Your TR Source
Theodore Roosevelt sends his thanks to R. H. Waterford for the letter and contribution. Roosevelt was pleased with the fact that the bulk of “colored citizens” stood by him in election districts and Roosevelt would like to see equal justice done to both colored and white men.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-05-29
Theodore Roosevelt sends his thanks to H. G. Macbeth for the support he received from him as well as from the “colored citizens”.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-05-27
During his presidency, Theodore Roosevelt did meet with Booker T. Washington to discuss the appointment of Judge Thomas Goode Jones, but he was not going to appoint Jones solely on Washington’s recommendation. The dinner with Washington created a scandal even though Roosevelt had previously socialized with African Americans. The dinner was a mistake as it was certain to be misunderstood. Roosevelt misjudged the intellectual and moral state of Southern whites and African Americans.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-11-20
Theodore Roosevelt thanks Joda D. Lewis for his letter and encourages him to come to the Progressive conference in Chicago on December 10.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-11-16
Theodore Roosevelt thanks John C. Dancy for traveling 5,000 miles and giving speeches to promote the Progressive campaign. Roosevelt is glad that Dancy will continue to support the Progressive cause.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-11-18
President Roosevelt writes to accept the resignation of William Demos Crum, Collector of Customs for the Port of Charleston, South Carolina.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-03-01
President Roosevelt is gratified by the voting result in Mound Bayou, Mississippi. He would like to see Charles Banks or another prominent citizen of Mound Bayou to discuss what has been accomplished there. He would like to contrast any future mention of the Brownsville Affair with counterexamples of Mound Bayou, the Tuskegee Institute, and the “colored” YMCA in Washington.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-07
President Roosevelt regrets that Pearl Wight will not be able to send any “colored men” from Louisiana to the upcoming Republican National Convention, although one is going as an alternate from New York State. The attacks against Roosevelt for his actions regarding the Brownsville affair make him want to be careful to do right by “the decent colored man.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-04-18
President Roosevelt has received the various newspaper clippings and editorials that William Dudley Foulke has sent him. He is not concerned with the editorial from the Evening Post, as it is not an important paper, and thinks that it is disingenuous in its support of Charles Evans Hughes. Many of people who Hughes appoints are involved in politics, as are many of Roosevelt’s. Several other papers are similarly dishonest in how they frame their criticisms, and Roosevelt is reluctant to address these statements, especially since, to his mind, he has addressed the issue several years ago in his orders to the Civil Service Commission.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-02-12
President Roosevelt thanks Representative Longworth for his report on the prospects of Secretary of War Taft’s nomination for the presidency in 1908. In Roosevelt’s opinion Senator Foraker is only damaging relations with African Americans, though after the congressional report is released African Americans will realize that Democrats are not their friends. Roosevelt agrees to see Jackson Smith, Julius Fleischmann, and Fleischmann’s brother.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-06-26
President Roosevelt informs Attorney General Bonaparte that he wishes to appoint African American Ralph W. Tyler to an auditor position at the Treasury for the Navy Department. Roosevelt wishes to promote the current auditor, William W. Brown, to the position Brown wants as special counsel in the Department of Justice, with equal or more pay.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-04-09
President Roosevelt wants to know why William Demos Crum’s nomination has not been reported from the committee. The president also asks where he can get a copy of Senator Gallinger’s report on the merchant marine, as Senator Lodge has praised it highly.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-31
President Roosevelt insists that the southerners who have attacked him cannot deny that he has “elevated the public standard” through his appointments, and that he has appointed fewer colored men than his predecessor.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-26
President Roosevelt writes to Postmaster General Henry Clay Payne that he would like Governor Bradley and an unnamed delegate to second his nomination.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-05-14
President Roosevelt asks Attorney General Knox to begin an investigation into why William Demos Crum has not been paid his salary for his service as collector of the Port of Charleston, South Carolina.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-05-02
President Roosevelt has been uneasy about the same matter and is considering it carefully.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-05-05
President Roosevelt argues in favor of the confirmation of William Demos Crum’s appointment.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-03-09
President Roosevelt does not want the Louisiana delegation to the Republican National Convention, or any delegation from a state with a large African American population, to be all white. Roosevelt does not support “negro domination,” but African Americans of character and intelligence should be shown favor.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-02-24
President Roosevelt believes that educating African Americans is only one part of the problem and has not yet looked into the violations of the fourteenth amendment. Roosevelt will not speak publicly on the topic and doubts that scholastic education would help a community that would elect James Vardaman, they would need “lessons of decency and honor” before seeing to the education of the illiterate.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-11-18
President Roosevelt thinks that the Republican Party is still in good shape, even after disappointing defeats in Maryland and New York City. Roosevelt’s personal fortunes are more in question as he is opposed by the “corrupt crowd of wealthy men in Wall Street” who will support Marcus Alonzo Hanna, Arthur P. Gorman, or Grover Cleveland in order to defeat him. However, Roosevelt is most interested in the “larger standpoint of national well-being.” He dislikes that Gorman won by appealing to “the basest race prejudice” and notes that while in office, he has appointed more men of color in the South than any other president, Republican or Democrat.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-11-05