Your TR Source
Theodore Roosevelt stresses to Richard M. Hurd of the American Defense Society that in light of the end of the First World War, there is a continued need to “fight for Americanism.” Roosevelt supports the acceptance and equality of immigrants that become “nothing but an American.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1919-01-03
Theodore Roosevelt is grateful for Agnes Repplier’s writings on the pacifists and on national duty. Roosevelt believes that Americans’ main national duty is to make sure that those of foreign birth or parentage are “Americans and nothing else.” It would be best if someone of foreign birth or parentage led the effort. President Wilson has failed to lead the nation and its “unpreparedness is moral and spiritual.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-10-18
Theodore Roosevelt thanks General Wood for his letter, and encourages him not to engage in any controversy regarding a matter involving Secretary of War Lindley M. Garrison in which Roosevelt believes the public opinion is with Wood. Roosevelt attempts to arrange communication between Wood and Frances Kellor of the National Americanization Committee. According to Roosevelt, Kellor is hoping Wood can recommend people for a national defense association related to her committee.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-09-02
Theodore Roosevelt congratulates Archbishop Mundelein for unifying the parochial school system and textbooks, particularly the removal of all foreign language textbooks. Mundelein has taken an important step in the “great work of Americanization.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1916-05-27
Draft of an open letter to Judge Olson clarifying Theodore Roosevelt’s views on Americanism and hyphenated Americans. Roosevelt considers Americanism to be a matter of the soul and spirit. He provides many examples of immigrants and children of immigrants that he considers to be pure Americans. Roosevelt does not want an American citizen to act politically as an American with qualifications related to their place of birth or ancestors.
1916-05-25
Helen Newell Garfield shares birth rates of slum populations in major U.S. cities and urges the importance of Americanizing “this foreign army with its Southern European influence.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-02-06
Series of extracts from different newspapers on President Roosevelt’s likely presidential nomination, American supremacy in the Pacific, and undesirable Italian immigrants.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-06-01