Presenting Rough Rider David Leahy, Mrs. George Washington Vanderbilt, and Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt from the Gilded Age, at the end of the 19th century.
ROUGH RIDERS
First, we met Rough Rider, David Leahy.
The bandana is a reproduction I purchased while at the Theodore Roosevelt’s Oyster Bay home a few years ago.
Since Rough Riders is one of our favorite movies, it became the center point of this Becoming History presentation.
The scene opened by my reading some of the letters David Leahy had written about the war.
The words I read brought back the imagery we had seen of the war in the movie.
Then David Leahy told his story about what made this war significant.
Was it for glory?
Perhaps in the beginning, but it became more than that.
Clearly and emphatically, he pronounced the necessities of declaring war and how this war defined the era.
As a lawyer, Leahy opened one of his law books to read the Monroe Doctrine to press his point.
BILTMORE ESTATE
Then Mrs. George Washington Vanderbilt gave a reading of the famed poet William Butler Yeats’, The Lake Isle of Innisfree.
Here is Mrs. Vanderbilt of Biltmore Estate, in the foyer to welcome guests to her home.
Biltmore Estate is the largest home in America, modeled after three 16th century French chateaus, with 4 acres of floor space, 250 rooms, 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces, which sat on 125,000 acres.
Hearing rumors that Mrs. Vanderbilt is a descendant of Peter Stuyvesant and was cousin to Hamilton Fish, we are still verifying that information.
When a guest asked about the architect of her home, she innocently replied, “Which one?”
She was so rich, she had two architects, an indoor architect and an outdoor architect.
MRS. ROOSEVELT TALKS ABOUT ROUGH RIDERS
Then Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt met the guests with flowers in her hands, which she apparently held to avoid shaking so many hands.
Although she enjoyed people, she was a bit of an introvert.
Despite being raised in high society, her years before marriage were of the frugal sort after her father died.
Growing up as a neighbor and best friend of Theodore’s sister, Corrine, she was often a guest of the Roosevelt family while they were growing up.
Mrs. Roosevelt shared a bit about her husband’s involvement with the Rough Riders, while also discussing Hamilton Fish of the 5th Avenue Contingent, the first to fall in Cuba.
Talking about his funeral in New York, she described the crowds of devoted well-wishers and fellow Rough Riders who attended.
All the pall bearers were Rough Riders.
MRS. ROOSEVELT PACKING FOR WHITE HOUSE
Mrs. Roosevelt also shared how she and her family were recently vacationing in the Adirondacks when her husband received word that President McKinley had passed away.
He boarded a nearby train to take the oath of office as President of the United States.
As a result, she was busy packing for the White House.
With six highly active children with whom she enjoyed spending time, she was hoping for some help with her social responsibilities at the White House.
With her husband’s activity level, she envisioned a White House that might play a greater factor in the social life of government.
She clearly understood the importance of finesse, diplomacy, and social graces while opening her home to important dignitaries, yet her children also called to her.
As familiar as she was with protocol and such, the White House was a most important environment with the most important of guests to host.
Upon whom could she call to aide her with such a task of representing America, socially, in the best light?
This might call for a new appointment, a new position on the White House staff.
Hmmm..that will be our next history presentation.
ENTERTAINMENTS
Then we listened to a partial reading of one of the many sermons of the great preacher of the Gilded Age, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, followed by singing a song written during this time, How Great Thou Art.
As much as certain people were famed for their greatness during the Gilded Age, God is the truly great one.
COWBOY FEAST
Then we enjoyed a cowboy dinner, representative of the age.
Since cattle trails reigned in the West to allow cowboys to transport Texan longhorns (and other breeds) to the railroads of the Midwest, they were then butchered for steaks to transport to fine restaurants in the east.
Sparkling apple pomegranate cider represented California wineries.
Coconut cream pie to represent new American possessions in the Pacific…
And thus we have closed out our studies of the 19th century.
