Your TR Source
Theodore Roosevelt thanks Thomas Harris Powers for his contribution to the Progressive campaign and for his letter that revealed a “fine, manly and generous spirit,” which is needed to achieve the growth and development of democracy.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1914-09-17
President Roosevelt wishes Nathaniel C. Reynal success in his effort to secure the house in White Plains, New York, that General George Washington used as headquarters during the Revolutionary War in order to turn it over to the Historical Society.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-01-25
President Roosevelt and Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt are concerned that Owen Wister is laid up and unable to visit. President Roosevelt had wished to tell Wister in person how much he liked his biography of George Washington.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-01-18
President Roosevelt thanks John C. Delaney for the gift of a medallion showing the heads of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and has put it on his watch chain as Delaney suggested. Roosevelt appreciates not only the gift, but the kind and friendly spirit in which Delaney gave it.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-26
President Roosevelt was recently reading a volume of John Morley’s work Critical Miscellanies, and wished to write to him about a number of the issues he raises, and critiques several other historians and works of history. Roosevelt pivots to talking about the recent election in the United States as he identifies it as having taken place under circumstances similar to those identified by Baron Thomas Babington Macaulay–with a recent financial panic and a demagogue opposing William H. Taft–but because of the moral superiority of the Republican party, Taft became president-elect. Roosevelt believes that foolish optimism can get in the way of sane optimism, but also believes that there is cause to hope in the future. He would like to see Morley when he visits England in 1910.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-01
President Roosevelt reflects to his friend George Otto Trevelyan on the result of his election, his presidency, and his feelings on leaving office. He feels good about his accomplishments in office and is confident about leaving William H. Taft as his successor. Although he enjoyed, as always, the new edition of Trevelyan’s Life of Macaulay, he takes exception to Trevelyan including a quote from Archibald Philip Primrose Rosebery which called Macaulay’s marginalia “sublime.” Finally, Roosevelt discusses the reading habits of his sons, Ted and Kermit.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-06
President and Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt thank James Rudolph and Helen Newell Garfield for the birthday wishes and the Washington portrait, which he will hang in a place of honor in his library.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-27
President Roosevelt praises Senator Lodge’s speech to the Republican National Convention as one that will certainly go down in history, noting humorously that attacks from the Sun should be considered as the highest praise. What Lodge said was “exactly right,” and “exactly as [Roosevelt] should have wished it.” Roosevelt believes that Presidency is a very powerful office and that power should be used without hesitation, but this requires strict accountability to the people and no one should keep the office too long. After leaving office, Roosevelt is planning a trip to East Africa for a year to hunt and gather scientific specimens for the National Museum at Washington. Scribner’s has offered Roosevelt $50,000 for the serial rights to articles Roosevelt writes during the trip, and while Collier’s offered $100,000, Roosevelt prefers to have the trip sponsored by Scribner’s, as “there is such a thing as making too much money out of a given feat,” even if earned honestly. Roosevelt thinks William H. Taft will win the coming election, unless he makes some kind of hopeless mistake.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-07-19
President Roosevelt writes to George Otto Trevelyan, reflecting on his time as President and his decision to not seek reelection. Roosevelt admits that there are arguments for him to run for another term as president, but believes that the arguments against are stronger. Roosevelt is proud that while in the presidency he has fully used the powers available to him and acted as a strong central executive, and is gratified by the love that the population has for him. Once he leaves the presidency, Roosevelt plans to go on safari in Africa. He would like to visit England and see his friends there if he could do so as a private citizen without being forced to attend to diplomatic affairs, but if this is not possible he might just return to the United States.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-06-19
President Roosevelt is glad to see H. H. Asquith named the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He thanks Ambassador Reid for warning him that the Pilgrims’ Club are “notoriety hunters” and will instruct David Jayne Hill not to attend the dinner. He also notes that he has been approached by Irish societies who have asked him to oppose the arbitration treaty with Great Britain. He refused, citing George Washington’s admonition not to “give way to national antipathies.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-04-18
