2/13 【歷史上的今天】從總統的演講中看美國二十世紀初的種族平等觀念

每天一篇《美國歷史上的今天》，提煉和總結歷史在今天發生的重要事件：誰，在哪裡，什麼時候，做了什麼，這件事為什麼重要、以及在寫關於什麼主題的論文的時候可以作為潛在論據引用。每天半分鐘，輕鬆積累史實，為AP歷史拿5分打下堅實基礎！

When: Feb 13, 1905

What: President Theodore Roosevelt delivered a stirring speech to the New York City Republican Club.

Why significant: In 1905, many white Americans』 sense of racial superiority still lingered. Much bitterness still existed between North and South. In addition, Roosevelt』s tenure in office had seen an influx of Asian immigrants in the West, which contributed to new racial tensions.

Roosevelt』s solution to the race problem in 1905 was to proceed slowly toward social and economic equality. He cautioned against imposing radical changes in government policy. He instead suggested a gradual adjustment in the attitudes of whites toward ethnic minorities. He referred to white Americans as the forward race, whose responsibility was to raise the status of minorities through training the backward races in industrial efficiency, political capacity and domestic morality. Thus, he claimed whites bore the burden of preserving the high civilization wrought out by its forefathers.

While Roosevelt firmly believed in the words of the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal, his administration took only a passive, long-term approach to improving civil rights. His successors in the 20th century would take the same route. It was not until Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964 that government efforts to correct racial bias would be encoded into law.

Tags: President Theodore Roosevelt, racial equality, civil rights

（別說20世紀初的總統了，想一想現任總統……)

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