Cortelyou reluctantly agrees to manage Roosevelt’s 1904 reelection campaign. Though a man of deep integrity, he becomes the subject of press smears for accepting donations from big business. Adding to the fire, Cortelyou is offended by the President’s insinuations and makes it known to TR: “Everything you write down goes to history.” Meanwhile, TR’s daughter Alice gets married at the White House with hundreds of nation’s elite - making it the social event of the year.

Lilly Cortelyou and Edith Roosevelt’s shared concerns over immigration policy come to a head when Edith’s visit to Ellis Island exposes the invasive questioning of women arrivals by male staff. Meanwhile, Cortelyou, once a postal clerk, is now appointed Postmaster General and takes to modernize a vast, aging system. He streamlines operations, champions the use of automobiles, and mentors a struggling young clerk in need of second chances.