Taking on Theodore Roosevelt

In August 1906, black soldiers stationed in Brownsville, Texas, were accused of going on a lawless rampage in which shots were fired, one man was killed, and another wounded. Because the perpetrators could never be positively identified, President Theodore Roosevelt took the highly unusual step of discharging without honor all one hundred sixty-seven members of the black battalion on duty the night of the shooting.This book investigates the controversial action of an otherwise much-lauded president, the challenge to his decision from a senator of his own party, and the way in which Roosevelt's uncompromising stance affected African American support of the party of Lincoln.Using primary sources to reconstruct the events, attorney Harry Lembeck begins at the end when Senator Joseph Foraker is honored by the black community in Washington, DC, for his efforts to reverse Roosevelt's decision. Lembeck highlights Foraker's courageous resistance to his own president. In addition, he examines the larger context of racism in the era of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois, pointing out that Roosevelt treated discrimination against the Japanese in the West much differently. He also notes often-ignored evidence concerning the role of Roosevelt's illegitimate cousin in the president's decision, the possibility that Foraker and Roosevelt had discussed a compromise, and other hitherto overlooked facts about the case.Sixty-seven years after the event, President Richard Nixon finally undid Roosevelt's action by honorably discharging the men of the Brownsville Battalion. But, as this thoroughly researched and engrossing narrative shows, the damage done to both Roosevelt's reputation and black support for the Republican Party lingers to this day.

""Scholarly and immensely persuasive.... The most energetic and detailed retelling of the [Brownsville] incident yet written in a popular history but also on telling, for the first time, the tale of the resulting battle of wills between Roosevelt and his most vocal critic, Senator Joseph Foraker of Ohio.... This book is hugely readable and accomplished, the sure-handed work of a historian who loves good stories but isn't for a moment hoodwinked by them.... An essential addition to any inquiry into the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt." --OPEN LETTERS MONTHLY "Assiduously researched, this book presents for practitioners and general readers alike a more complete and complicated portrait of the gifted yet sometimes impulsive and self-righteous Roosevelt. It also brings to light Foraker, a less well-known but significant political player, who proved that honest efforts to correct wrongs can come from surprising, otherwise nonreformist, sources." --LIBRARY JOURNAL "Rich in detail and nuance, Taking on Theodore Roosevelt is a powerful narrative that not only painstakingly describes all perspectives of the Brownsville tragedy, but also shows how the many people involved, from Sgt. Mingo Sanders to Theodore Roosevelt and his nemesis, Senator Joseph Foraker, were shaped by the larger forces around them. I expected a history of the Brownsville Incident. What I found instead was a history of the United States through the prism of Brownsville." --QUINTARD TAYLOR, Scott and Dorothy Bullitt Chair of American History, University of Washington, Seattle "Harry Lembeck's experience as a Marine officer and lawyer, coupled with extensive research, gives him a unique perspective on an unfortunate chapter in Theodore Roosevelt's presidential history and allows him to present a balanced and often-sympathetic portrait of both TR and the Brownsville soldiers. Readers will enjoy this engaging and informative book." --TWEED ROOSEVELT, president of the Theodore Roosevelt Association "Taking on Theodore Roosevelt wonderfully portrays the bravery of Senator Joseph B. Foraker in standing up for African Americans after the Brownsville incident. At heart it's an exposé of racism in the early twentieth century. Highly recommended!" --DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, professor of history, Rice University, and author of The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America

Harry Lembeck, a retired attorney, is a freelance writer and a recognized Theodore Roosevelt historian. He has spoken about Roosevelt at meetings and seminars of historical organizations and acted as a historical advisor for a PBS program on peonage called Slavery by Another Name.