American Experience

Read Theodore Roosevelt in his own words, in this collection of writings and speeches, and browse TR political cartoons.

Contents:  Speeches  |  Letters  |  Miscellaneous

Speeches

• The Duties of American Citizenship
  TR calls on Americans to participate in political life. (1883)
• The Strenuous Life
  Americans are called to pursue true national greatness in the twentieth century. (1899)
• The Man With The Muck Rake
  Roosevelt lashes out against lying political attacks, calling for honesty and sanity in public discourse. (1906)
• The New Nationalism
  An explanation of the need for government to regulate capitalism, and provide a square deal for all Americans. (1910)
• Inaugural address
  Roosevelt says that great things are expected of those to whom much has been given. (1905)

Letters

• Report to the Secretary of War
  TR describes the army's inedible food, bad underwear, fever, and transportation problems in Cuba. (1898)
• Letters to his children
  Exhortations and encouragements on the domestic front. (1903 - 1918)
• Letter to Charles Doolittle Walcott
  Roosevelt seeks taxidermists to go with him on an African safari. (1908)
• Letter to King George V
  TR replies to a condolence letter on the death of his son Quentin. (1918)

Miscellaneous

• Progressive Party platform
  Third-party Bull Mooses state their positions on the issues of the 1912 election. (1912)
• Woodrow Wilson's First Inaugural Address
  TR's 1912 opponent makes his first public address as president. (1913)
• Monroe Doctrine
  The American foreign policy statement that provided the basis for Roosevelt's military intervention in Latin America. (1823)
• Political Cartoons
  TR was easily caricatured in his day.