President Theodore Roosevelt TLS Re: Book on

President Theodore Roosevelt TLS Re: Book on Imperialism & Empire-Building

A 1p typed letter signed by 26th U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) as "Theodore Roosevelt" at center right. Written in Washington, D.C. on December 29, 1902 on a leaf of "White House. / Washington" stationery. Roosevelt has also crossed out the word "so" within the body of the letter. Expected light folds and slight mat burn, else near fine. The letter is artfully displayed to the right of a portrait of Roosevelt after the original 1903 painting by John Singer Sargent adorned by an engraved name plate. A smaller image of Roosevelt on a marbled mount can be found beneath the signature; the letter is displayed in a floating mount. A Certificate of Authenticity from Kenneth R. Laurence Galleries (Hialeah, Florida) is affixed verso. Not examined out of the frame, which is substantial and gilt. The sight size of the letter is 8.75" x 7" while the overall framed size is 28.125" x 20.25" x 1.5."

President Roosevelt wrote this note to Alpheus Henry Snow (1859-1920), the lawyer and legal scholar, just fourteen months after assuming office following McKinley's assassination. He wrote in part: "Mr. Justice Harlan has just presented me with 'Administration of Dependencies". I am glad to get hold of it, and look forward to reading it…"

Snow, who had studied law at Trinity College, Yale University, and Harvard University, published his monograph, "The Administration of Dependencies: A Study of the Evolution of the Federal Empire, with Special Reference to American Colonial Problems" (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons) in 1902.

Roosevelt was an avid reader and amateur scholar of many subjects, including history. Snow's book, which examined the relationship between colonial territories and the home country, possibly informed Roosevelt's attitudes towards early-twentieth-century American empire-building in the Caribbean, South America, and Southeast Asia.

In the letter, Roosevelt refers to "Mr. Justice Harlan." John Marshall Harlan (1833-1911) served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court between 1877-1911. Harlan was known as "The Great Dissenter," because he protested against majority opinions when he deemed that civil liberties were threatened.

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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