Military readiness

Nebraska speech, at Lincoln, Nebraska, June 14th, 1917

Typed draft with handwritten edits 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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-06-14

Nebraska speech

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-06-14

Nebraska speech, Colonel’s copy

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-06-14

Speech – September 5, 1917 – Columbia County Fair

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-09-05

Speech – September 5th, 1917 – Columbia County Fair

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-09-05

Kansas City speech – September 24, 1917, Why we are at war

Theodore Roosevelt thanks members of the Armed Forces for their service during World War I and praises men willing to fight for their country. He condemns the actions of Germany and says that the war is being fought for the greater good of America and for humanity. He gives several examples of Germany’s cruelty and ruthlessness, including the sinking of the Lusitania. He denies claims of the war being a “rich man’s” war but says that anti-war movements are backed by the wealthy for commercial reasons. Roosevelt calls for better preparedness in the future as well as the implementation of universal service.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-09-24

Speech of Theodore Roosevelt at Dexter Pavilion, Union Stock Yards, Chicago, Wednesday evening, September 26, 1917

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-09-26

Speech at Racine, the Hun within our gates

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-09-27

Workingmen’s Red Cross Sunday Celebration, Johnstown, Pa. – September 30, 1917, how to save ourselves by saving others

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-09-30

Speech at Bridgeport, evening November 3rd, 1917

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-11-03

Princeton lecture, National strength and international duty

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-11-16

Princeton lecture, National strength and international duty

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-11-16

Speech to the women

Theodore Roosevelt congratulates women in New York State on obtaining the right to vote. He asks that they fulfill the duties and obligations that come along with such a privilege and believes that women will do much to further social and industrial justice. He particularly asks for them to fulfill the duty of patriotism required during the war.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-11-20

Speech at Toronto, Ontario, November 26, 1917

Theodore Roosevelt commends Canada and other nations in the British Empire for their actions and bravery during World War I. He says that nations must work together to secure peace and proposes a court to settle disputes between Canada and the United States, composed of judges from Canada and United States Supreme Court justices. He calls for universal military service to help guarantee better preparedness in the future.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-11-26

Speech to be delivered by Colonel Roosevelt at Cincinnati, December 14, 1917 – at 8 p.m.

Theodore Roosevelt calls for Americans to unite as one people, regardless of ethnic background, and for better military preparedness in the future.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-12-14

Colonel Roosevelt’s speech at Miss Price’s school at Philadelphia, January 9, 1918

Theodore Roosevelt compares war to the world of business and laments America’s lack of preparedness for the first World War. He discusses Americans’ duties in speeding up the war and bringing it to a successful close.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1918-01-09

Colonel Roosevelt’s speech at the Ohio Society of New York dinner – January 12, 1918

Theodore Roosevelt advocates “speeding up” the end of World War I and the need for America’s military preparedness, which could be addressed by instituting universal military service.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1918-01-12

Colonel Roosevelt’s speech on January 19, 1918, under the auspices of the League for Political Education, Carnegie Hall – 11 a.m.

Theodore Roosevelt compares the job of school teachers in training the minds of the future to that of soldiers. He insists upon “Americanism” from all citizens, loyalty to the United States regardless of ethnic background, and laments the lack of military preparedness for World War I.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1918-01-19

Address of Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, delivered at the luncheon of the National Security League, Hotel Astor, New York, January 19, 1918

Theodore Roosevelt thanks the members of the National Security League for their work and praises the young men at military training camps across the country. He says the United States was unprepared to participate in the world war and discusses his experiences during the Spanish-American War. Roosevelt calls for the need to “speed up” the current war and to be better prepared in the future by instituting universal military service.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1918-01-19

Colonel Roosevelt’s speech to be delivered at Boston, Mass. February 6, 1918, under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce and the Pilgrim Publicity Association

Theodore Roosevelt says the two things facing America now are the need for “Americanism” and military preparedness. He says that the United States was unprepared to participate in the world war and that she is still weak in Europe because of it. In order to be patriotic, Americans regardless of ethnic background must be united and loyal to their country. The key to being better prepared in the future, he says, is to institute universal military service.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1918-02-06