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Franklin D. Roosevelt

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:8,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
Franklin D. Roosevelt

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Auction Date:2014 Sep 10 @ 18:00 (UTC-5 : EST/CDT)
Location:236 Commercial St., Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts, 02109, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
TLS as president, one page, 8 x 10.5, White House letterhead, September 7, 1939. Letter to Mrs. Thomas F. McAllister, director of the Democratic National Convention Women’s Division. In full: “The swift movement of events which has shattered the peace of Europe and imposed grave responsibility upon the United States as a nation has, of course, completely altered the conditions under which I accepted your kind invitation to address the Democratic women of the country. The ramifications of the impact in Europe are world-wide and it becomes our plain duty as Americans to bend all our efforts to promote national unity.

A week ago I might consistently have spoken words primarily addressed to our Democratic women. But the events of the past few days render it imperative that every utterance of mine in these days of tension be addressed to all of our citizens, regardless of sex, age, or political affiliation. We must all stand together in firm resolve to bear witness before all nations to our unshaken patriotism. And we shall not succeed in this herculean task if we approach it in any spirit of partisanship. Because I feel this way, I must cancel my acceptance of your invitation to speak over a nation-wide hookup on the evening of September sixteenth. Our plain duty now is to fulfill our obligation to the nation regardless of political or partisan consideration.

Our essential duty which lies especially within the power and influence of our American women is maintenance of the American home. We must, in these critical times, maintain our old loyalties and the old ways of life upon which all of our happiness rests. To do this we must exercise a vigilant guardianship over our children. We must protect them from every evil force which would shake their faith in our fundamental institutions of democracy. To do this we must teach them, even in their tender years, to discriminate between truth and falsehood, whether we apply our American standards to news of the conflict now raging in Europe or to those concerns which are paramount in the prevention in the preservation of our traditions of freedom.

Although our women, as home-makers, have a special task, the present duty of all of us—men, women and children—is to keep this notice safe and to throw all of our weight into the cause of peace.” In fine condition, with a few rusty paperclip marks near the top.

Written on September 7, 1939—just days after the German invasion of Poland that caused France and the United Kingdom to declare war, officially beginning World War II—this is a remarkable call for national unity from President Roosevelt. Declining a previously planned engagement with the Women’s Division of the Democratic National Convention, he takes the opportunity to promote a more universal and crucial message to “throw all of our weight into the cause of peace.” On Saturday evening, September 16, 1939, on the major radio networks, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt delivered the principal address on National Democratic Women’s Day and Mrs. McAllister read President Roosevelt’s letter here offered. Another interesting feature of this letter is its description of the traditional family roles that were about to drastically change; as America’s men went abroad to liberate nations, its women were liberated at home as they took on new jobs beyond the role of “home-maker” to provide crucial support for the war effort—the now-dominant cultural image of the WWII American woman as that of Rosie the Riveter was about to be created. With its crucial date and early call for national unity, this is one of the finest Roosevelt letters we have offered.