Reeling from the deaths of his wife and mother, 25-year-old Theodore Roosevelt decides his place isn't among the social elite of New York, but on America's frontier. He abandons his political aspirations and heads for the lawless Dakota Badlands, where he plans to become a cattle rancher. While still experiencing overwhelming grief and wrestling with debilitating asthma, Roosevelt draws on the guidance of his lumberjack mentor from Maine, Bill Sewall, and his cowboy partner, William Merrifield. As they work to establish the sprawling Elkhorn Ranch, it's Roosevelt's youth and physical frailty that make them an easy target for local gunslingers, land speculators, and cattle rustlers. In his first few months in the West, Roosevelt must disarm a barroom bully, face down hired guns, track down horse thieves, and kill a grizzly bear. Along the way, he forms lifelong friendships and begins to remake himself into the man who will forever be identified as The Cowboy President.
Aired: Apr 11, 2024
