Cromwell, Oliver, 1599-1658

Chronology of the daily life of Theodore Roosevelt from January 1884 to December 1891. Notable events include the deaths of Alice Lee Roosevelt and Martha Bulloch Roosevelt, Roosevelt’s time on his ranch, the completion of Sagamore Hill, Roosevelt’s engagement and marriage to Edith Kermit Carow, Theodore “Ted” Roosevelt’s birth, the “Great-Dieup” of cattle in North Dakota, and the founding of the Boone and Crockett Club.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association

Creation Date

1985

The Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal presents a 1905 booklet, Theodore Roosevelt, written by the French scholar Leon Bazalgette and translated by Roosevelt biographer Edmund Morris. Bazalgette composed the booklet as an “examination of the works of Theodore Roosevelt,” and he divides Roosevelt’s books into three categories: history, politics, and nature. Bazalgette examines numerous works in each category, and he explains how the books and writings reflect the thoughts and beliefs of Roosevelt. Bazalgette asserts that Roosevelt’s time in the West as a cowboy was the most important period of his life, and he admits that he likes Roosevelt’s writings from and about this period and place the best. Bazalgette quotes extensively from Roosevelt’s western trilogy, and he highlights passages Roosevelt wrote about bird songs.

The translation of the booklet is followed by a brief biography of Bazalgette written by Morris, along with a list of Roosevelt books cited by Bazalgette. Two text boxes at the conclusion of the work list the mission and vision statements of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) along with a listing of its social media platforms.

Joseph R. Ornig chronicles Theodore Roosevelt’s work as a writer of histories, biographies, natural histories, essays, letters, and journalism. Ornig highlights some of these works, such as Roosevelt’s The Naval War of 1812 and The Winning of the West, by describing Roosevelt’s research, his aims, the books’ reception, and the time it took to complete them. Ornig also examines why Roosevelt wrote so much, citing the need to make money, articulating a reform agenda, and organizing his thoughts, and he notes those who acted as mentors to the literary Roosevelt like Henry Cabot Lodge and Owen Wister. Ornig also notes that Roosevelt assumed the role of mentor to many aspiring writers like the poet Edwin Arlington Robinson.

Eleven illustrations accompany the essay, including three of Roosevelt writing and two examples of his hand writing.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Frederick W. Marks explores why Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy record is either ignored or dismissed in high school textbooks. Marks examines Roosevelt’s diplomacy, especially his dealings with Latin American nations, to assert that Roosevelt had a record worthy of study and recognition. Marks notes the irony in Roosevelt’s poor treatment at the hands of historians as Roosevelt was an accomplished historian and a president of the American Historical Association. Marks concludes his article by asking why Roosevelt’s record is downplayed, and he argues that Roosevelt’s larger than life personality overshadows his achievements and that the standards for judging diplomatic behavior in 1900 and 1985 are markedly different. 

A photograph of Marks and of the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site appear in the article.

John A. Gable asserts that Theodore Roosevelt must be understood not just as a man of action, but as an accomplished thinker, intellectual, and writer. He cites as proof the many publications Roosevelt produced, from letters to works of history and natural science. Gable stresses Roosevelt’s work in the field of history and believes that his knowledge of history contributed to his success as President. He notes the literary organizations that Roosevelt belonged to and his friendship with many of the leading intellectuals of his time.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1975

Manuscript by William W. Todd with handwritten edits that argues against the direct election of senators. Todd uses the metaphor of the government as a corporation and voters a stockholders to illustrate his position. Todd appeals to the reader to uphold the system created by their forefathers.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-07-30

President Roosevelt holds his big stick in one hand and gestures at the “Constitution of the United States,” which sits on a ledge labeled “Congress.” Caption: “Take away that bauble!”–Oliver Cromwell.

Comments and Context

Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World was widely acknowledged as the leading Democratic organ in the country, and while other papers hewed the party line, with influence, Pulitzer’s paper was the semi-official voice of the party. As such, any cartoon during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt would be expected to be hyper-partisan and hyper-critical.

Indeed, C. R. Macauley, the paper’s recent chief political cartoonist, earned his spurs with cartoons such as this. In four years, in fact, he would be employed by the Democratic National Committee to be its official cartoonist (a practice then not uncommon).

