Jews, American

President Roosevelt thanks John A. Sleicher for the editorials from Leslie’s Weekly he sent. Roosevelt is glad Professor M. M. Kovalevskiĭ published a report about the negotiation of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, because he never felt at liberty to discuss how he interceded with Sergei Vitte in the matter of Jewish Americans being prohibited from visiting Russia.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-08

Henry Green is organizing a meeting to protest Russia’s refusal to honor American passports held by clergy members, Jews, and other Americans. Green asks Theodore Roosevelt to join his committee of influential Americans. He will send Roosevelt the full list of committee members in the next few days and includes a short-list of members who already accepted the invitation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-09-15

Herman Bernstein writes to Theodore Roosevelt after having read Roosevelt’s article “Peace of Righteousness.” Bernstein recalls having an agreeable meeting with Roosevelt, during which Roosevelt informed Bernstein he cannot, as a former President, write publicly on foreign matters. Bernstein urges him to reconsider.

Bernstein states that he understands foreign nations have no international legal standing to interfere with “Jewish massacres”, and that foreign nations cannot criticize the lack of reforms that had been codified in the Manifesto of October 17, 1905. However, Bernstein claims that Russia violated the Russo-America treaty of 1832 due to their treatment of Jewish Americans and states that by allowing in to continue, “Uncle Sam… should permit his ‘face to be slapped’ ” – quoting Roosevelt’s own words.

Governor Roosevelt thanks A. H. Sawyer, and mentions the bravery of Jews who served in his regiment during the Spanish-American War and on the New York City Police force.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1898-11-22

President Roosevelt asks Rabbi Stephen S. Wise to pass along his good wishes to the Jewish boys and girls at the Riis Settlement who are going to be celebrating Hanukkah there. Roosevelt expresses his admiration of the Maccabees, and says that it is a good thing for Jewish children to be proud of heroes from their religion’s past.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-17

President Roosevelt is concerned about what Lucius B. Swift writes, because he is “absolutely committed” to nominating Leopold G. Rothschild for the position in question and has already told Senator Albert J. Beveridge that he would appoint him.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-12-26

For the upcoming celebration of the 250th anniversary of the settlement of Jews in the United States, President Roosevelt praises the citizenship of American Jews, and recounts a number of their greatest contributions to the United States to Jacob H. Schiff.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-16

President Roosevelt thanks Prime Minister Sergei Vitte for relaying a message from Tsar Nicholas II, stating Russia will view the United States as equal to other powers as under the “most favored nation” clause. Roosevelt also continues a discussion he had with Vitte about Russia allowing passports to “reputable American citizens of Jewish faith.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-10

President Roosevelt writes to Joseph Gurney Cannon, Chairman of the Notification Committee, to formally accept his nomination as the Republican presidential candidate and to approve the platform adopted by the Republican National Convention. In the letter, Roosevelt provides a comprehensive defense of his foreign and domestic policies and outlines what he believes are the major differences between the Republican and Democratic parties in the upcoming election. Roosevelt discusses, among other topics, his position on international relations, antitrust legislation, tariffs, the gold standard, pensions for Civil War veterans, the military, civil service, commerce, agriculture, taxation, and self-government in the Philippines.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-12

President Roosevelt asks Cornelius Newton Bliss whether Oscar S. Straus will support Roosevelt or not. Roosevelt also suggests that Jacob H. Schiff, James Speyer, and Straus should come out to see him, as they represent both the business and Jewish communities.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-07-14

President Roosevelt does not believe he will have time to speak at Mount Sinai Hospital, as he will be in Washington in October. However, he would like to help James Speyer by speaking “at some typical Jewish gathering under” the latter’s auspices.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-06-06

President Roosevelt has received several complaints from prominent members of the Jewish community on the manner of deportation of aliens from Ellis Island. Roosevelt supports the need for deportation but stresses the need to avoid “unnecessary harshness” and prevent discrimination against immigrants of a particular race or creed.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-01-23

James Andrew Drain believes that Colonel Gerard overstepped in his evaluation of Mr. Bloom’s commission application. Gerard did not find Bloom suitable as an officer but then went on to state that he has found Jews “not well received socially.” Drain agrees that Jewish Americans can be good American citizens and should be treated equally. However, he also states that Jews are not “desirable social companions.” Drain hopes to meet with Theodore Roosevelt for lunch soon.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-06-28

Dr. Kin thanks Theodore Roosevelt for the generous deeds he has done on her behalf. She remarks upon a matter concerning passports, and wonders about the nature of immigration restrictions that do not allow people like her who have graduated from American colleges and are sympathetic with American institutions to immigrate because they are Asian, while they allow other nationalities who may be less aligned with American values to enter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-06-18

Theodore Roosevelt believes that Colonel Joseph Garrard’s claim that Jews cannot be good military officers is unjust. Regardless of creed, everyone should be given a fair chance. Even when he was being pressured, Roosevelt would never advance someone because they were Jewish, just as he would never discriminate against someone because they were Jewish. James Andrew Drain is doing “really fine work” and Roosevelt hopes to meet with him soon.

Collection

America

Creation Date

1911-06-27

An appeal to American Jews to support President Roosevelt and the Republican Party, probably in the election of 1904. The Roosevelt administration’s record of support both for American Jews traveling abroad and on behalf of Jews who are not American citizens but are under duress elsewhere is enumerated. Actions of previous Republican administrations are also related, demonstrating that Republicans are “the champions of the Jews.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904

Edward E. Norton suggests that George H. Lyman advocate for the inclusion of Godfrey Morse at a meeting with President Roosevelt. The meeting will discuss the B’nai B’rith petition to Emperor Nicholas II regarding the Kishinev Massacre.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-07-09

Commissioner Roosevelt compliments William Dean Howells on his study of Jewish life in New York and invites him to dinner to meet another writer.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1897-03-06

The prominent Jewish banker and philanthropist Jacob H. Schiff asks President Roosevelt to contact the Russian government concerning rumors of recent massacres against Jews in Kishinev, Russia.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-12-31