Forgotten fragments (#18): Robert Barnwell Roosevelt’s illegitimate progeny and the extraordinary Massie affair
Subject(s): Darrow, Clarence, 1857-1938, Fortescue, Granville, 1875-1952, Fortescue, Marion T. (Marion Theresa), 1849-1902, Hawaii, Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964, Illegitimate children, Murder victims, Roosevelt, Robert Barnwell, 1829-1906, Scandals--Political aspects
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Tweed Roosevelt recounts a murder trial that centered on the granddaughter of Robert Barnwell Roosevelt, the uncle of Theodore Roosevelt known as RBR. Roosevelt examines the secret, scandalous life of RBR, who fathered three illegitimate children, and he shows how one of these children, Granville Fortescue, carried on the scandalous life of his father. Fortescue’s daughter, Thalia Massie, would inherit the dissolute traits of her family and would be at the center of high profile rape and murder cases in Hawaii. Roosevelt describes the racial atmosphere of 1930s Hawaii, and he chronicles the two trials, the participation of famed lawyer Clarence Darrow, and the political maneuvering resulting from the verdicts.
The feature is populated with seven photographs, a political cartoon, an illustration, and an arrest document.
Collection
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
Creation Date
2014
Creator(s)
Language
English
Period
Theodore Roosevelt and Public Memory (1919-present)
Page Count
8
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:
Forgotten fragments (#18): Robert Barnwell Roosevelt’s illegitimate progeny and the extraordinary Massie affair. [2014]. Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308541. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Tweed. Forgotten fragments (#18): Robert Barnwell Roosevelt’s illegitimate progeny and the extraordinary Massie affair. [2014]. Image.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 5, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308541.
APA:
Roosevelt, Tweed., [2014]. Forgotten fragments (#18): Robert Barnwell Roosevelt’s illegitimate progeny and the extraordinary Massie affair.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308541.
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. March 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.