President Roosevelt enjoyed Joseph Hodges Choate’s speech, and appreciated many elements of it.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-03-11
President Roosevelt is looking forward to reading George Otto Trevelyan’s next book. He is familiar with King’s Mountain, a battle Trevelyan has written about, and admires the way he wrote about it. He is also impressed with Trevelyan’s writing about Benedict Arnold, and compares his Rough Riders to fighters in the American Revolution. Roosevelt says he will refrain from writing Trevelyan about his troubles, but notes that it is difficult to “keep together men who are equally bent on reform and resolute not to go into anything vindictive or visionary.” In a handwritten postscript, he says that this morning he shook hands with 6,000 people, before going riding with his children and their cousins.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-01-01
President Roosevelt thanks James Morris Whiton for the letter. In response, he sets forth the provisions that authorize using “In God We Trust” on coins, which Congress repealed, but may now revive. Roosevelt hopes it is not revived, believing such use of the phrase “promotes levity and irreverence in the use of a beautiful and solemn religious sentiment.” He favors simple coin design without excess lettering. Including the phrase is a customary, not legal, practice instituted after Abraham Lincoln’s presidency.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-11-15
President Roosevelt writes to his son Kermit about the funeral of former President McKinley’s widow Ida McKinley. He then describes his trip on the train out west as he passed through Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan. Roosevelt closes by saying he needs to talk to Kermit about his hunting trip.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-06-01
President Roosevelt informs his son Kermit that he jumped the horse Roswell over a big hurdle. Others had jumped Roswell over it before, but Roosevelt is “a little too heavy” and the horse struggled. Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt and Ethel Roosevelt scolded him for it. Roosevelt describes the weather, flowers, General Tamemoto Kuroki’s visit, prospects for the presidential nomination, and news of the family’s dogs.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-05-12
President Roosevelt has received William Allen White’s letter, and asks that he write to him again about Judge Dickerson and Judge Townsend. Roosevelt has been reading the advance sheets of White’s upcoming article, and appreciates all the things that White has written, whether or not he deserves them. He disagrees, however, with the implication that his administration could be compared to that of Washington, Lincoln, or Franklin, as they faced great crises while Roosevelt has not. Roosevelt is not concerned whether he will have a place in history, but simply wants to do his best to work with the other people in his administration to govern the nation well.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-11-28
President Roosevelt informs President of Harvard Eliot of his plan to send a separate message to Congress regarding the Reed memorial and asks him to send supporting materials to raise a subscription for the widow. Regrettably, he is unable to speak at Harvard next year. In “strict privacy,” he shares of President of Cuba Tomás Estrada Palmas’ request to intervene and in connection, discusses the justification of the Revolutionary War.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-13
President Roosevelt congratulates Algernon Edward Sartoris and his wife, Germaine Cecile Nouflard Sartoris, on the birth of their baby, Herbert Charles Urban Grant Sartoris. He feels two presidential terms are enough.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-30
President Roosevelt enjoyed reading Secretary of War Taft’s letter and expresses his admiration for Taft. He can sympathize with the difficulties Taft worries about but does not feel they are as great as Taft makes them out to be. While Taft will likely be attacked on Panama and the Philippines, Roosevelt reassures him that he believes Taft has acted correctly, comments that they “play the game very much alike,” and describes some of the difficulties he is presently encountering. Roosevelt is glad that Taft will be staying in his cabinet longer.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-02
President Roosevelt enjoyed reading Frederick Scott Oliver’s book on Alexander Hamilton, and sends him some of his related thoughts. Roosevelt greatly prefers Hamilton to Thomas Jefferson, and feels that Jefferson largely did harm to the United States, although he acknowledges that there were several points on which Jefferson was better than Hamilton. Roosevelt remarks on Oliver’s statement that he lacks direct familiarity with American politics, and invites him to visit the United States and come to the White House.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-09