Timeline

1. 1898-1900

   Theodore Roosevelt was appointed assistant secretary of the Navy in 1897, and he is pictured in the first film leaving the old State, War, and Navy Building. He resigned to serve as a lieutenant colonel in the Spanish-American War, a war he strongly supported. He and his "Rough Riders" won acclaim, especially for their part in the Battle of San Juan Hill. Upon his return from the war, Roosevelt was elected governor of New York in 1899 and is shown in the last film participating in a parade honoring war hero Admiral Dewey.

   Theodore Roosevelt

   Theodore Roosevelt Leaving the White House

   Roosevelt's Rough Riders

   President Roosevelt and the Rough Riders

   Governor Roosevelt and Staff

   His Times

   The Spanish-American War in Motion Pictures

2. 1901

   The assassination of President William McKinley at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo in 1901 catapulted Vice-President Roosevelt into the presidency. Terrible Teddy was a satiric film made about Roosevelt while he was vice-president; he was portrayed as hunting a house cat while followed by his press agent and photographer.

   Theodore Roosevelt

   President Roosevelt at Canton Station

   Terrible Teddy, the Grizzly King

   His Times

   President McKinley Inauguration

   President McKinley's Funeral, 1901 [1]

   The Last Days of a President: Films of McKinley and the Pan-American Exposition, 1901