{"product_id":"president-theodore-roosevelt-signed-letter-on-new-proposed-battalion-psa-auto","title":"President Theodore Roosevelt Signed Letter on New Proposed Battalion! PSA Auto","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"43\" data-end=\"202\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"43\" data-end=\"53\"\u003eTitle:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"53\" data-end=\"56\"\u003eTheodore Roosevelt 1916 Typed Letter Signed Regarding a Proposed Battalion - Signed \"T. Roosevelt\" - PSA\/DNA Certified Authentic, Cert. 85924673\u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"204\" data-end=\"614\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"204\" data-end=\"220\"\u003eDescription:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"220\" data-end=\"223\"\u003eAn exceptional \u003cstrong data-start=\"238\" data-end=\"267\"\u003eTyped Letter Signed (TLS)\u003c\/strong\u003e by Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, dated \u003cstrong data-start=\"338\" data-end=\"354\"\u003eJune 7, 1916\u003c\/strong\u003e, from \u003cstrong data-start=\"361\" data-end=\"398\"\u003eOyster Bay, Long Island, New York\u003c\/strong\u003e. Written during Roosevelt's post-presidential years and amid the American preparedness movement preceding United States entry into World War I, the letter concerns the possibility of organizing a military battalion.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"616\" data-end=\"972\"\u003eRoosevelt addresses \u003cstrong data-start=\"636\" data-end=\"726\"\u003eRobert Grimshaw, Esq., of the National Security League, Inc., 31 Pine Street, New York\u003c\/strong\u003e, an organization deeply involved in the contemporary campaign for greater American military preparedness. The one-page letter is typewritten in purple ink and concludes with Roosevelt's large handwritten \u003cstrong data-start=\"931\" data-end=\"949\"\u003e\"T. Roosevelt\"\u003c\/strong\u003e signature in dark ink.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"974\" data-end=\"999\"\u003eThe letter reads in full:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"1001\" data-end=\"1023\"\u003e\"My dear Mr. Grimshaw:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"1025\" data-end=\"1146\"\u003eOf course, its capital to think of having a battalion such as you describe; but I am not able to advise about raising it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"1148\" data-end=\"1164\"\u003eSincerely yours,\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"1166\" data-end=\"1178\"\u003eT. Roosevelt\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"1180\" data-end=\"1266\"\u003eRobert Grimshaw, Esq.,\u003cbr data-start=\"1202\" data-end=\"1205\"\u003eThe National Security League, Inc.,\u003cbr data-start=\"1240\" data-end=\"1243\"\u003e31 Pine St., New York.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"1268\" data-end=\"1777\"\u003eThe original typescript contains visible handwritten corrections in the line beginning \"Of course,\" which appear to address the wording or punctuation of the sentence. The document exhibits expected age and handling characteristics, including toning, old folds or creases, scattered staining and surface marks, and evidence of prior mounting or adhesive residue visible from the reverse. Despite these characteristics, the typed content remains readily legible and Roosevelt's signature is bold and prominent.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"1779\" data-end=\"1965\"\u003eThe letter is preserved within a substantial PSA encapsulation holder, allowing both sides of the original document to remain visible while protecting the artifact from further handling.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"1967\" data-end=\"2821\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1967\" data-end=\"1990\"\u003eHistorical Context:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"1990\" data-end=\"1993\"\u003eThis letter was written at an especially important moment in Theodore Roosevelt's post-presidential career. By 1916, World War I had been raging in Europe for nearly two years, while the United States remained officially neutral. Roosevelt had become one of the country's most forceful advocates for military preparedness, arguing that the United States needed trained manpower, adequate naval strength, and the ability to respond effectively should the nation be drawn into the conflict. The Library of Congress notes that Roosevelt increasingly pressed for preparedness after the outbreak of the European war, while the Theodore Roosevelt Center documents numerous 1916 letters in which he discussed troops, military training, and even his hopes of raising a division in the event of war. \u003cspan class=\"contents\" data-content-reference-start=\"2784\" data-content-reference-end=\"2817\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"2823\" data-end=\"3430\"\u003eThe identity of Roosevelt's correspondent makes the letter particularly relevant to this national debate. The \u003cstrong data-start=\"2933\" data-end=\"2961\"\u003eNational Security League\u003c\/strong\u003e, founded during the early years of World War I, emerged as one of the country's leading preparedness organizations. According to the Library of Congress, the League promoted enlistment, universal military training, and expansion of the United States Army and Navy. Roosevelt was among the prominent Americans who viewed the organization's emphasis on preparedness, patriotism, civic responsibility, and national service favorably. \u003cspan class=\"contents\" data-content-reference-start=\"3389\" data-content-reference-end=\"3408\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"3432\" data-end=\"4088\"\u003eRoosevelt's brief response is therefore historically revealing. Although enthusiastic about the proposed battalion, he declines to advise Grimshaw on the practical matter of raising it. This distinction is consistent with Roosevelt's correspondence from the period: he vigorously promoted the larger