Race discrimination

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Elihu Root

President Roosevelt implores Secretary of State Root to contact Secretary of the Navy Victor Howard Metcalf about the actions of the school authorities in San Francisco enforcing segregation of students of Asian ethnicity, specifically Japanese children. Roosevelt asks Root to prepare directives for immigration agents and custom authorities in order to deter further mistreatment towards Japanese immigrants.  

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-02-27

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-26

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Silas McBee

President Roosevelt wrote to Secretary of War Taft as Silas McBee suggested. Roosevelt describes revisions made to a paragraph that contrasts the observation of the Fourteenth Amendment in the Philippines and in the continental United States. Roosevelt believes in giving fair treatment to every man regardless of their race.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-22

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt comments on recent press coverage by Lyman Abbott in The Outlook. Roosevelt acknowledges the article captures his “mental attitude” exactly regarding racial discrimination, black suffrage and equality before the law. He names John Sharp Williams of Mississippi as a prime example of how “whites have suppressed this colored vote so absolutely by force, by fraud, by every species of iniquity.” Roosevelt explains that although the race question was not part of his acceptance speech, if the issue is forced upon him in the upcoming campaign “I shall certainly not hesitate to meet it.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-07-26

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George B. Cortelyou

H. L. Eca da Silva, the Chinese interpreter at the Bureau of Immigration in San Francisco, California, has refused to support his child on the grounds that his wife is Chinese. President Roosevelt wants da Silva dismissed from the service if he will not support the child.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-03-01

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Carl Schurz

President Roosevelt describes his policy for making federal appointments in the South and believes he has been fair.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-01-02

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles A. Gardiner

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-11-18

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

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Theodore Roosevelt

Archibald “Archie” B. Roosevelt and Quentin Roosevelt are playing with wooden spears and tin shields while Ethel Roosevelt has spent two days in bed, threatened by bronchitis. President Roosevelt was amused with the visit of the Episcopal bishops from the South, two of which were African Americans, in light of the uproar that was caused when Booker T. Washington visited the White House. Roosevelt cannot understand how the South can send two African American clergymen to visit but object to a visit from an African American educator or official.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-10-31

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

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Elihu Root

Secretary of War Root is in London with the Alaska Boundary Tribunal and President Roosevelt provides updates on various events and political issues in the United States including the post office scandal, State Senator Greene, and political candidates.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-10-03

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Thomas Goode Jones

President Roosevelt is distressed that many Southerners consider him hostile to the South. Roosevelt understands that his policy of appointing African Americans makes him unpopular, but he argues that his appointments of African Americans in the South are far less than there should be when compared to the African American population.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-07-30

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

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Brander Matthews

President Roosevelt believes that the “race problem” is the greatest concern for the distant future.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-07-11

Telegram from Theodore Roosevelt to Leslie M. Shaw

President Roosevelt would like a “liberal and generous attitude” towards China at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. “Every possible latitude” should be given towards Chinese admission.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-07-06

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Rollo Ogden

President Roosevelt finds the discussion on African American equality or domination to be “nonsensical” and was serious when he said that he wanted a square deal for African Americans. President Roosevelt would like to discuss the matter with Ogden.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-06-06

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to James Wilson

President Roosevelt agrees with the enclosed letter by Jared G. Smith that Hawaii will be kept for the small, white land-owners and that race suicide will be discouraged.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-02-03

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Earl Grey

President Roosevelt agrees with Earl Grey and hopes that the parties in South Africa can leave their racial prejudices behind them.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-01-29

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Susan Bullitt Dixon

President Roosevelt mostly agrees with what Susan Bullitt Dixon says regarding Patrick Henry and encloses a letter he is writing to a prominent citizen of Charleston.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-11-27

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to James Adger Smyth

President Roosevelt defends his policy of appointing African Americans in states where “their numbers warranted it,” and in situations where prospective African American appointees are competent and reputable. In particular, Roosevelt defends the appointment of William Crum in Charleston, South Carolina.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-11-26