Theodore Roosevelt – 1883, Buffalo, New York – Speech on the Duties of American Citizenship
Theodore Roosevelt believed in the importance of civic duty and political engagement. These ideas featured extensively in his speech “Duties Of American Citizenship,” delivered in 1883, decades before he was elected as the 26th president of the United States. In it, he encouraged Americans to incorporate politics into their lives not just by voting but also in other practical manners.
According to an analysis by Raymond French of the Pennsylvania State University, Roosevelt, then a member of the New York State Assembly, also uttered these words to warn citizens of the corruption hidden behind the veil of the Gilded Age’s outward prosperity.
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