Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lawrence F. Abbott
Subject(s): African Americans--Civil rights, Anderson, Charles William, 1866-1938, Constitutional amendments, Federal government--Officials and employees, Lewis, William H. (William Henry), 1868-1949, Mississippi, Political candidates, Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930, Vardaman, James Kimble, 1861-1930, Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915, Williams, John Sharp, 1854-1932, Williams, Samuel L. (Samuel Laing), 1857-1921
Click on image to zoom in
President Roosevelt clarifies William H. Taft’s opinion on the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, and on the appointment of African Americans, for Lawrence F. Abbott. Namely, that Taft shares Roosevelt’s sentiments, as well as those of The Outlook, on Mississippi Governor James Kimble Vardaman and Representative John Sharp Williams. Roosevelt offers a list of the principle African American appointments he has made while in office, and encourages Abbott to contact Booker T. Washington for further statement on the character of the appointees.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-10-06
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Abbott, Lawrence F. (Lawrence Fraser), 1859-1933
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
2
Production Method
Record Type
Multi-image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lawrence F. Abbott. [October 6, 1908]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o204452. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lawrence F. Abbott. [6 Oct. 1908]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 9, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o204452.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1908, October 6]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lawrence F. Abbott.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o204452.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 9, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
