Address of President Roosevelt at Keokuk, Iowa, October 1, 1907
1907
Address of President Roosevelt at Keokuk, Iowa, October 1, 1907
1907
This is Theodore Roosevelt at the height of his progressive powers, delivering a fiery address to the farmers of Iowa in October 1907, just weeks before the financial Panic of 1907 would validate his deepest fears about concentrated corporate power. Speaking in Keokuk, the Rough Rider turned President makes his case for an active government that serves the common citizen rather than powerful interests, drawing ominous parallels to the fall of the Roman Republic to illustrate what happens when a nation abandons its middle class. Roosevelt's rhetoric is muscular and direct as he defends the honor of the middle-sized farmer against the twin dangers of mob rule and plutocracy, arguing that the agricultural class is the backbone of American democracy. He calls for educational reform, fair taxation, and policies that protect the home-maker rather than the speculator. The speech crackles with Roosevelt's characteristic energy and moral certainty. For readers interested in the Progressive Era, American political history, or the origins of trust-busting progressivism, this address offers a vivid window into the debates that shaped early 20th-century America.
