Letter to S. Stanwood Menken, January 10, 1917

Theodore Roosevelt

Americanism means the virtues of courage, honor, justice, truth, sincerity, and hardihood—the virtues that made America. The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living and the get-rich-quick theory of life. The test of true Americanism is not the creed or birthplace of a man, but his conduct. If he acts in accordance with the standards that made us great, he is a good American. If he does not, then no matter what his birthplace or his creed, he is not a good American.

Roosevelt's warning cuts against the grain of the American Dream as it had come to be known by the early 20th century. Prosperity and peace, while appealing, become corrosive when pursued without limits. He challenges the assumption that success is measured by ease and wealth, insisting instead on the foundational virtues that demand effort and sacrifice. The letter was written to S. Stanwood Menken, a lawyer and civic leader, highlighting Roosevelt's ongoing concern with the moral fiber of the nation.

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