The Letter That Led to Theodore Roosevelt’s Writing His Classic Essay, “The American Boy”

William H. Rideing was a journalist and author in the United States and England. He contributed to Harper’s, Scribner’s and The Century magazines, and was associate editor of the magazine “Youth’s Companion”.  Many of his books relate to boys, boyhood, and young people. He was also managing editor of the North American Review, resigning in 1899. In the 1880s and 1890s, Rideing created a work entitled “Boyhoods of Famous Authors”, which stressed living authors, whom he contacted and who assisted the project by providing accurate information. “St. Nicholas Magazine For Young Folks” published by The Century carried a number of Rideing’s stories on boyhood.

Rideing contacted New York Governor and prolific author Theodore Roosevelt about providing such a work to one of the publications with which he was affiliated, and gave TR two options as to subject. Roosevelt was intrigued by the boyhood idea.

He responded. Typed letter signed, on his State of New York, Executive Chamber letterhead, Oyster Bay, August 4, 1899. “I have yours of the 17th instant. I wish that I could definitely promise you, but I cannot. The first subject you give ‘Character’ is of so complex a kind that I am not sure that I could write on it in the popular form you would desire. For instance, I would hardly know how to make it anecdotal. The second subject ‘The American Boy’ draws me a little more, as I have four of them of assorted ages myself. I will think over both subjects, and it may be that I can write you what you desire on one or the other; but do not take this as a definite promise yet.”

Both Rideing and the topic must have been persuasive, as the May 1900 issue of “St. Nicholas Magazine For Young Folks” carried TR’s story classic essay, “The American Boy.” The text of this work is well known, and reads as you might expect a trademark Theodore Roosevelt text or speech to, starting out: “Of course what we have a right to expect of the American boy is that he shall turn out to be a good American man. Now, the chances are strong that he won't be much of a man unless he is a good deal of a boy. He must not be a coward or a weakling, a bully, a shirk, or a prig. He must work hard and play hard. He must be clean-minded and clean-lived, and able to hold his own under all circumstances and against all comers. It is only on these conditions that he will grow into the kind of American man of whom America can be really proud.”