Description:

Roosevelt Theodore

Teddy Roosevelt Defends “decent Americanism” in His Hyphenated Americanism Speech

THEODORE ROOSEVELT, Typed Letter Signed, to William H. Tolman, November 26, 1915, New York City.  1 p., 8" x 10.75". Expected folds, some residue on top verso from having been mounted.

Complete Transcription

METROPOLITAN

432 Fourth Avenue New York

Office of Theodore Roosevelt             

                                                                        November 26th, 1915

My dear Mr. Tolman:

            I thank you for your letter and appreciate it. But I am not concerned with personalities or with the personal fortunes of any man, whether that man be myself or someone else. All I am trying to do is to preach what seems to me to be decent Americanism.

            With thanks,

                                                                        Sincerely yours,

                                                                        Theodore Roosevelt

William H. Tolman, Esq.,

883 East 19th St., / New York City.

Historical Background

On October 12, 1915, former President Theodore Roosevelt delivered a Columbus Day speech for the Knights of Columbus at Carnegie Hall in New York City entitled “Hyphenated Americanism.” Speaking to a largely Irish Catholic audience, Roosevelt declared that “There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all.” He continued, “Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul. Our allegiance must be purely to the United States. We must unsparingly condemn any man who holds any other allegiance.”

New York sociologist William H. Tolman apparently objected to some aspect of Roosevelt’s speech, but Roosevelt remains defiant in this letter, not worrying about the effect his speech might have on his or anyone else’s personal fortunes or career in his determination to “preach... decent Americanism.”

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) was born in New York City and graduated from Harvard University in 1880 and attended Columbia Law School. He served in the New York State Assembly from 1882 to 1884, and as president of the New York City Police Commissioners in 1895 and 1896, then as Assistant Secretary of the Navy from 1897 to 1898. After service in Cuba during the Spanish-American War, he won election as Governor of New York and served from 1899 to 1900. He ran as Vice President to William McKinley in 1900 and became President in September 1901, when McKinley was assassinated. Reelected in 1904, Roosevelt was President until 1909. A prolific author and naturalist, Roosevelt was instrumental in the Progressive movement of the early twentieth century, helped preserve the nation’s natural resources, and extended American power throughout the world with a focus on a modern navy. In 1912, he again sought the Republican nomination for President, but when the convention chose incumbent William Howard Taft, Roosevelt formed the Progressive Party and outpolled Taft in the general election. The Republican division allowed Democrat Woodrow Wilson to win the presidency.

 

William H. Tolman (1861-1958) was born in Rhode Island and became a sociologist. He became an expert on industrial safety and the prevention of accidents. Among other works, he authored The Better New York in 1904 and Social Engineering in 1909.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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