Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Davis Long
Subject(s): Cuba, Cuba--Havana, Disasters, International relations, Naval tactics, Navies, Cost of, Shipwrecks, Spain, Turret ships, United States. Congress, United States. Department of the Navy, United States. Dept. of the Navy, United States. Navy
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Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt advises Secretary Long that monitor ships ought to be put into commission to maintain parity with the Spanish Navy. Recent events, including the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana, Cuba, have highlighted the need for a strong naval force. While Congress may balk at increasing the size of the Navy, Roosevelt cautions that “it may be held against us for all time to come, not merely by the men of today, but by those who read the history in the future” if the Department does not recommend it.
Collection
Massachusetts Historical Society
Creation Date
1898-02-16
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Language
English
Period
Assistant Secretary of the Navy (April 1897-April 1898)
Repository
Massachusetts Historical Society
Page Count
4
Production Method
Record Type
Multi-image
Resource Type
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Davis Long. [February 16, 1898]. Massachusetts Historical Society.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o293732. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Davis Long. [16 Feb. 1898]. Multi-image.
Massachusetts Historical Society. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 15, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o293732.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1898, February 16]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Davis Long.
Massachusetts Historical Society. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o293732.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Massachusetts Historical Society. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/massachusetts-historical-society. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Massachusetts Historical Society. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 15, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/massachusetts-historical-society.
APA:
Massachusetts Historical Society. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/massachusetts-historical-society.
