Theodore Roosevelt: Architect of America's Navy
These famous words summed up Roosevelt's approach to foreign policy. Above all other things, the most central aspect of this 'big stick diplomacy' was his advocacy of naval power.
A Defining Book
'The history of sea power is largely, though by no means solely, a narrative of contests between nations, of mutual rivalries, of violence frequently culminating in war.' This is the wordy opening sentence to Alfred Thayer Mahan's 'The Influence of Sea Power Upon History.' The book, published in 1890, examined how the rise of the British Empire was made possible by naval supremacy.
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The Hill
4 hours ago
- The Hill
Why Teddy Roosevelt would side-eye Donald Trump on Mount Rushmore
Eight days after President Trump was sworn in for a second term, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) introduced legislation to carve his face into Mount Rushmore. Her legislation was later seconded by Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) who told Interior Secretary Doug Burgum that adding Trump to the carved images of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt was ' essential,' citing Trump's ' accomplishments in restoring American greatness.' Trump has long aspired to be part of Mount Rushmore. During his first term, he told Kristi Noem, then a South Dakota representative and now Trump's Homeland Security secretary, that it was his ' dream ' to be on Mount Rushmore. Noem later gave Trump a model of Mount Rushmore with his visage on it. We don't know what George Washington, Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln might have thought about Trump joining their esteemed group. But we have a very good idea of what Theodore Roosevelt would have said. In 1910, Roosevelt gave an address at the Sorbonne in Paris on the nature and responsibilities of citizenship. The most-cited quote from that speech is Roosevelt's invocation of the 'man in the arena … whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood' and 'spends himself in a worthy cause.' The White House Instagram account recently likened Trump to Roosevelt's 'man in the arena' quote, placing Trump's triumphant visage amidst the ruins of Rome's Colosseum. It is unlikely whether either Trump or anyone else in the White House read Roosevelt's Sorbonne speech. If they had, they would have learned that Roosevelt rejected relying on ' men of inherited wealth and position ' for leadership positions. Roosevelt would have also been appalled by billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai and Tim Cook sharing the inaugural platform as Trump began his second term. In his address, Roosevelt scorned those who refused to use their wealth toward advancing the common good, noting they were not entitled to public admiration and those who lauded such praise on them emanated from those ' who are mean of soul.' Trump's exploitation of the presidency to advance his personal interests and line his pocketbook would have likewise appalled Roosevelt. In just his first six months in office, Trump has held an exclusive dinner for top sellers of the $TRUMP meme coins that brought $148 million into his family's coffers, proposed issuing a 'Trump Card' which, for a cool $5 million, would grant visas to foreigners to enter the U.S. and Trump received a $400 million airplane gift from the government of Qatar. Such actions would, said Roosevelt, render Trump ' no longer of useful service.' But perhaps what would have offended Roosevelt most is Trump's success in pitting one group of Americans against another. Roosevelt warned that those born to wealth and power who exploit the less fortunate are 'at heart, the same as the greedy and violent demagogue who excites those who have not property to plunder those who have.' Trump qualifies on both counts. Demagogues, Roosevelt believed, were particularly dangerous because they seek to separate 'class from class, occupation from occupation, men of more wealth from men of less wealth.' In an insightful article in The Atlantic,Franklin Foer writes that Trump has declared war on the nation's 'managerial class,' including 'lawyers, university administrators and professors, but also consultants, investment bankers, scientists, journalists and other white-collar workers who have prospered in the information age.' The accusations leveled by Trump against the managerial class include their profiting 'at the expense of real Americans,' and darkly suggesting the existence of a 'deep state' run by those same elites. Finally, Roosevelt would have strongly disapproved of Trump's treatment of minority groups. He said 'Probably the best test of true love of liberty in any country is the way in which minorities are treated in that country.' 'Not only should there be complete liberty in matters of religion and opinion, but complete liberty for each man to lead his life as he desires, provided only that in so doing he does not wrong his neighbors,' he continued. Roosevelt's views on the treatment of minorities were well known. In 1901 he invited Booker T. Washington to dine with him at the White House. One southern newspaper referred to their shared meal as ' a blunder that is worse than a crime.' Another account described the dinner as the biggest news event since the assassination of William McKinley one year earlier. But Trump has set a different standard, breaking bread with white supremacist Nick Fuentes and saying of him, 'He gets me.' Trump's claims that minority groups are ' poisoning the blood of our country ' and are genetically disposed to commit crimes would have surely sent the Rough Rider into a fit of rage. In his Sorbonne speech, Roosevelt not only spoke to those in authority but to all citizens: 'In the long run, success or failure will be conditioned upon the way in which the average man, the average woman, does his or her duty, first in the ordinary, everyday affairs of life, and next in those great occasional crises which call for heroic virtues.' It is in such mundane activities and our response to great crises lies 'the main source of national power and national greatness,' he said. By Roosevelt's measure, Trump does not belong anywhere near Mount Rushmore. But the essential issue before us is not whether Trump deserves a national monument, but whether we, as citizens, are adhering to the high standards Roosevelt set. John Kenneth White is a professor emeritus at the Catholic University of America. His latest book is titled 'Grand Old Unraveling: The Republican Party, Donald Trump, and the Rise of Authoritarianism.'
