When the young idea is taught to shoot a la Roosevelt
Subject(s): Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919, Shooting, Spelling reform, Teachers
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A boy fires a gun at the leg of another older man labeled “Teacher,” who is jumping into the air. Caption: “When the young idea is taught to shoot a la Roosevelt.”
Comments and Context
The inspiration and point of cartoonist Hedrick’s cartoon likely is not the president’s bloodthirsty or murderous tendencies, but rather the recent Simplified Spelling controversy. Theodore Roosevelt joined the crusade, a relatively short-lived fad, to eliminate traditional Anglo-Saxon words of their apparent illogical elements. Partisans like Andrew Carnegie and Mark Twain were proponents; in Roosevelt’s case his interest might have been motivated a lifelong problem with spelling and punctuation (until he died, for instance, he invariably spelled (or spelt) the contraction “don’t” as do’n’t.” His friends and associates kidded him for advocating the fad, especially as he promulgated an executive order to government printing office — unsuccessful adopted.
The fact that the president was well-known as a hunter, and that the victim in the cartoon is not a random gentleman but labelled “teacher,” suggests the spelling theme, much in the news in 1906.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1906-12-07
Creator(s)
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
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:
When the young idea is taught to shoot a la Roosevelt. [December 7, 1906]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o301370. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Hedrick, T. K. (Tubman Keene). When the young idea is taught to shoot a la Roosevelt. [7 Dec. 1906]. Image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 5, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o301370.
APA:
Hedrick, T. K. (Tubman Keene)., [1906, December 7]. When the young idea is taught to shoot a la Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o301370.
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.
