings.
Her children took many different paths – Ted into politics as an ambassador to Puerto Rico and Philippines (Edith visited him in both locations!); Ethel lived nearby on Long Island with her growing family; Alice had a surprise baby at the age of 41 (rumored to not be her husband’s); and Archie worked in finance. Ted and Archie both served in WWII where Ted died after he heroically led his troops through D-Day. He was buried in the American cemetery where he was joined by Quentin.
Kermit married and had a family but never really settled down. He spent many years trying to find a purpose through the military, serving with distinction in both world wars. He was considered Edith’s favorite, and she was heartbroken at his struggles, especially with alcohol. He died by suicide in Alaska in 1943, but Edith was never told the true cause of his death.
As Edith reached her mid-eighties, three of her boys were gone and she was bedridden. She died at Sagamore Hill on September 30, 1948 at 87 years old. She wrote her own epitaph – “Everything she did was for the happiness of others.”
Most photos from Library of Congress or Harvard College library.
Legacy
Edith is not the first woman who comes to mind when you mention a Roosevelt First Lady. Her legacy is overshadowed by her niece, Eleanor, whose impact was long and far-reaching. However, I believe that Edith deserves much more credit than she is given by most Americans. In fact, she was almost the perfect First Lady with her exquisite taste and forethought in redesigning the White House to be a place for families and work. We have Edith to thank for the beautiful Federal-style White House with its First Ladies portrait gallery and china room.
She was the epitome of a gracious hostess and believed firmly that the First Lady served an important role. She saw the role as one to allow the president to shine while she remained an enigma – the exact opposite of Eleanor!
She was also the first to really use the power of the photograph to her advantage, approving staged pictures of the children that satiated the public’s desire while protecting their privacy. It must have been a scary place to live after three assassinations in less than 40 years. Edith handled it all superbly and seems to have been a model for the later First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy.
While Eleanor and Theodore’s strong personalities often get coverage, Edith’s quiet resolve and dependability is what our country needed at such a tumultuous time.
My Time with Edith
I did not expect to like Edith Roosevelt as much as I did! I didn’t know much about her before this month, only that she was “second choice” for Theodore’s wife. However, I learned she was actually his first choice, and I am always a fan of a love story that goes back to childhood! Learning about young Edie and Teedie was so lovely.
I greatly admire Edith’s unflappable nature as a parent, especially as a mother to two formerly rambunctious boys myself. The way she just went with the flow and didn’t overreact to their antics is something I wish I could do! With such loud, boisterous personalities in the house, I imagine she was a welcome balm to their theatrics!
I also loved learning about Edith’s passions of reading and travel. I share those and was in awe of her amazing trips. Those destinations are hard to reach today in our modern world, so I cannot imagine how hard it was for her to get to the tip of South Africa or the jungles of South America.
While I wish she wouldn’t have destroyed her personal letters, I understand – she wanted to remain an enigma even in history. But I think it’s time she is celebrated and discussed more!
Travels with Edith
New York
Oyster Bay
Right after Edith’s death, Sagamore Hill was turned into a museum, so it is a well-preserved time capsule of her life there. It also includes a museum housed in Ted, Jr.’s home. I would love to visit! You can take a virtual tour here.
See the Roosevelt pew at Edith’s home church.
See where Theodore and Edith are buried.
New York City
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace Museum
I loved visiting this brownstone that tells the story of Theodore and Edith’s early life. You can almost imagine them sitting on these front steps together while reading!
The only Carow house still standing, this the home that a widowed Theodore visited to court Edith.
Connecticut
Daniel Tyler home, Norwich
This is the home where Edith was born in 1861. It is now an apartment building and is not open for tours.
Virginia
Pine Knot, Albemarle County
I have a request in to visit this remote site just south of Charlottesville and may have to wait until it warms up. Look for my pictures to come later!
