Industries

The black hand of democracy

The “Democratic party” holds a “ruin to U.S. industries” knife with a hilt that features Alton B. Parker’s head. The Democratic party brings the knife near a group of individuals, including a “citizen,” “capitalist,” “manufacturer,” and “house owner.” The arm of the party reads, “Democratic platform: tariff for revenue only means smaller wages.” The hand has several words: “spoils,” “Hillism,” “Bryanism,” “Gormanism,” “Belmontism,” and “fallacies.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09

Weary Waggles–“They don’t know what the strenuous life means.”

President Roosevelt uses a whip to guide an number of industries—”beef,” “railroads,” “private car lines,” and “express cos”—through a “government control” corral. A “life insurance cos” man, who wears tattered clothing, watches from the other side of the fence.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-08-20

We must not neglect our child

A “standpatter” points to an “American industries” baby in a cradle and tells President Roosevelt, “We must not neglect our child.” In the background, Uncle Sam carries a “Panama Canal Cream Fund” to the “foreign market.” A Republican elephant sits beside the cradle.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-06-04

Republican policies

Uncle Sam points to three “Republican policy” blocks: “sound finance,” “commerce at home and abroad,” and “industries.” Over top of the blocks are three headings: “$700,000,” “For the world’s peace,” and “Prosperity.” Caption: Uncle Sam—With facts like these, the result of Republican rule, who wants a change? Not I!

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-12

Address of President Roosevelt at the Charleston Exposition

President Roosevelt remarks on the unification of the northern and southern states after the Civil War. He discusses several ex-Confederate officers who have been named to important positions in the federal government. He also discusses the importance of international relations with Puerto Rico and Cuba, and commends the Charleston Exposition for reaching out to the West Indies. Finally, Roosevelt discusses the various problems faced by American industry, and the role of the government in addressing those problems.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-04-09

Address of President Roosevelt at Seattle, Washington, May 23, 1903

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

Remarks of President Roosevelt at Montague, California, May 20, 1903

Theodore Roosevelt has enjoyed traveling through the state and meeting the men involved in the lumber industry. He feels already familiar with the men involved with the industries in the city. He also mentions how California is “beyond the west.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-05-20

Address of President Roosevelt at Sioux Falls, South Dakota April 6, 1903, The wage-worker and the tiller of the soil

President Roosevelt speaks about “The wage-worker and the tiller of the soil” to a crowd in Sioux Falls. He speaks about the modern problems of farmers, stock growers, and soil tillers as well as problems between “employer and employed.” He links the well-being of the state with the well-being of farmers, and also of the needs of those classes in light of industrial changes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-04-06

In the nick of time

Two medieval monks labeled “McKinley” and “Reed” construct a wall using blocks labeled “War Tax on Dinner Pails, Heavy Duty on Laborers Tools, Prohibitory Duty on Necessaries, High Duty on Raw Materials, Unjust Tax on Farmers Implements, Burdensome Tariff on Clothing, Duty on Iron, Duty on Steel, [and] Class Legislation” and cement labeled “Monopoly Mortar” to bury alive a female figure labeled “American Industries.” Arriving “in the nick of time” is William L. Wilson with a sword labeled “Wilson Bill” to put a stop to the punishment and torture of “our industries.” Caption: Rescuer Wilson comes none too soon to prevent the Republican monks from walling up our industries alive, in the true old Mediæval style.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-02-28

Its good is doubtful – its harm is certain

Two smug, well-dressed men, one labeled “Exporter” and the other labeled “Farmer,” ride in a fine carriage driven by the Roman god Mercury, his cape labeled “Commerce,” and drawn by two horses labeled “Manufacturing” and “Agriculture.” They ride past a broken carriage that crashed on a log labeled “Dingley Tariff.” The driver labeled “Importer” and the horse labeled “Import Business” sit on the ground next to the “Dingley Tariff” roadblock.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1899-02-01

Remarks of President Roosevelt before reaching Salisbury, North Carolina

President Roosevelt says it is a pleasure to pass through North Carolina, and especially to see the industrial development occurring in the American South.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-09-09

The modern King Canute

Print shows South African President Paul Kruger labeled “Oom Paul” sitting on a throne labeled “Transvaal Republic” on the seashore. Kruger is about to be swamped by a large wave labeled “Industrial Progress.” He attempts to open an umbrella labeled “Old Fogyism” in an effort to mitigate the blow.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1899-09-27

Such a sad case!

A child-like figure labeled “American Industry,” supported by an infant walker on wheels labeled “High Protection,” holds in one hand a bottle of “Payne Aldrich Baby Food” and in the other a rattle shaped like the U.S. Capitol dome. On the tray of the walker is a broken elephant, an eagle, a bull moose, and a donkey. Caught underneath the support is an Uncle Sam doll. Caption: His delusion is that he cannot walk alone.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1912-07-31

Our British watch-dog

A British bulldog labeled “Commercial Interests” stands before a plate of food labeled “American Products.” He is looking across a small body of water at four cats labeled “France, Italy, Austria, [and] Germany” sitting on a fence labeled “Continental Jealousy” and flying a banner “Commercial Tariff Blockade.” The bulldog is chained to a dog house draped with British and American flags and a with a sign on the front that states “England Biggest Consumer of American Goods — [as per article in the] London Times.” Caption: There is no danger of a European combination while his appetite lasts.

Comments and Context

This cartoon is an example of what has since been called the “special relationship” between the United States and Great Britain. High tariffs in America and England worked to mutual advantage. England’s commercial dominance in the world was long-standing, and its continental relations were set. To the United States, trade favors with England seemed satisfactory until the commercial appetites of the rest of the world became clear. A decade after this cartoon, President William Howard Taft sought to mend this situation by futilely proposing a series of reciprocal trade treaties.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Americans abroad

A man labeled “American Food Products” and laden with agricultural produce welcomes a man labeled “American Manufactures” laden with industrial products to Europe. Caption: “Welcome to Europe, old man! I knew you’d follow me sooner or later!”

Comments and Context

With the turn of the century, there were many assessments and reassessments of America’s place in the world. One aspect, much noted in reports, abstracts, political speeches, and financial forecasts, is that by 1901 the United States had become the world’s leader in manufacturing. This fact mirrored the business activity and general patterns of consumption in the domestic economy. Also it fueled exports, joining American agricultural goods to serve receptive world markets.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

The President paints a picture at Charleston

Cartoon shows President Roosevelt with a paint brush and his finished work of art: Uncle Sam plowing a field with two horses and a plow. The horses are labeled “Combination of Capital” and “Labor Combine.” Uncle Sam is holding reins titled “Regulation by Law.” Cartoon is regarding government regulation of industry.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-04-10

Photograph of Georgetown waterfront

View depicting the industrial character of the Georgetown waterfront. Factory buildings and numerous smokestacks are visible lining the river.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial

Creation Date

1930

Georgetown Waterfront

View depicting the industrial character of the Georgetown waterfront. Factory buildings and numerous smokestacks are visible lining the river. Caption reads, “Neg No. 25463.”

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial

Creation Date

1930

Letter from Secretary of Theodore Roosevelt to Egerton Leigh Winthrop

On behalf of Theodore Roosevelt, his secretary thanks Egerton Leigh Winthrop for the information he provided about the Board of Education’s program of industrial education. Roosevelt will see the original of the picture referred to when he visits DeWitt Clinton High School.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-05-02

H. R. 25606

Legislation to use President Roosevelt’s money from the 1906 Nobel Prize to establish a committee dedicated to the promotion of industrial peace.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-02-12