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Yahoo
44 Jaw-Dropping Historical Photos That Are 100x More Interesting Than Anything I Learned In History Class
honestly so cool to see these parents marching in a pride parade in it also makes me sad that it's been 50 years and queer people are still facing so much prejudice. that Theodore Roosevelt's first wife and mother died on the same day, which was just days after the birth of his eldest child (the indomitable Alice, who, if you have not read should). He wrote this in his journal shortly afterward, and it's genuinely heartbreaking. contrast, this letter from Teddy Roosevelt after he was called a drunk is kind of hilarious. Someone remind me what the medicinal purposes of brandy are? 1939 predictions about what fashion would look like in 2000 are also funny to see now. TBH, you probably could buy a version of those shoes in 2000, though I don't know how comfortable they'd be. photo of American soldiers playing video games at Saddam Hussein's former palace in 2003 — while troops were still looking for Hussein — is genuinely wild. also kind of mind-blowing to see what a first-class room looked like on the Titanic. Honestly? I expected nicer. Related: ad for a journey on the Titanic – back to the UK from NYC — is eerie to look at now. Obviously, it's a journey the ship would never complete. this letter from survivor Charlotte Collyer is super, super sad. 9.I bet you never learned about this in school — in 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr. received the following letter, along with a tape of his alleged sexual activity. It reads like blackmail from a prior supporter, but King believed it was from the FBI — and it was eventually revealed that it was. The full text of the letter, except for one redacted name, was released in 2014, and you can read it below. was the FBI so concerned about King, you ask? Because they were worried he would endorse communism. Right-wing groups thus put up billboards like this during the Selma march as propaganda meant to make him lose supporters. is the gun used to kill Abraham Lincoln. In case you forgot, Lincoln was watching a performance of the comedy Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater with his wife, an officer, and the officer's fiancé. You may not know, however, that the plan was to wipe out the vice president, Andrew Johnson, and the secretary of state, William Henry Seward, as well. Seward actually had his throat slashed, but survived. kind of wild that this copy of the Magna Carta from 1305 still exists. not as mind-blowing as these 1800-year-old Roman leather sandals. news headline from 1933 did NOT age well. did this 1939 newspaper caption. Related: this 1914 article. To refresh your memory, the archduke's assassination is largely regarded as the event that jump-started WWI. and here's a photo of good ol' Franz and his wife just moments before they were assassinated. wonder when the first-ever selfie was? It's way further back than I thought — Robert Cornelius took one in 1839. leaflet for Black American soldiers during the Korean War is wildly fascinating to read — and made great points, tbh. handbook from WWI, translating important wartime phrases like "Run for your life!" or "we are losing," to me. about the first cat who went into space. Her name was Félicette, and she was a French stray who was flown in the rocket Veronique in 1964. She made it back safely and to this day is the only cat to have gone to space. fun fact? In Sweden, cars used to drive on the left side of the road. But in 1967, they switched to the right — leading to absolute chaos, as you can see below. York to Paris is a common flight now, but back in the early 1900s, it was unheard of — until Charles Lindbergh made the (solo!) journey in 1927. His airplane looked just a *bit* different than the ones we use today. Related: of Charles Lindbergh, his son was kidnapped and later found dead in 1932, and the case is fascinating to read about. The kidnapper exchanged multiple notes with the Lindberghs and their liaison, John Condon, who even apparently met with the kidnapper in a graveyard. Here's one of the notes. speaking of planes, check out this flight price from 1946. Of course, this would be $241.38 in today's dollars. what British passports used to look like, in case you wanted to pop over to another country in 1858. WWII, British people all had to carry these National Registration Identity Cards at all times — even children. If they were separated during bombing or for any other reason, this could assist with reunification. It would also assist with rationing food. here's what a WWII ration book looked like. psych wards are a far cry from what were called "lunatic asylums" back in the day. People could be admitted for a ton of different reasons, many of them