North Dakota
Theodore Roosevelt National Park (and soon to be presidential library), Medora
This remote national park will also soon be the site of TR’s presidential library. Edith visited his ranch here and saw why he loved this land so much.
Ohio
National First Ladies Library and Museum, Canton
See one of the few remaining original letters from Edith as well as this beautiful dress at this museum. (Photo from the National First Ladies Library and Museum used with permission)
Washington, DC
The church congregation has moved to a different building but this is where Edith and Theodore worshiped in Washington.
A restaurant and bar on the site of their former home.
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
You can see Edith’s china here along with an exhibit that includes her famous inauguration dress, an invitation to a White House event, and a replica of a Harry Winston diamond necklace she wore to the inauguration!
To Learn More
Books to Read:
There are so many books about Theodore Roosevelt and just a few about Edith. You can also read about Alice in several books as well.
Links are Amazon affiliate links. Be sure to see my Bookshop.org list for all of the books related to my Booking It Through History: First Ladies project.
Nonfiction:
Edith Kermit Roosevelt: Portrait of a First Lady by Sylvia Jukes Morris
A comprehensive, engrossing biography of this amazing First Lady. I loved it and learned so much. A must-read if you’re interested in learning about Edith.
Edith Kermit Roosevelt: Creating the Modern First Lady by Lewis L. Gould
Another biography about Edith.
Cleared for Strange Ports by Edith Roosevelt, Belle Roosevelt, Richard Derby, and Kermit Roosevelt
A travel log from Edith herself! I loved her musings on traveling as a grandmother and marveled at her stamina through all of the ups and downs. It’s a fascinating look at how people traveled in the early 20th century.
The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt: The Women Who Created a President by Edward O’Keefe
This is a wonderful book about the women who made Theodore Roosevelt into the person we know today. That is Edith’s “goddess” photo on the front – the only photo that Theodore ever liked of her. It’s lovely! Read my review here.
The Roosevelt Women: A Portrait In Five Generations by Betty Boyd Caroli
This author profiles each of the women in TR’s (and FDR’s) life but doesn’t seem to be a huge fan of Edith.
Sagamore Hill: Theodore Roosevelt’s Summer White House by Bill Bleyer
I enjoyed this book about their beloved Sagamore Hill. I can’t wait to visit!
Fiction:
Alice and Edith by Dorothy Clarke Wilson
While nominally fictional, this is a narrative look at the two wives of Theodore. If you don’t want to read the longer biography, pick this one! Check eBay for reasonably priced copies.
Murder at Vinland by Alyssa Maxwell
A Gilded Age murder mystery set in Newport, Rhode Island, Edith is a character in this fun who-dun-it.
The Old Lion by Jeff Shaara
I thoroughly enjoyed this book about Theodore with occasional appearances by Edith. Read my review here.
The Attempted Murder of Theodore Roosevelt by Burt Solomon
Edith doesn’t really make an appearance in this book but it takes you into Theodore’s world.
If a Poem Could Live or Breathe by Mary Calvi
This book about Theodore’s first wife, Alice, also gives insight into Edith’s world. Read my review here.
There are a few books about Alice that I include here. She was a handful for Edith to control!
American Daughters by Piper Hughley
American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt by Stephanie Marie Thornton
Kids’ books:
White House Clubhouse by Sean O’Brien
This is a fun way for kids to learn about the rambunctious Roosevelt children and how Edith managed the household.
TV Shows
C-SPAN First Ladies Influence and Image – watch this to hear Edith herself!
Theodore Roosevelt series on the History channel – really well-done miniseries
Ken Burns: The Roosevelts – An Intimate History
The American Guest – Dana Delany portrays Edith!
Websites
Theodore Roosevelt collection at Harvard Library
Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University
White House Historical Association
- The White House ornament honoring the Roosevelts depicts Santa on the front and Archie on back. The American public was happy to have children in White House.
Edith Roosevelt is considered the first modern First Lady, and she not only improved the role, she also made the White House the magnificent building it is today. Everyone should know her contributions!
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