Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Hannah Kent Schoff
Subject(s): Freedom of religion, Idaho, Mormons, Polygamy
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President Roosevelt explains to Hannah Kent Schoff that the reason he has not “settled the Mormon question,” as many people have asked her, is that such a question is essentially meaningless. While Roosevelt would like to see a constitutional amendment against polygamy adopted, he does not think such an amendment is needed, as there have been fewer polygamous Mormon marriages in recent years than there have been bigamous marriages among other Christian sects. Mormons have as much a right to practice their religion as any other faith, and there does not seem to him to be anything that needs to be “settled.” Attacks on Mormons in Idaho have driven them to act more like a unified group, whereas before the attacks they were beginning to divide and act more independently.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1906-05-07
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Schoff, Hannah Kent, 1853-1940
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
2
Production Method
Record Type
Multi-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 Hannah Kent Schoff. [May 7, 1906]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o195456. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Hannah Kent Schoff. [7 May. 1906]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 5, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o195456.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1906, May 7]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Hannah Kent Schoff.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o195456.
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. March 5, 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.