completely unrelated to psychological conditions — you can read some of them, from the late 1800s, below. what the NYC subway looked like in 1961 — honestly, it doesn't look as different as I would've expected! here's what it looked like in 1987. is what a Japanese tram looked like after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima — next to a restored version. here's a larger-scale photo of the bomb's destruction in Hiroshima. Colonel Paul Tibbets, who flew Enola Gay, which dropped the bomb. Related: doesn't seem all that long ago when you look at graffiti left by soldiers. of WWII, check out these propaganda posters reminding Americans of their allies in the feels ironic, considering how the US would feel about Russia and China very shortly afterward. letter sent home from a soldier in Vietnam just made me really, really sad. 38.I definitely do not remember learning about the Mormon War from 1857 in school. Basically, then-President James Buchanan sent troops to quell rebellion in Utah, where tensions were already high between Mormons and both Protestants and the government. The Mormons took up arms and fought back in their own namely, involved killing around 120 people traveling via wagons to move out west. They attacked the migrants, then offered them safe passage out, only to execute everyone over the age of seven and blame it on the nearby Native Americans. This was called the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Militia Leader John D. Lee was eventually excommunicated and executed for his actions — here you can see him sitting on his coffin just before being killed. 39.I'm always fascinated by old beauty trends, and it turns out that there were some wildly dangerous beauty trends back in the day. For example, people used to use products with arsenic in them. were also makeup and hair products that contained radium and other radioactive elements. medicine also used to be pretty darn dangerous. For example, heroin was used as a cough suppressant. people could be prescribed cocaine. of medicine and health, X-rays have been around a lot longer than I realized — since 1896. Here's what it looked like to get one back in 1914. finally, this sign is a fascinating reminder of just how far we've come. Back in the day, people had to be instructed how to use electricity — and assured it was safe. Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds:
Buzz Feed
02-08-2025
- Buzz Feed
44 Fascinating Historical Photos
It's honestly so cool to see these parents marching in a pride parade in it also makes me sad that it's been 50 years and queer people are still facing so much prejudice. TIL that Theodore Roosevelt's first wife and mother died on the same day, which was just days after the birth of his eldest child (the indomitable Alice, who, if you have not read should). He wrote this in his journal shortly afterward, and it's genuinely heartbreaking. In contrast, this letter from Teddy Roosevelt after he was called a drunk is kind of hilarious. Someone remind me what the medicinal purposes of brandy are? These 1939 predictions about what fashion would look like in 2000 are also funny to see now. TBH, you probably could buy a version of those shoes in 2000, though I don't know how comfortable they'd be. This photo of American soldiers playing video games at Saddam Hussein's former palace in 2003 — while troops were still looking for Hussein — is genuinely wild. It's also kind of mind-blowing to see what a first-class room looked like on the Titanic. Honestly? I expected nicer. This ad for a journey on the Titanic – back to the UK from NYC — is eerie to look at now. Obviously, it's a journey the ship would never complete. And this letter from survivor Charlotte Collyer is super, super sad. I bet you never learned about this in school — in 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr. received the following letter, along with a tape of his alleged sexual activity. It reads like blackmail from a prior supporter, but King believed it was from the FBI — and it was eventually revealed that it was. The full text of the letter, except for one redacted name, was released in 2014, and you can read it below. Why was the FBI so concerned about King, you ask? Because they were worried he would endorse communism. Right-wing groups thus put up billboards like this during the Selma march as propaganda meant to make him lose supporters. This is the gun used to kill Abraham Lincoln. In case you forgot, Lincoln was watching a performance of the comedy Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater with his wife, an officer, and the officer's fiancé. You may not know, however, that the plan was to wipe out the vice president, Andrew Johnson, and the secretary of state, William Henry Seward, as well. Seward actually had his throat slashed, but