Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Mrs. J. H. Sine
Subject(s): Eugenics, Family size, Motherhood, Race
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Theodore Roosevelt asserts that there is little difference between having one child and no children at all, as both cases will lead to the extinction of the race. Roosevelt believes that an average couple able to have children should have at least three, as one in every three children either dies before reaching adulthood or never has a family of their own. Roosevelt compares having less than three children to a soldier doing only a third of his duty on the battlefield.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1911-04-21
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Language
English
Period
Progressive Party Candidate (1911-1912)
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 Mrs. J. H. Sine. [April 21, 1911]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o217093. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Mrs. J. H. Sine. [21 Apr. 1911]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. February 6, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o217093.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1911, April 21]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Mrs. J. H. Sine.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o217093.
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. February 6, 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.
