Speech at Racine, the Hun within our gates
Subject(s): American Civil War (1861-1865), American Revolution (1775-1783), Attila, -453, Copperhead movement, George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820, German Americans, Germany, Huns, Industrial Workers of the World, La Follette, Robert M. (Robert Marion), 1855-1925, Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865, Lusitania (Steamship), McLemore, A. Jeff (Atkins Jefferson), 1857-1929, Military readiness, Pacifism, Patriotism, Speeches, addresses, etc., Stone, William Joel, 1848-1918, United States, Vallandigham, Clement L. (Clement Laird), 1820-1871, War crimes, Washington, George, 1732-1799, William II, German Emperor, 1859-1941, World War (1914-1918)
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Theodore Roosevelt speaks out about “the Hun within our gates”, or German Americans he says are helping Germany from within the United States. Roosevelt says the term Hun was attributed to the German forces by William II himself and that it matches the atrocities committed by the German military in Europe and Asia. He gives examples of the Huns within our gates, particularly pacifists, and compares them to the “Copperheads” of the Civil War era. He calls for all Americans, regardless of ethnic origins, to unite under one flag and one language.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1917-09-27
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Language
English
Period
Post-Presidential Years (1913-January 6, 1919)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
10
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:
Speech at Racine, the Hun within our gates. [September 27, 1917]. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o288902. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Speech at Racine, the Hun within our gates. [27 Sep. 1917]. Multi-image. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. December 1, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o288902.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919.: , [1917, September 27]. Speech at Racine, the Hun within our gates. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o288902.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. 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. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. December 1, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