survived. It's kind of wild that this copy of the Magna Carta from 1305 still exists. But not as mind-blowing as these 1800-year-old Roman leather sandals. This news headline from 1933 did NOT age well. Neither did this 1939 newspaper caption. Or this 1914 article. To refresh your memory, the archduke's assassination is largely regarded as the event that jump-started WWI. Oh, and here's a photo of good ol' Franz and his wife just moments before they were assassinated. Ever wonder when the first-ever selfie was? It's way further back than I thought — Robert Cornelius took one in 1839. This leaflet for Black American soldiers during the Korean War is wildly fascinating to read — and made great points, tbh. This handbook from WWI, translating important wartime phrases like "Run for your life!" or "we are losing," to me. TIL about the first cat who went into space. Her name was Félicette, and she was a French stray who was flown in the rocket Veronique in 1964. She made it back safely and to this day is the only cat to have gone to space. Another fun fact? In Sweden, cars used to drive on the left side of the road. But in 1967, they switched to the right — leading to absolute chaos, as you can see below. New York to Paris is a common flight now, but back in the early 1900s, it was unheard of — until Charles Lindbergh made the (solo!) journey in 1927. His airplane looked just a *bit* different than the ones we use today. Speaking of Charles Lindbergh, his son was kidnapped and later found dead in 1932, and the case is fascinating to read about. The kidnapper exchanged multiple notes with the Lindberghs and their liaison, John Condon, who even apparently met with the kidnapper in a graveyard. Here's one of the notes. And speaking of planes, check out this flight price from 1946. Of course, this would be $241.38 in today's dollars. Here's what British passports used to look like, in case you wanted to pop over to another country in 1858. During WWII, British people all had to carry these National Registration Identity Cards at all times — even children. If they were separated during bombing or for any other reason, this could assist with reunification. It would also assist with rationing food. And here's what a WWII ration book looked like. Modern psych wards are a far cry from what were called "lunatic asylums" back in the day. People could be admitted for a ton of different reasons, many of them completely unrelated to psychological conditions — you can read some of them, from the late 1800s, below. Here's what the NYC subway looked like in 1961 — honestly, it doesn't look as different as I would've expected! And here's what it looked like in 1987. This is what a Japanese tram looked like after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima — next to a restored version. And here's a larger-scale photo of the bomb's destruction in Hiroshima. Here's Colonel Paul Tibbets, who flew Enola Gay, which dropped the bomb. WW2 doesn't seem all that long ago when you look at graffiti left by soldiers. Speaking of WWII, check out these propaganda posters reminding Americans of their allies in the feels ironic, considering how the US would feel about Russia and China very shortly afterward. This letter sent home from a soldier in Vietnam just made me really, really sad. I definitely do not remember learning about the Mormon War from 1857 in school. Basically, then-President James Buchanan sent troops to quell rebellion in Utah, where tensions were already high between Mormons and both Protestants and the government. The Mormons took up arms and fought back in their own namely, involved killing around 120 people traveling via wagons to move out west. They attacked the migrants, then offered them safe passage out, only to execute everyone over the age of seven and blame it on the nearby Native Americans. This was called the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Militia Leader John D. Lee was eventually excommunicated and executed for his actions — here you can see him sitting on his coffin just before being killed. I'm always fascinated by old beauty trends, and it turns out that there were some wildly dangerous beauty trends back in the day. For example, people used to use products with arsenic in them. There were also makeup and hair products that contained radium and other radioactive elements. Old-school medicine also used to be pretty darn dangerous. For example, heroin was used as a cough suppressant. And people could be prescribed cocaine. Speaking of medicine and health, X-rays have been around a lot longer than I realized — since 1896. Here's what it looked like to get one back in 1914. And finally, this sign is a fascinating reminder of just how far we've come. Back in the day, people had to be instructed how to use electricity — and assured it was safe.
