Giants of History presents Theodore Roosevelt episode number 8.

Welcome to Giants of History and thank you for joining us. It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance

and that in the end progress is accomplished by the man who does things. Theodore Roosevelt.

On March 4th, the morning of Taff's inauguration,

a blizzard the likes of which had not been seen in years hit Washington, D.C.

Roosevelt famously said that morning as he and Taft made their way to the ceremony,

quote, I knew there would be a blizzard when I went out."

The snow was so bad that the swearing-in ceremony was moved from the normal steps of the

Capitol Building to the Senate chamber indoors.

Thousands of spectators had come to witness this momentous event,

but the general consensus was that the crowd was there to say goodbye to Roosevelt.

As Taft took the oath of office, Roosevelt is said to have watched with an intense look of concentration upon his face and his fist balled up.

His sister Bamy, who studied him at this very moment, said that he displayed, quote, the most wonderful feeling of dignity and strength and even the people who had not really cared for him suddenly realized what a great man he was." End quote.

After Taft finished with his oath, Roosevelt bounded up the stairs to shake his hand, and afterwards, inevitably, pulled

him into an aggressive hug.

It is reported by those who were in attendance that there was not a dry eye in the house.

Roosevelt then turned to the crowd, waving and smiling, but all the wild descending the stairs from the speaker's desk.

Finally, he gave one last wave and smile, and before anyone even really knew what had happened,

he had slipped out a small side door and was gone.

Crowds of admirers, of course, followed him the whole way from the capital to the train station,

and he repeatedly stood and smiled his famous smile and doffed his silk topper all the

wild people shouting at him.

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