Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt
Attractions	The American Adventure Dinoland U.S.A. (mentioned) Hall of Presidents Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar (mentioned) Pleasure Island S.S. Columbia Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar
Performers	James Gammon
Biographical information
Aliases	Teddy Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.
Affiliation	United States of America 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry AKA "The Rough Riders" Adventurers Club
Date of birth	October 27, 1858
Place of birth	New York City, New York
Date of death	January 6, 1919
Place of death	Oyster Bay, New York
Physical description
Species	Human
Gender	Man

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, Jr. (1858-1919) is a historic big-game hunter, explorer, author, boxer and president of the United States of America.

History

Biography

Disney Parks

Rough Riders

Theodore Roosevelt Jr. was an officer in the Spanish–American War of 1898 where he fought against the Spanish government on behalf of the revolting Cuban government. Roosevelt was second-in-command in the  1st United States Volunteer Cavalry better known as, "The Rough Riders" (named for the popular travelling show of William "Buffalo Bill" Cody).

Roosevelt returned from the conflict as a celebrated war-hero and successful politician. Seemingly around this time, Teddy became friends with the South American mystic, "Trader Sam". Sam and Roosevelt were close with Sam often providing Roosevelt with liquor and the two going on adventures together.

Presidency

In 1901, Roosevelt became vice-president to United States president William McKinley. When McKinley was assassinated, Roosevelt took over the role of President of the United States of America. In 1903, Roosevelt travelled to Yosemite with conservationist John Muir. While on their travels, Muir convinced Roosevelt to create the National Parks and preserve the American wilderness while safeguarding it from industrialists.

In 1904, Roosevelt was elected as full-term president. In 1906, Roosevelt became the first American to receive a Nobel Peace Prize due to brokering the end of the Russo-Japanese War. Roosevelt's presidency ceased in 1909 where he was succeeded by close-friend William Howard Taft. Teddy however would regret letting Taft replace him due to Taft's extreme conservative values.

Hunt for Burton's Fringe-eared oryx

By the September of 1909, Teddy travelled with his son Kermit to German East-Africa. Here, the two went big-game hunting along with colonial-explorer and fellow big-game hunter Frederick Selous. In September, they were accompanied by plantation-owner Richard Medlicot, his archaeologist friend Dr. Henry Jones, Sr., and Jones' young son, "Indiana". Here, the group would hunt the elusive Burton's fringe-eared oryx.

Roosevelt bonded with the young Indiana Jones and taught him some conservationist values. Indiana would prove himself by tracking down the location of the oryx and discovering them to be an endangered species. An impressed Roosevelt proceeded to shoot and kill three of the endangered animals, only stopping when he noticed the distress which it caused the young Indy.

Final adventures

On the March 20th of 1912, Roosevelt and William Howard Taft were present at the maiden-voyage of the S.S. Columbia in New York City. Roosevelt, Taft and the ship's owner Cornelius Endicott II all embarked on the Columbia's maiden-voyage from New York to Liverpool, England.

In the year 1913, Roosevelt arranged for his final expedition, a journey to map the River of Doubt in Brazil regions of the Amazon rainforest. For this quest, Roosevelt was accompanied by his old friend Trader Sam who planned the expedition with him. This expedition was successful in documenting what was later named the Roosevelt River though on the journey, Theodore contracted terminal-illness.

Adventurers Club

By 1918, Roosevelt became friends with colonial explorer and industrialist Merriweather Adam Pleasure and often attended events at his estate on Pleasure Island in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Pleasure was a past member of an international guild of colonists and aristocrats known as the Society of Explorers and Adventurers which he became disaffected with. In the vain of the society, Pleasure established a splinter-faction known as the Adventurers Club which was more focussed on virtuous globetrotting adventures, fun-loving, and moving past their cruel ancestors from the S.E.A..

Theodore Roosevelt would earn the reputation of being their, "Original member". Other older members who Roosevelt might have been contemporaries of could have included the British military officer and club glee-master Colonel Critchlow Sunchbench and Romani magic-practitioner Madame Vidalia Onionski Zarkov. The club was also allied with Trader Sam who maintained their relations for years to come. Roosevelt would have died on the January 6 of 1919, succumbing to the illness which he contracted while mapping the River of Doubt with Trader Sam.

Jungle Cruise appearances

Jungle Cruise

The man-eating piranhas of the Jungle Cruise are inspired by a myth perpetuated by Roosevelt. While visiting a local village, the villagers pranked Roosevelt by tricking him into believing that piranhas are deadly man-eaters. The villagers passed off non-piranha related injuries as being attributed to piranha bites and then dumped a cow-head into part of the river where they had secretly trapped and isolated various piranhas. Due to having been starved, the piranhas ravenously devoured the cow causing Roosevelt to speak of the small, relatively harmless fish as hyper-carnivorous man-eaters in his book, "Through the Brazilian Wilderness".

Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar

There are several references to Roosevelt within Trader Sam's bar. Amongst these are three photographs, one showing Sam and Teddy planning an expedition along the River of Doubt, another showing Teddy in Rough Riders uniform with Sam explaining him to be an original member of the Adventurers Club, and the final being of Roosevelt in a village with a message to Sam saying he's planning his next step at Sam's establishment. There is also a marble-bust on a shelf in Roosevelt's likeness wearing a life-vest which reads, "RAIN ONLY".

Other connections

Indiana Jones

In the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Roosevelt meets a young Indiana Jones while Jones and his father are vacationing in East Africa in 1909. Roosevelt teaches the young Jones survival skills and ecological values with Jones himself aiding their party in tracking down the rare Fringe-eared Oryx. When Roosevelt attempts to kill the animal for scientific study and sport, Jones convinces him not to through quoting Roosevelt's own environmentalist values. Indiana Jones would keep a photograph of himself and Roosevelt in his journal.

Pleasure Island

In this defunct area of Downtown Disney, "Hysterical Society" plaques mentioned Roosevelt as having been a frequent guest of Merriweather Adam Pleasure's home on Pleasure Island, Florida where they frequently held celebrations and charity-events.

Skipper Canteen

In the library of the Skipper Canteen, there is a book titled Bears of the Wild Country by Theodore Barry. This is a play on the toys known as, "Teddy Bears" which in real life are named for Theodore Roosevelt, namely a baby bear which Roosevelt orphaned and tied up which was subject to political-cartoons. Also in the Skipper Canteen, there is a book by Dr. Albert Falls titled, "Rockefeller, Hippo, Pet, Family" which seemingly references industrialist John D. Rockefeller who was a historic enemy of Roosevelt's.

Tarzan of the Apes

In an episode of Disney's The Legend of Tarzan titled, "Tarzan and the Rough Rider", Roosevelt meets and befriends Tarzan during his time as a Rough Rider.

Tower of Terror

Cornelius Endicott II was the arch-rival of the evil Harrison Hightower III. A portrait from the Adventurers Club and later Aunty's Beach-house in Aulani have a portrait of six men in a colonial group in 1899 known as the, "Pillager's Brigade" with one resembling Roosevelt. Other members included evil S.E.A. member Harrison Hightower III and possibly Merriweather Adam Pleasure.

Other appearances

The American Adventure

Teddy appears in this attraction, deciding to create the National Parks with John Muir at Yosemite.

Country Bear Vacation Hoedown

A bear version of Roosevelt appeared on a post-card of Mount Rushmore shown in this show.

Dinoland U.S.A.

Roosevelt is mentioned by Dino Institute employee Sam Gonzales on a bulletin-board where Gonzales has Roosevelt's quote, "Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing”.

Hall of Presidents

Roosevelt is one of the many historic presidents in this attraction.

Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar

In this bar, Teddy is the namesake for a beverage called, "Teddy's Tea" and Jock Lindsey imitates Teddy's speech-pattern in the menu description. This is in reference to how Teddy Roosevelt appeared in the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles TV series where he adventured with a young Indiana Jones in 1909.

S.S. Columbia

The Roosevelt Lounge of this ship is named for Teddy Roosevelt. Pictures within the Columbia show that Teddy was in attendance of the ship's 1912 maiden-voyage from New York to Liverpool along with Cornelius Endicott II and William Howard Taft.

Differences from history

Assorted

• Needless to say, Roosevelt's historic expedition on the River of Doubt did not include the fictional character of Trader Sam and the photograph of the two together was photoshopped. Also historically, Roosevelt was known for being an avid racist and promoter of both eugenics policies and American white-nationalism meaning he historically likely would have not been friends with Sam.

Trivia

• In real-life history, Roosevelt was an honorary member of the Explorers Club, a real-life influence behind the Adventurers Club and S.E.A..
• The retconned Skipper Survival Guide explained Jungle Cruise piranhas as being man-eaters by saying that during dry-season, the rivers became shallow which isolates the piranhas and makes them eat more opportunistically.
• Theodore Roosevelt is a distant relative of Franklin D. Roosevelt who was president from 1933 to his death in 1945, making him president for much of the Jungle Cruise's setting.
• The mould of Roosevelt in the Hall of Presidents was made by Blaine Gibson who also made moulds for the Jungle Cruise.
• Roosevelt's face mould is used in the EPCOT attraction Spaceship Earth where his likeness is used for an Ancient Roman senator.
• In the historic version of the 1909 safari, Roosevelt and his son killed 512 animals.

Gallery

Trader Sam and Roosevelt

Roosevelt in The American Adventure

Roosevelt and a young Indiana Jones on his 1909 expedition

A sign on the S.S. Columbia

Roosevelt on his 1909 safari after killing an elephant

Roosevelt boasting the kill of a rare white rhino on his 1909 expedition

Roosevelt's cameo on the S.S. Columbia

External links

• Theodore Roosevelt on Wikipedia.