Alaska

President Roosevelt returns home to Washington, D.C., to shake Uncle Sam’s hand. Roosevelt brings a horse that carries many items, including “indorsement of Ohio,” presents, a silver plate, and a miner’s pan.

Comments and Context

This humorous political cartoon celebrated President Theodore Roosevelt’s return from an extensive “swing” through the northern plains states, the Pacific Northwest, California, the Midwest — as well as stops at Cheyenne’s Pioneers days and at Yellowstone Park and the Grand Canyon. It portrays a welcoming Uncle Sam, representing a grateful nation; and offers a multitude of the president’s accomplishments, visits, and controversies accumulated during his trip.

The cartoonist was Tom May of the Detroit Journal, no relation to Ole May of Pittsburgh and Cleveland, with whom he is sometimes confused. Their styles were not similar, and neither their politics; Tom May leaned Republican, Ole May toward the Democrats.

President Roosevelt in a special police officer’s uniform marches across the United States with his “big stick.” Caption: Why not make him special policeman for life with the United States, Alaska and the Philippines as his beat?

comments and context

Comments and Context

The context of this early cartoon of Jay N. “Ding” Darling is the contemporary speculative fascination over what the relatively young Theodore Roosevelt would do with himself upon retirement from the presidency. Cartoonists, as with politicians and the general public, spent time either wondering whether Roosevelt would reverse his decision not to succeed himself, or wondering about which of seemingly countless fields of endeavor the polymath Roosevelt would pursue.

President Roosevelt wears clothing with a number of states on it as well as “Alaska” and the “Philippines.” He holds “the big stick” and stands on a “Constitution of United States” door mat with a tag that reads, “my private door mat. T. R.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-19

President Roosevelt asks Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock to issue an amendment to the orders withdrawing coal lands in the United States and Alaska from entry.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-14

President Roosevelt thinks the suggestion enclosed is admirable, and asks if John W. Foster could do his part in bringing it about. The suggestion, from Assistant Secretary of State Francis B. Loomis, is that Foster, Secretary of War Elihu Root, and Senator Henry Cabot Lodge write articles for magazines that explain the scope and meaning of the Alaska boundary award.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-10-20

Assistant Secretary of State Adee sends William Loeb information for President Roosevelt regarding recommendations about the delimitation of the boundary in Alaska. The concurrent recommendations were made today under both Adee’s and British Ambassador H. Mortimer Durand’s signatures.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-03-25

A photograph and caption show the skin of a bear that was shot in Africa that is ten feet long and six feet wide.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-06-08

President Roosevelt is against breaking off negotiations with the British over the Alaskan boundary, even if the British request extra time for the presentation of arguments.

Collection

Massachusetts Historical Society

Creation Date

1903-07-08

President Roosevelt provides updates on the Post Office investigation and the Alaska boundary dispute. Roosevelt would prefer that the Alaska negotiations end before the presidential campaign.

Collection

Massachusetts Historical Society

Creation Date

1903-06-29

Secretary of War Root, Senator Lodge, and Senator Turner have been appointed as American representatives to the tribunal that will determine the boundary between Alaska and Canada. Roosevelt instructs the representatives to impartially judge the questions that come before them and then explains the American interpretation of the boundary. This copy of the letter was sent to Lodge.

Collection

Massachusetts Historical Society

Creation Date

1903-03-25

Deputy Regional Director James B. Thompson commemorates the seventy-five year history of Natural Bridges National Monument. In 1908, Natural Bridges became the first national park area in Utah. Theodore Roosevelt was in the White House, “at that time the youngest man ever to occupy the presidency.” At that time, possibly only about a hundred people had seen Natural Bridges. In 1982, 8.5 million out-of-state visitors came to Utah. Thompson hopes sites like Natural Bridges will always be a source of “wonder and inspiration” for visitors.

Collection

Natural Bridges National Monument

Creation Date

1983-04-16

Songbook supporting the 1900 presidential campaign of President McKinley and Governor Roosevelt in California. The cover features illustrations of the candidates.

Collection

Dr. Danny O. Crew Theodore Roosevelt Sheet Music Collection

Creation Date

1900

Theodore Roosevelt thanks members of the Arctic Brotherhood for the greeting and gifts. According to Roosevelt, men who questioned the expansion of the country during the Louisiana Purchase and the conflict with the Philippines were proved wrong. Alaska is seen as an area with great potential. Roosevelt specifically speaks of the agricultural and pastoral potential within the state.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-05-23

Theodore Roosevelt highlights the natural advantages the state of Washington receives from Puget Sound. He also discusses Alaska becoming a state and the industries of that area. The spirit of youth and the strength of manhood make it so that “we are resolute to face all the problems that confront us.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-05-23

President Roosevelt’s message to Congress at the beginning of the third session of the fifty-eighth Congress in 1904. In this message, Roosevelt discusses various aspects of the state of the union and introduces the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-06

Theodore Roosevelt discusses the Republican Party’s 1912 Platform and its position on several topics, including economics, constitutionalism, and public welfare. Item includes several drafts.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1912-06

Proceedings of the Provisional National Progressive Committee held August 3, 1912. Following introductory remarks by the Chairman, Senator Joseph M. Dixon of Montana, the committee took up the task of seating delegates to the convention on the temporary roll. The question whether territorial delegates would be allowed to be seated and/or to vote during the convention was discussed (pages 12-48), resulting in delegates from Hawaii, Alaska, and the District of Columbia being given the right to participate in debate but not vote, until the Committee on Rules determined their status. Colonel John M. Parker of Louisiana tried to introduce the question of making the Progressive Party a “white man’s party,” but the committee moved on to complete the temporary roll (pages 49-52). Delegates from states where there was no contest were seated (page 53). Five states had sent more than one set of delegates, and these contested cases were referred to a committee of seven for investigation (pages 54-61). Arguments were heard from Alabama (pages 62-108), Florida (pages 108-153), Georgia (pages 154-155), and Mississippi (pages 156-199). The proceedings having run late into the evening, Ohio was deferred until the following day. Most of the contests stemmed from issues of race in the southern states.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-08-03

Message given by President Roosevelt to Congress at the beginning of the second session of the Fifty-seventh Congress in which Roosevelt describes his legislative priorities for the year.

Collection

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

Creation Date

1902

Secretary of State Hay and his wife enjoyed the evening with President Roosevelt, and Hay encloses the note regarding Alaska that Roosevelt wanted to see.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-02-28

“Corbin How about Watterson? TR / Alaska boundary report on / Army moral report”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-03-25