Ahlwardt, Hermann, 1846-1914

John B. Ashbaugh examines Theodore Roosevelt’s complicated views on race and charts his history with various ethnic and racial groups, including Native Americans, African-Americans, and Jews. Ashbaugh highlights the influence of Roosevelt’s southern born and raised mother and her brothers, both of whom served the Confederacy during the Civil War. Ashbaugh stresses that Roosevelt’s views evolved over time, and he demonstrates how Roosevelt believed in and promoted the Progressive views of his time such as the assimilation of Native Americans, but that he also respected many aspects of Native culture and had enduring friendships with individual Native Americans. Ashbaugh presents Roosevelt’s views on Jews and immigration, and he details many aspects of Roosevelt’s feelings toward and relationship with African-Americans, including his condemnation of lynching, his White House dinner with Booker T. Washington, and the Brownsville incident.

Five photographs and two illustrations appear in the text.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2020

In this excerpt taken from his collection of essays and stories about Theodore Roosevelt, George Epstein describes an incident from Roosevelt’s time as a Police Commissioner of New York City when he asked a Jewish immigrant named Otto Raphael to join the police department. Roosevelt would later task Raphael and other Jewish officers with providing security for a notorious anti-Semitic speaker, Hermann Alhwardt, when he came to New York City to give a speech.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1976

Creator(s)

Epstein, George