Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Sowden Sims
Subject(s): Military readiness, Naval gunnery, Naval strategy, Spanish-American War (1898), United States. Navy, Warships--Design and construction
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President Roosevelt believes Lieutenant Sims is too pessimistic about the quality of American naval vessels. However, he prefers that Sims believe the United States Navy to be not good enough rather than too good. Roosevelt thanks Sims for the useful suggestions for improvement.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1901-12-27
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Sims, William Sowden, 1858-1936
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 1st Term (September 1901-February 1905)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
1
Production Method
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Sowden Sims. [December 27, 1901]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o180920. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Sowden Sims. [27 Dec. 1901]. Image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 16, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o180920.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1901, December 27]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Sowden Sims.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o180920.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 16, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
