The Roosevelts

The Roosevelts: An Intimate History chronicles the lives of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, three members of the most prominent and influential family in American politics.

Theodore Roosevelt is revered for his conflict resolution skills. No other incident further exemplifies these skills than his settling of the Portsmouth Treaty during the Russo-Japanese War over Manchuria and Korea, for which Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the first American to be awarded any Nobel Prize.

FDR begins his slow recovery after polio.

The First World War liberated Eleanor Roosevelt and her potential for service. In addition to organizing the Roosevelt household, she also volunteered at the Red Cross. Soon, the organization asked her to inspect St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, a mental facility filled with sailors and Marines suffering in the aftermath of battle. The experience had a profound effect on her.

FDR remained calm when hearing of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944.

Theodore Roosevelt lost both his mother and his wife on Valentine's Day, 1901.

Theodore Roosevelt becomes Police Commissioner of New York.

Eleanor embarked on a humanitarian trip on behalf of the president to the South Pacific to see the troops in hospitals. The Navy’s top command believed it was a publicity stunt, but her actions there quickly changed their minds.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was adored by his parents but had a very lonely childhood.

Ken Burns’s seven-part documentary weaves the stories of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, three members of one of the most prominent and influential families in American politics. The 14-hour series marks the first time their individual stories have been woven into a single narrative.

The weather can't stop Franklin Roosevelt. When his 1944 Campaign through four of the five New York City boroughs was compounded with torrential downpours, FDR insisted that it carry on as scheduled, despite the protests from his physician. The tour concluded with a speech at Ebbets Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Theodore Roosevelt was a larger-than-life character.