German Americans

Police Commissioner Roosevelt thanks Frederick W. Kruse for his letter and informs him that he will quote from it in the future.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1895-07-19

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt writes that he was impressed by Frank Knox’s article. Roosevelt agrees that there is a growing sentiment for the changes that he himself has been advocating for, but points out that some will still stand against him. He advocates encouraging the growth of this sentiment, instead of fighting openly against those who are against him. Roosevelt also comments on the support of German-Americans and criticizes President Wilson’s actions and character.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1915-12-21

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt drafts a letter to Charles Evans Hughes. He encloses a letter from a voter in Brooklyn and a copy of his response. Roosevelt comments on the actions of President Wilson regarding Germany and discusses American sentiment towards German-Americans.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1916-08-09

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt sends good wishes to C. J. Hexamer, President of the National German-American Alliance, for the celebration of the two hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary of the first German immigration to the United States. Roosevelt commends the contributions of German-Americans to the country.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-05

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Typewritten article with handwritten edits and additions discussing the worry about German Americans’ loyalty during World War I.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1916

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

A German American man stands in front of a banner showing bust portraits of President William McKinley and Governor Theodore Roosevelt. As he casts his vote, he uses his left hand, holding papers labeled “Naturalization,” to brush aside the German Emperor, William II, and Carl Schurz. Caption: He does his own thinking, and will do his own voting.

comments and context

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1900-10-31

An elderly German American man, with one hand pointing to his head and the other pointing to a coin bank labeled “Savings Bank” on a table, winks to reinforce that he thinks his investments in the “U.S. Bonds” protruding from his vest and his savings are wise decisions. On the left is a poster showing a bust portrait of President William McKinley labeled “Expansion” and captioned “Gold Standard and Sound Money,” and on the right is a poster showing a bust portrait of William Jennings Bryan labeled “Anti-Expansion” and captioned “Repudiation and 16 to 1.”

comments and context

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1900-08-15

Illustration showing a well-dressed, stereotypical German man sitting in a chair, reading a newspaper with the headline “American Politics” through large spectacles labeled “Made in Germany.” He is smoking a cigar through a large holder, and the typical German beer stein next to him is labeled with the logo of Hofbräu München. The caption reads, “He would have a happier time if he looked through American-made spectacles.”

comments and context

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1900-05-09

Theodore Roosevelt shares the sentiments of the executive committee of the American Defense Society regarding Attorney General Gregory. Roosevelt believes that the situation is becoming “intolerable” and President Wilson’s administration is punishing “men who serve America by fearlessly telling the truth.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1918-03-12

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt thanks J. Edwin Hartman for his letter. Roosevelt’s best friend in politics is William “Billy” Loeb, of “pure German descent.” The leader of the Progressive Party in Vermont was a Congregational clergyman, and also of German descent, and Roosevelt believes there is no wiser or patriotic American.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1916-07-01

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt is grateful that Arthur W. Page sent him that pro-German paper. Roosevelt does not know why Mr. Mann would write an article for such a paper, but he found out that one of his own articles has been republished in Germany.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-12-14

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt appreciates Dwight B. Heard’s letter and addresses the issue of the “Iowa cartoon.” The Progressives and Republicans have not been using his name in their campaigns, of which Roosevelt approves. He believes that within a year or two, the nation will come around to the principles he champions. Meanwhile, President Wilson “has eaten his own words” regarding many of the issues surrounding the war. Roosevelt reflects on the political situation surrounding the war.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-12-06

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt appreciated Lucius Swift’s address on Germans in America.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-11-12

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt is sad to hear the “dreadful facts” about the suffering in Belgium and pledges to include what he has learned in an upcoming speech. Roosevelt wants the country to take a stand, but he doubts that his appeals will be successful because of the large German American voting bloc. He suggests that it might be easier to get Americans to do something to protect Armenians. Roosevelt adds that he has also heard calls for humanitarian intervention coming from Americans in Mexico and civilians in Poland, France, and England.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-11-01

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt congratulates John C. Shaffer on the success of the course he followed and notes the importance of electing William Hale Thompson as Mayor of Chicago, in part because of the “emphatic rebuke it gave to the German-Americans.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-04-10

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt has followed Edwin A. Van Valkenburg’s lead on the German-American business. Roosevelt is enjoying being able to speak his mind, without worrying about the consequences to his party.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-03-02

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt will read Rohrbach with great interest. Roosevelt agrees with Professor Franke’s position on the German-American movement.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-02-26

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt writes that Senator Lodge acted rightly in the Taft matter and he should not worry. Roosevelt did not want his friend Cal (probably John Callan O’Laughlin) to promote something Roosevelt would have to deny. Roosevelt thinks Lodge will like his article the following month in which he “goes for the German-Americans.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-02-26

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt writes to Hugo Münsterberg regarding anti-German-American sentiment as a result of the Great War and German aggression in Belgium. Roosevelt states that although such feelings “grieve” him, he also understands them.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-01-04

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt will not sign and does not agree with the appeal calling for Americans to call themselves Anglo-Americans and sympathize with England as the motherland. Roosevelt believes Americans are a separate people and should view the United States as their motherland. He is not an “Englishman-once-removed” but is “straight United States.” A foreign nation should be treated according to its conduct and not influenced by a shared ethnic heritage. Roosevelt has publicly supported Belgium, which includes admonishing Germany for its conduct and praising England for defending an ally. However, he did so because it was morally right and not due to a shared “ground of community of origin” between the United States and England.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1914-12-22

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919