I listened to a two hour podcast in preparation for this site, and they hardly said anything about his inauguration! Or maybe I just wasn’t paying attention. Either way, I felt like a fool when I showed up for the tour and had no idea that Roosevelt became president after McKinley was shot. Apparently Teddy (who hated being called Teddy and preferred Colonel Roosevelt because he was so proud of his military service) was vacationing in the Adirondacks when he got the call that McKinley had been shot. He rushed down to Buffalo, but it looked like McKinley was going to pull through, so he went back to his vacation spot. Several days later, McKinley suddenly took a turn for the worse and died. Fun fact- the guy who did McKinley’s surgery was a gynecologist. One of the top surgeons in the country did reside in Buffalo... but he was busy that day. Buffalo actually used to be the wealthiest city in the country because of the Erie Canal!
(The room where it happened)
(I kind of like the sound of President Bramscher. I’ve been very upset about this policy that separates children from their parents at the border... President Bramscher would not let that stand!)
Roosevelt was not sworn in immediately, which threw the country into an uproar because, in 1901, news was becoming more immediate. For hours, the country was without a president and everyone knew it and was freaking out. When he finally took the oath in this guy’s library, people questioned the legitimacy of his presidency for several reasons. He added a few words at the end of the oath (“and thus I swear”), the Chief Justice wasn’t present, and he didn’t swear on a Bible. This situation helped set the protocol for future swearings-in. For example, LBJ was sworn in on a plane, and no one even thought to question it because the priority was that it be done immediately, regardless of where he was.
(The room where it happened)
Other fun facts about this spot:
Roosevelt kicked out the photographers, so there are no pictures of the event
The house where it happened had an interesting past... Jefferson Davis was actually stationed there when it was used as barracks in the Canadian Patriots War.
I loved the experience they created at this site. The tour guide acts like you are guests at the inauguration and takes you through the house, telling you what’s happening. Upstairs, they have some interactive exhibits. My favorite was the replica of Roosevelt’s Oval Office. You can sit at his desk and a screen prompts you with various bills that you can either veto or sign. At the end, it shows you what Roosevelt chose to do. This was actually awesome because one of the bills that came up was the Newlands Reclamation Act of 1902, which I just read all about in Cadillac Desert. I took great pleasure in vetoing that bill!!
(I kind of like the sound of President Bramscher. I’ve been very upset about this policy that separates children from their parents at the border... President Bramscher would not let that stand!)
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