Katharina Buczek
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner and fuzzy teddy bears lining the aisles of every retailer in the U.S., many people have started to wonder about the origins of this classic plush toy.
If you are a big fan of TikTok, you may have even seen some new videos circulating throughout the platform discussing this very topic.
Now, online, content creators have drawn a distinct connection between former President Theodore Roosevelt and the popular children’s toy. But is this origin story really true?
The History Of The Teddy Bear
If you have backed up the Theodore Roosevelt theory on social media, then you can rest assured– because it is correct!
However, to understand how plush teddy bears got thrown into the presidential mix, we will have to travel back to 1901.
That year, Theodore Roosevelt– commonly referred to as Teddy– was inaugurated as the 26th President of the United States. Aside from his political endeavors, he was also a naturalist and avid outdoorsman who loved to explore new environments.
So, during his presidency, Roosevelt prioritized the protection of over 200 million acres of public land. He also established the U.S. Forest Service and five National Parks.
Then, in the fall of 1902, Roosevelt received an invitation to go hunting with Mississippi governor Andrew Longino. He ultimately accepted, and during the trip, they had a hunting guide named Holt Collier.
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