Trust in the Lord and Do Good, 1876‒1886

Abstract This chapter begins by exploring Roosevelt’s four years at Harvard College. The death of his father in 1878 prompted extended religious musings and the clearest evidence of youthful evangelical faith. Roosevelt married Alice Lee in 1880 and launched his political career in 1881. As a state assemblyman, Roosevelt advocated for reforms in economic and social life. The tragic death of Alice Lee and Martha Roosevelt on the same day in 1884 drove Roosevelt to the Dakota Badlands, where he became a rancher. In these years Roosevelt said much less about personal faith, a marked contrast from his upbringing. The chapter ends with his engagement to Edith Carow in 1886.