Letter from Alfred Thayer Mahan to Theodore Roosevelt
Subject(s): Cleveland, Grover, 1837-1908, Hawaii, International relations, Japan, United States. Navy
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Captain Mahan sends Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt some of his various thoughts about naval and international matters. Emphasizing that he does not want Roosevelt to think he aims to do more than suggest ideas for consideration, Mahan draws Roosevelt’s attention to a news article suggesting Japan’s proposed program of building ships, and muses about United States relations with the Asian nation. Mahan feels that there is more chance of naval trouble in the Pacific than the Atlantic, and believes that former president Grover Cleveland should have fully annexed Hawaii when he had the chance.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1897-05-01
Creator(s)
Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer), 1840-1914
Recipient
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Language
English
Period
Assistant Secretary of the Navy (April 1897-April 1898)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
6
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 Alfred Thayer Mahan to Theodore Roosevelt. [May 1, 1897]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o25710. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer), 1840-1914. Letter from Alfred Thayer Mahan to Theodore Roosevelt. [1 May. 1897]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 29, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o25710.
APA:
Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer), 1840-1914., [1897, May 1]. Letter from Alfred Thayer Mahan to Theodore Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o25710.
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 29, 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.