African Americans

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Booker T. Washington

President Roosevelt thinks that the circular Booker T. Washington enclosed is “designed to do mischief to the Republican party.” Roosevelt points out a number of things that are false, including the account of the “Lily White convention.” Roosevelt also states that it is “preposterous” to support the same Republicans in Louisiana who have “failed to accomplish one thing for the negro in the State.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-06-08

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry C. Payne

President Roosevelt encloses protests regarding the appointment of Mrs. D. L. Russell as postmaster in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-01-11

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Elihu Root

President Roosevelt denies ever having a conversation with General Wilson at Sagamore Hill regarding General Wood’s presence at the battles of Las Guasimas and San Juan.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-12-12

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Grenville Mellen Dodge

Privately, President Roosevelt reveals that Dallas B. Smith has aligned himself with efforts to organize the Alabama Republicans on a “lily white” basis. Roosevelt is still examining the case but Smith might need to go.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-11-12

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt describes to Lyman Abbott a recent meeting with Episcopal bishops and clergy, including two African Americans. The two men were received without incident, and Roosevelt finds it odd that he could have these men in the White House without a problem but inspires controversy for dining with Booker T. Washington or appointing an African American in the South. While President, Roosevelt does not recall ever scolding the South, but he feels it would be worse to “let them think that they were blameless.” He also notes that Senator Arthur P. Gorman of Maryland is campaigning “largely on the race issue,” even distributing a campaign button depicting Roosevelt dining with Washington. Gorman has also denounced Roosevelt as “against the business interests,” which leads Roosevelt to believe that the Rockefellers back Gorman as they do mayoral candidate George B. McClellan in New York.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-10-29

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Albert Shaw

President Roosevelt would like to put Mr. Hay on the Court of Claims and will follow Albert Shaw’s suggestion regarding Mr. Montague if the chance arises.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-08-14

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Winfield T. Durbin

President Roosevelt expresses his horror at the growth of lynching in the United States and commends Governor Durbin for his recent action against lynching.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-08-06

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt writes to Dr. Abbott and encloses clippings regarding the “color-line question.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-07-18

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt complains about Russian “mendacity” and their underhanded efforts to prevent China from recognizing the open-door policy owed to the United States. Roosevelt also hopes for Northern support for Judge Thomas Goode Jones, whose “peonage decisions” in favor of African Americans have angered a large segment of the white South that seeks to reintroduce “serfage or slavery.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-06-22

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to W. L. Taylor

President Roosevelt wishes that he could attend the dedication of the hall and is pleased to hear that Rev. W. L. Taylor’s organization, the Grand Order of True Reformers, is out of debt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-06-18

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Hay

President Roosevelt asks Secretary of State Hay if it would do any good for him to say something on behalf of Russian Jews. Roosevelt has his doubts and compares his intervention to “the Czar expressing his horror of our lynching negroes [sic].”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-05-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lewis S Clarke

President Roosevelt has appointed Lewis S. Clarke to succeed Mr. Boothby. Roosevelt also inquires about Mr. Howell who is facing accusations that he was involved with a “massacre of negroes.” Roosevelt would like to know if Clarke has any information on the subject.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-07-15

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William M. Meredith

Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt explains to William M. Meredith that President William McKinley likely will not consult him on the matter. However, if he does, Roosevelt will tell him Meredith’s suggestion. He is familiar with “the trouble over the colored people.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1897-09-27

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Gifford Pinchot to Theodore Roosevelt

Gifford Pinchot tells Theodore Roosevelt about a public meeting for African Americans that will be held in Philadelphia. The subject is to be Abraham Lincoln.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1913-06-21

Creator(s)

Pinchot, Gifford, 1865-1946

Letter from Manasseh H. Wilkinson to Theodore Roosevelt

Manasseh H. Wilkinson reminds Theodore Roosevelt of his request for a donation to help support his church’s efforts to help African Americans at home and abroad. He renews his request and also asks Roosevelt to give a lecture in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-28

Creator(s)

Wilkinson, Manasseh H.

Letter from John E. Roberts to Theodore Roosevelt

John E. Roberts inquires from Theodore Roosevelt help in acquiring a reliable position as it has been hard to find steady work due to being a colored young man. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-19

Creator(s)

Roberts, John E.

Letter from Dotia Trigg Cooney to Theodore Roosevelt

Dotia Trigg Cooney sends Theodore Roosevelt a copy of her recently published book, A Study in Ebony. Cooney claims descent from the Bullock family, and says that at the very least she and Roosevelt are kindred spirits regarding their sympathies for African Americans.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-08-04

Creator(s)

Cooney, Dotia Trigg

Letter from William Loeb to Theodore Roosevelt

With regards to an enclosed letter from Warrington Dawson, William Loeb assures Theodore Roosevelt that he does not answer any questions regarding Roosevelt’s policies or opinions, and will communicate as much to Dawson. He will additionally inform Dawson that Roosevelt’s attitude on African Americans, the Brownsville Affair, and the case of William Demos Crum are covered in the published volume of Roosevelt’s speeches.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-08-02

Creator(s)

Loeb, William, 1866-1937

Letter from W. B. Prentice to Theodore Roosevelt

W. B. Prentice informs Theodore Roosevelt that the Los Angeles Young Men’s Christian Association heeded his advice and is organizing one for “colored” members. Prentice also provides a list of topics for Outlook articles primarily focused on the acquisition of Lower California.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-04-27

Creator(s)

Prentice, W. B.

Telegram from J. Gordon McPherson to Theodore Roosevelt

J. Gordon McPherson earnestly hopes Theodore Roosevelt will speak as promised to the African American community in Spokane, Washington.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-04-05

Creator(s)

McPherson, J. Gordon