Arthur Hamilton Lee and his wife, Ruth Moore Lee, are happy that President Roosevelt appreciates their gift of the painting “Seats of the Mighty.” After being president for seven years, Lee believes a year-long African safari is the best curative. He outlines “a plan… for you to visit England without annoyance,” inviting Roosevelt to stay at either his London house or the one in the Highlands. Roosevelt’s reaction to the Olympic controversies delights Lee, who feels international games cause more friction than good feelings. Lee discusses British naval preparation and questions the German policies.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-06

Two-page manuscript by Vice President Roosevelt about Oliver Cromwell on White House stationery. Text is comparing Cromwell to George Washington.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site

Creation Date

1901

A visitors’ gallery at the 2nd Peace Conference at the Hague shows tyrants, invaders, and conquerors seated, including: Frederik II, Oliver Cromwell, Ramses, William I, Hannibal, Attila the Hun, Alexander the Great, Richard the Lion Hearted, Caesar, Saladin, Napoleon I, Charlemagne, and Theodorick. They are all laughing.

Comments and Context

The Second International Peace Congress at the Hague — considered the last and most idealistic act of United States Secretary of State John Hay before he died in 1905 —  might have died stillborn because most nations of the civilized world were arming and re-arming at alarming rates at the time. Even the world’s most prominent peace advocate, Andrew Carnegie, who financed many of the conference’s expenses, had sold massive quantities of armor-plate and steel that was clearly to be used for battleships and weapons.

A dizzying number of treaties and secret agreements between powers in the decade before the actual outbreak of the Great War (and smaller regional wars, for instance in the Balkans and in geographical vacuums caused by the disintegration of Russia and Austria) all masked the universal arms build-ups — or so their rulers thought.

Theodore Roosevelt, on his way to the “Hall of Fame,” passes between two rows of kings, emperors, military leaders, statesmen, and others, including, on the left, “Alexander, Nimrod, Caesar, Joshua, Solomon, Moses,” and possibly Ramses I, King of Egypt; and on the right, “Wellington, Washington, Napoleon I, Frederick the Great, Cromwell, Shakespere [sic], Luther,” and two unidentified kings, possibly William I and Richard I, kings of England.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1912-09-04

Governor Roosevelt compliments General Johnson on his genealogical research at the Maryland Historical Society and shares some of the Roosevelt lineage. Specifically, Roosevelt’s family ties to Oliver Cromwell and Robert Blake. Roosevelt also jests that if he does not obtain reelection, he would very much enjoy visiting Johnson.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1900-05-18

Lieutenant Governor Guild of Massachusetts delivers a speech at an event commemorating President Ulysses S. Grant in Des Moines, Iowa. Guild reminds Iowans of their special connection to Grant, as Iowa regiments were key in his first great victory of the American Civil War, the Battle of Fort Donelson. Guild points out how Grant’s administration saw the beginnings of a lot of contemporary issues, like the fight between the gold and silver standard, the corruption of machine politics, and the ills of the spoils system. Guild does, however, defend Grant against his harshest critics, stating that Grant did punish many of the instigators of scandals like Credit Mobilier and the Whiskey ring, and that Grant’s idea to annex the Dominican Republic seems less extreme in light of recent South American upheavals.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-04-27

Theodore Roosevelt is pleased Oswell R. Eve liked his book on Oliver Cromwell. He wished to write from an American point of view for a change. Roosevelt appreciates having his attention called to an error he made.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-01-06

Theodore Roosevelt never spoke about Cromwell as one of his “four heroes” along with Washington and Lincoln. Roosevelt has always avoided referring to any men as “[his] heroes.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-03-23

Myron T. Herrick was glad to receive President Roosevelt’s letter and congratulates him on President-elect William H. Taft’s victory. While he was in England in the summer, Herrick saw a newly-erected statue of Oliver Cromwell. He drew parallels between Cromwell’s reforms in England and Roosevelt’s in the United States.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-04

President Roosevelt writes to George Otto Trevelyan, reflecting on his time as President and his decision to not seek reelection. Roosevelt admits that there are arguments for him to run for another term as president, but believes that the arguments against are stronger. Roosevelt is proud that while in the presidency he has fully used the powers available to him and acted as a strong central executive, and is gratified by the love that the population has for him. Once he leaves the presidency, Roosevelt plans to go on safari in Africa. He would like to visit England and see his friends there if he could do so as a private citizen without being forced to attend to diplomatic affairs, but if this is not possible he might just return to the United States.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-06-19

President Roosevelt thanks Howard Allen Bridgman for the letter and editorials. Roosevelt comments on his recent message to congress, and is not surprised that The Congregationalist takes the view that it does. Roosevelt will ask A. E. Dunning to see him.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02-11

President Roosevelt thanks John C. Shaffer, publisher of the Chicago Evening Post, for the beautiful books, including Cromwelliana.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-08

President Roosevelt is pleased about what Maurice Francis Egan said about him as a “literary man” and talks about his ambition to write something about Celtic sagas. He plans to discuss the topic with Egan when they meet, including if Roosevelt wrote something next summer where he ought to publish it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-01-07