From the Archives 27: Theodore Roosevelt, The Right of the People to Rule (1912)

In August 1912, former President Theodore Roosevelt Jr. recorded a speech titled "The Right of the People to Rule" for the Edison Recording Company. Roosevelt had recently lost the Republican nomination for President to William Howard Taft, and founded the Progressive or "Bull Moose" Party to run as its nominee. He ultimately split the Republican vote and caused the election of Woodrow Wilson.In his speech, Roosevelt extols the virtues of democracy and objects to reactionary conservatives. Among other things, he argues that the failure to listen to the voice of the people led to the failure of the French revolution.This recording is part of the Library of Congress, "Theodore Roosevelt: His Life and Times on Film" collection. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.