Letter from John Bigelow to John Hay
Subject(s): African Americans--Civil rights, Martin, Selmar, Race relations, Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919, Walker, Robert J. (Robert John), 1801-1869, Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915
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John Bigelow conveys an anecdote recorded in his diary from a Thanksgiving dinner in London in 1863 at which Selmar Martin, a former slave, was a guest and gave grace. This was notable because another guest, Robert J. Walker, had strongly supported slavery as a Senator from Mississippi. He then comments on the recent criticism of President Roosevelt’s meeting with Booker T. Washington and suggests that the social status of African Americans “in some parts of the Union” has declined over the last forty years.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1903-02-18
Creator(s)
Recipient
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 1st Term (September 1901-February 1905)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
5
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 John Bigelow to John Hay. [February 18, 1903]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o40470. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Bigelow, John, 1817-1911. Letter from John Bigelow to John Hay. [18 Feb. 1903]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. April 2, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o40470.
APA:
Bigelow, John, 1817-1911., [1903, February 18]. Letter from John Bigelow to John Hay.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o40470.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
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 Digital Library. Dickinson State University. April 2, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
