Primary sourceSpeech3 September 1900
The Labor Question
Theodore Roosevelt · 3 September 1900
A 1900 Labor Day speech by Theodore Roosevelt in Chicago addressing poverty, hunger, and the conditions of working people.
This speech is Roosevelt's own address on labor issues, showing his engagement with workers' concerns before his presidency.
About this source
What it is
This speech was given by Theodore Roosevelt at a Labor Day picnic in Chicago on 3 September 1900. In it, he discusses hunger, poverty, and the conditions facing workers in the United States and abroad.
Why it matters
The speech shows Roosevelt publicly expressing concern for workers' struggles, a theme that would later shape his reform-minded presidency. It offers a window into how political leaders of the era talked about poverty and inequality to working-class audiences.
Look closer
- What statistics or comparisons does Roosevelt use to describe poverty?
- Why might he have chosen to speak at a Labor Day event?
- What solutions, if any, does he suggest for the problems he describes?
This speech is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Theodore Roosevelt on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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