principle of national preparedness while sometimes declining to involve himself in particular organizational details. A December 1915 letter to Harold L. Ickes, for example, records Roosevelt's desire to concentrate on the broader cause of preparedness rather than become involved in specific administrative proposals. \u003cspan class=\"contents\" data-content-reference-start=\"4029\" data-content-reference-end=\"4049\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"4090\" data-end=\"4533\"\u003eThe date adds further interest. \u003cstrong data-start=\"4122\" data-end=\"4135\"\u003eJune 1916\u003c\/strong\u003e was an active political and military moment for Roosevelt. The Library of Congress records that the Progressive Party nominated him for president that month, although he declined the nomination. Within weeks of this letter, Roosevelt was also corresponding about the possibility of raising military forces should the United States enter the European conflict. \u003cspan class=\"contents\" data-content-reference-start=\"4457\" data-content-reference-end=\"4490\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"4535\" data-end=\"5029\"\u003eLess than a year later, the United States entered World War I in April 1917. Roosevelt subsequently sought permission from President Woodrow Wilson to organize a volunteer division for overseas service, a proposal Wilson rejected. Viewed against that later effort, this June 1916 letter concerning a proposed battalion provides a tangible contemporary connection to one of the defining causes of Roosevelt's final public years: American military readiness. \u003cspan class=\"contents\" data-content-reference-start=\"4949\" data-content-reference-end=\"4969\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"5031\" data-end=\"5464\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"5031\" data-end=\"5066\"\u003eAuthentication \u0026amp; Encapsulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"5066\" data-end=\"5069\"\u003eThe letter has been professionally authenticated and encapsulated by \u003cstrong data-start=\"5138\" data-end=\"5149\"\u003ePSA\/DNA\u003c\/strong\u003e, whose identification label describes the piece as \u003cstrong data-start=\"5201\" data-end=\"5254\"\u003e\"LETTER \/ THEODORE ROOSEVELT \/ PSA\/DNA CERTIFIED\"\u003c\/strong\u003e and assigns it \u003cstrong data-start=\"5270\" data-end=\"5303\"\u003eCertification Number 85924673\u003c\/strong\u003e with the designation \u003cstrong data-start=\"5325\" data-end=\"5346\"\u003e\"AUTHENTIC AUTO.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e The certification number is also visible on the reverse PSA label alongside its security and identification features.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"5466\" data-end=\"5794\"\u003eThe clear PSA holder provides excellent presentation while permitting examination of both the signed face and reverse of the historic document. The encapsulation is especially beneficial for a letter displaying more than a century of natural age and prior handling, protecting the original while preserving its visual character.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul data-start=\"5796\" data-end=\"6019\"\u003e\u003cli data-section-id=\"p0x1fz\" data-start=\"5796\" data-end=\"6019\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-start=\"5798\" data-end=\"5840\"\u003eAdditional Documentation \u0026amp; Provenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem data-start=\"5841\" data-end=\"6017\"\u003eAt buyer's request, Historical Autographs Gallery will include an additional \"Historical Autographs Gallery Certificate\" signed by our company founder Luke Pascal at no cost.\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"6021\" data-end=\"6831\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"6021\" data-end=\"6040\"\u003eClosing Appeal:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"6040\" data-end=\"6043\"\u003eA compelling Theodore Roosevelt autograph with unusually strong historical content, this \u003cstrong data-start=\"6132\" data-end=\"6152\"\u003eJune 7, 1916 TLS\u003c\/strong\u003e directly connects the former president with the American preparedness movement on the eve of United States participation in World War I. Its reference to forming a battalion, association with the National Security League, bold \"T. Roosevelt\" signature, and PSA\/DNA authentication combine to make it an especially evocative artifact from Roosevelt's final years of national political and military advocacy. For collectors of presidential autographs, Theodore Roosevelt material, or World War I-era Americana, the letter offers both an important signature and a document whose subject matter closely reflects Roosevelt's public convictions at a pivotal moment in American history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"6833\" data-end=\"7265\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"6833\" data-end=\"6853\"\u003eShipping Notice:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"6853\" data-end=\"6856\"\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"6856\" data-end=\"7265\" data-is-last-node=\"\"\u003eFor insurance purposes, items sold over $600 may require signature confirmation upon delivery. Higher-value items, likely over $1,500, are shipped via FedEx 2-Day with Direct Signature Confirmation. FedEx provides the most flexibility when requiring a signature, allowing you to make special delivery requests directly through their tracking system. This ensures both security and convenience for the\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"H.A.G.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47997000253603,"sku":"EB-168616082140","price":1895.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0672\/7509\/6227\/files\/57_d193af63-2752-4c40-92ec-f862dab12a4f.jpg?v=1786816769","url":"https:\/\/historicalautographsgallery.com\/products\/president-theodore-roosevelt-signed-letter-on-new-proposed-battalion-psa-auto","provider":"H.A.G.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}