Theodore Roosevelt and the Race Riots of 1917
Subject(s): African American soldiers, Diplomatic and consular service, Russian, Gompers, Samuel, 1850-1924, Illinois--East Saint Louis, Kerensky, Aleksandr Fyodorovich, 1881-1970, Mitchel, John Purroy, 1879-1918, Race riots, Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919, Spanish-American War (1898)
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Hamilton Fish recounts a confrontation between former President Theodore Roosevelt and labor leader Samuel Gompers at a July 6, 1917 reception for a delegation from the new Russian government of Aleksandr Kerensky. Fish personally witnessed the confrontation, and claims that it resulted from Gompers’s denunciation of African American strikebreakers in East St. Louis, Illinois. Roosevelt criticized Gompers for his message and the “meeting became a riot,” and Roosevelt had to be escorted to safety.
Collection
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
Creation Date
1975
Creator(s)
Language
English
Period
Theodore Roosevelt and Public Memory (1919-present)
Page Count
2
Production Method
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
No permission is required from the Theodore Roosevelt Association to use items in the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal collection for educational purposes. For permissions, contact William Tilchin at (516) 921-6319 or by email at wnt@bu.edu.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Theodore Roosevelt and the Race Riots of 1917. [1975]. Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o305737. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Fish, Hamilton, 1888-1991. Theodore Roosevelt and the Race Riots of 1917. [1975]. Image.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. February 5, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o305737.
APA:
Fish, Hamilton, 1888-1991., [1975]. Theodore Roosevelt and the Race Riots of 1917.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o305737.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. February 5, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.
APA:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.
