Your TR Source
Print showing Presidents Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt in cameos connected by bunting, with the White House in the upper center between them, and respective birthplaces in the lower center.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1906-01-02
President Roosevelt responds to the entertainment provided by the Franz Sigel Monument Association in Saint Louis. He speaks of General Sigel and his services during the Civil War. Roosevelt also speaks of the lessons that Sigel taught, including brotherhood, nationality, and character.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-04-29
President Roosevelt addresses the crowd at the laying of the cornerstone for the YMCA building in Topeka, Kansas. He speaks about how the laying of the foundation shows a level of caring for the spiritual and moral development of citizens. He also highlights the crops and railroads of Kansas.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-05-01
President Roosevelt greets a crowd from Salina and Bethany, Kansas. He discusses his travels and seeing the “productivity of the state” in its land changes. He also addresses the educational institutions nearby and the development of character. Roosevelt also discusses his previous gift of a football and lessons that can be learned from football.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-05-02
President Roosevelt emphasizes points made by Harry Pratt Judson (earlier that day) on the foundation for greatness and the importance of universities. He also speaks about “the aim of the production of citizenship” and morality. Roosevelt also remarks on the win of 1876, the Civil War, Lincoln, and ordinary men.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-04-02
President Roosevelt speaks to the Minnesota Legislature regarding the people of Minnesota, including Senators and Congressmen with whom he has worked. He also discusses the veterans of the Civil War, character, large families, legislation, and education.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-04-04
Several former presidents of the United States, including Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Grant, and Cleveland, rest their elbows on a wall and hold out their hands, collectively saying “Good Luck, Theodore! We had to suffer the same kind of abuse in our day.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1913-05-27
Otto Gresham relays Abraham Lincoln’s opinion on the Dred Scott Case in which he stated his respect for the Supreme Court, but his refusal to stand by the case. The document states that the judicial decision radicalized Lincoln on the issue of slavery, and that he and Wendell Phillips welcomed succession. He connects the transportation interests of the country to the slave power, stating that the best advocates of efficient government have always been those with regard for the rights of property.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-11-25
President Roosevelt addresses representatives of the Methodist Church gathered in Carnegie Hall on the bicentennial of John Wesley’s birth. He opens by noting that it is in the United States that the Methodist Church has grown the most, starting from about the time of the Revolutionary War. The Methodist Church has also played “a peculiar and prominent part in the pioneer growth” of the country, particularly in westward expansion. Methodist preachers and ministers served as a moral guide for the frontiersmen and women to help them conquer both the “forces of spiritual evil” and the hostile terrain of the frontier. Roosevelt urges the church of the present day to show the same spirit of courage and determination as these earlier pioneers in order to advance humanity, kindliness, and brotherhood within the nation.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-02-26
Typed draft of Theodore Roosevelt’s speech at the semi-centennial celebration of Nebraska’s statehood. Roosevelt recalls America’s two wars up to the present, the Revolutionary and the Civil Wars, and says that they were good for the country because they established liberties for its citizens. He warns that World War I is threatening those liberties due to pacifists and a lack of military preparation by the United States. He calls for loyalty to America from its immigrant population and for voluntary service in the military and aid organizations.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1917-06-14
Theodore Roosevelt’s copy of his speech at the semi-centennial celebration of Nebraska’s statehood. Roosevelt recalls America’s two wars up to the present, the Revolutionary and the Civil Wars, and says that they were good for the country because they established liberties for its citizens. He warns that World War I is threatening those liberties due to pacifists and a lack of military preparation by the United States. He calls for loyalty to America from its immigrant population and for voluntary service in the military and aid organizations.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1917-06-14
Typed draft with handwritten edits of Theodore Roosevelt’s speech at the Columbia County Fair. Roosevelt says that while America is a melting pot of many cultures, it is still a single country. He calls for all citizens to be united under one flag and one language. He condemns Germany’s actions during the war and says anyone that does not fully support the United States is a traitor. Americans have an obligation to be loyal to their country and to demand justice for all men regardless of social class. The country needs to be better prepared for war in the future.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1917-09-05
Typed draft with edits of Theodore Roosevelt’s speech at the Columbia County Fair. Roosevelt says that while America is a melting pot of many cultures, it is still a single country. He calls for all citizens to be united under one flag and one language. He condemns Germany’s actions during the war and says anyone that does not fully support the United States is a traitor. Americans have an obligation to be loyal to their country and to demand justice for all men regardless of social class. The country needs to be better prepared for war in the future.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1917-09-05
Theodore Roosevelt praises the Armed Forces and veterans of the Civil War. He also praises Father Edward Vattmann and other speakers of the evening as proud examples of loyal Americans with German ancestry. He calls for all of the various ethnic groups in America to come together under one language and one flag and condemns pacifists and anti-war politicians like Senator Robert M. La Follette. Roosevelt says all able-bodied men should join the fight and that America needs to be better prepared for war in the future.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1917-09-26
Theodore Roosevelt speaks out about “the Hun within our gates”, or German Americans he says are helping Germany from within the United States. Roosevelt says the term Hun was attributed to the German forces by William II himself and that it matches the atrocities committed by the German military in Europe and Asia. He gives examples of the Huns within our gates, particularly pacifists, and compares them to the “Copperheads” of the Civil War era. He calls for all Americans, regardless of ethnic origins, to unite under one flag and one language.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1917-09-27
Printed copy of Theodore Roosevelt’s speech in Minneapolis released to newspapers. Roosevelt speaks on the nature of conscientious objectors during World War I. He says that the majority of objectors are either lazy or pro-German and gives arguments for why religious groups like the Society of Friends should participate in the war. He says that true objectors can still serve in other capacities. He calls for more representation of working men and farmers in Washington and for universal military service.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1917-09-28
Theodore Roosevelt says that because World War I is a war for democracy, it is essentially the working man’s war. The United States went to war with Germany because of its killing of innocent American civilians. He recognizes the sermons of Newell Dwight Hillis of Brooklyn, who has witnessed the “atrocities” of the German military firsthand. He says not only must America help countries in Europe, but it must also strengthen its military for the future.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1917-09-30
Theodore Roosevelt speaks on behalf of Schuyler Merritt, who is running for Congress in Connecticut. Roosevelt says that the United States military was poorly prepared for the first World War and that it must take steps to be better prepared in the future. The country must also work on its industry, he says, to make businesses profitable and to ensure that workers are treated fairly. He calls for Americans of all ethnicities to be united and for the United States to instate universal military service.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1917-11-03
Handwritten draft of Theodore Roosevelt’s lecture at Princeton. Roosevelt compares the ethics of a nation to ethics on an individual level. He calls for a balance between taking care of oneself (or nation) and paying one’s duty to others (at an international level). He points to Germany’s actions during the first World War as an extreme example of caring only for the individual. Roosevelt discusses the current state of the American military and the war with Germany, including reports from the government and newspapers. He presents a list of America’s shortcomings in not being prepared for the war and advises the young university men to learn from the lessons of the past and become leaders in the future.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1917-11-16
In his lecture at Princeton, Theodore Roosevelt compares the ethics of a nation to ethics on an individual level. He calls for a balance between taking care of oneself (or nation) and paying one’s duty to others (at an international level). He points to Germany’s actions during the first World War as an extreme example of caring only for the individual. Roosevelt discusses the current state of the American military and the war with Germany, including reports from the government and newspapers. He presents a list of America’s shortcomings in not being prepared for the war and advises the young university men to learn from the lessons of the past and become leaders in the future.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1917-11-16