Early 1900s Presidential Train Travel
Author Bob Withers talked about the trains that played a part in the presidencies Theodore Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge. He’s the author of "The President Travels by Train: Politics and Pullmans." The George H.W. Bush Presidential Library hosted this virtual event.
Description
Author Bob Withers talked about the trains that played a part in the presidencies Theodore Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge. He’s the author of "The President Travels by Train: Politics and Pullmans." The George H.W. Bush Presidential Library hosted this virtual event.
Bell Ringer Assignment
- How did Theodore Roosevelt's presidency begin? How does Robert Holzweiss describe Roosevelt?
- How far did Roosevelt travel by train as he campaigned for the Vice Presidency in 1900? How many speeches did he make?
- Based on the clip, what were the benefits of presidential campaigning by train?
- What were the drawbacks of presidential campaigning by train in the early and mid 1900s? What examples does Bob Withers provide?
- What happened in 1906? Summarize Withers' anecdote from the presidency of Calvin Coolidge.
- Why was Roosevelt learning forward in the stereoscopic image shown in the clip?
Additional Resources
- Bell Ringer: President Abraham Lincoln and Rail Travel
- Bell Ringer: History of Union Station in Washington, DC
- Bell Ringer: Wyoming Railroads
- Bell Ringer: 20th Century Train Travel in Central Vermont
- Lesson Plan: Choice Board - US Presidents and the Press
- Lesson Plan: Eras of Presidential Speeches
- Lesson Plan: Presidential Leadership
Participants
Vocabulary
- Appropriation
- Congress
- Parlance
- President
- Sleeping Car
- Stereoscopic Image
- Whistlestop