Around the time of the writing of this letter, The United States' "Great White Fleet," consisting of sixteen ships, returned from its two year voyage. President Theodore Roosevelt, was at one point in his life, secretary of the Navy. Once he became President, he had a very expansive agenda of the US. By Theodore's time, the United States had already expanded from east to west, so the only way to expand would be outside the continent and over the oceans. The navy being a perfect tool to do so aided in everything the U.S. did overseas. Theodore was a strong President and as a way of showing America's strength, he sent the Great White Fleet on a two year voyage across the world to display America's naval might. Upon return however, the United States would slowly begin its isolationistic practices, which would be very impactful on the rest of the world in the coming years leading to the First World War.
- Citations -
“Great White Fleet.” OnThisDay.com, December 16, 1907. https://www.onthisday.com/photos/great-white-fleet.
“The Ships of the Great White Fleet.” Naval History and Heritage Command, November 28, 2017. https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/exploration-and-innovation/world-cruise/ships.html.
Later during the month in which this letter was written, all denominations of Chiristianity would know of a new development within the Catholic, the beatrification of Joan of Arc. Beatrification is a ceremony with the Roman Catholic Church where the Pope declares that someone who is deceased is actually in a state of bliss (as opposed to damnation, purgatory, or a regular permittence into eternal paradise). Beatrification is the first step in the road towards canonization, which is the process/permittence of one becoming a saint.
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Cireau, Clemence. “100 Years after Canonization, Joan of Arc Remains a Symbol for Many.” Today’s Catholic, July 7, 2020. https://todayscatholic.org/100-years-after-canonization-joan-of-arc-remains-a-symbol-for-many/.
“What Happened on April 18, 1909.” OnThisDay.com. Accessed December 12, 2023. https://www.onthisday.com/date/1909/april/18
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The following object description information includes basic elements from the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI). An additional notes field is included to list dates from the actual letter, envelope postmark locations, and any other identifying details.
Just a few days prior to the writing of this letter, on April 6th, 1909, mankind and its explorers had thought they'd found the north pole. Robert Edwin Peary was an American arctic explorer who got his beginnings in the United States Navy which he would serve in until retirment. Robert Peary and Matthew Hudson, an african-american, along with several Innuits would set out on what was thought to be the first successful expedition to the north pole, however, decades later it would be revealed that they had made errors in the travel log and that meant that they'd actually ended up being a few miles short of their destination. In the eyes of many people, Peary, Hudson, and the Innuit helpers, are still regarded as the first men to find and set foot in the north pole.
A quote by Robert Peary which is quite inspirational if used in the greater context of life is: "the time to prepare for your next expedition is when you have just returned from a successful trip."
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“Historical Events in 1909.” OnThisDay.com. Accessed December 12, 2023. https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1909.
“Matthew Henson.” Arlington National Cemetery. Accessed December 12, 2023. https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/explore/notable-graves/explorers/matthew-henson#:~:text=On%20April%206%2C%201909%2C%20U.S.,for%20the%20past%2018%20years.
Rafferty, John P. “Robert Peary.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed December 12, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Edwin-Peary.
“Robert Peary (Arctic Explorer).” OnThisDay.com, July 6, 1908. https://www.onthisday.com/people/robert-peary.