Teddy Roosevelt and FDR Were Not 5th Cousins with Matching Lifestyles
“Franklin and Teddy were 5th cousins. Teddy was a Republican. Even though he had poor health, like his cousin, he kept up a vigorous lifestyle, too. He fought in the Spanish American War. He was a supporter of our National Parks. Franklin D Roosevelt is a three time president who lifted us out of the Great Depression and through WW2. Truly remarkable.”
Summary
Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt were indeed fifth cousins, and Theodore was a Republican who fought in the Spanish‑American War and strongly supported the national‑park system. However, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected four times, not three, and the claim about both cousins’ poor health is not substantiated by the sources. Consequently, the statement
Sources 60 searched
- T. R. the Rough Rider: Hero of the Spanish American War - Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)
National Park Service Search · Cancel · Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace · National Historic Site New York · Info · Alerts · Maps · Calendar · Fees · Last updated: March 9, 2025 · 28 East 20th Street New York, NY 10003 · (212) 260-1616 ·
- Theodore Roosevelt - World of 1898: International Perspectives on the Spanish American War - Research Guides at Library of Congress
After Wood's promotion, Roosevelt took command of the group and on July 1 led the right wing of the attack on San Juan Hill on July 1. His uncanny flair for publicity coupled with his own writings of the affair made him the most celebrated participant of the Spanish-American War except for Admiral Dewey himself.
- “I Am Entitled to the Medal of Honor and I Want It” | National Archives
His charge up Kettle Hill, even though he insisted it was San Juan Hill, conjures a heroic image that will likely never fade with time. Theodore Roosevelt will always be remembered as the embodiment of the Spanish-American War, a significant historical event that he called the "time of my life."(48)
- Roosevelt family - Wikipedia
The progeny of a mid-17th-century ... New York, rose to global political prominence with the presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909) and his fifth cousin Franklin D....
- Franklin D. Roosevelt - Wikipedia
Roosevelt's father died in 1900, distressing him greatly. The following year, Roosevelt's fifth cousin Theodore Roosevelt became US president. Theodore's vigorous leadership style and reforming zeal made him Franklin's role model.
- The closest presidential kinships - Vita Brevis
Following up on my earlier post on the Roosevelt family, I noted that Presidents Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt’s kinship by marriage was the closer way they connected, as their closest kinship by blood was that of fifth cousins.
- Kissin’ cousins: 6 couples in history who were related
Yes, President Franklin Roosevelt and first lady Eleanor — who helped guide the nation through the Depression and World War II — were in fact · fifth cousins, once removed. Former President Theodore Roosevelt, Eleanor’s uncle, gave the ...
- How Were Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt Related? The Truth About America's Most Famous Cousins - Skeptive
But honestly, most people get the specifics of their family tree totally wrong. If you’ve ever wondered how were Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt related, the answer isn't "brothers" or "father and son." They were fifth cousins.
- 10 Things You May Not Know About the Roosevelts | HISTORY
No president, however, can boast ... Benjamin Harrison, William Howard Taft and, of course, Theodore Roosevelt, FDR’s fifth cousin....
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