"REMEMBER BROWNSVILLE" HISTORIC ANTI ROOSEVELT AND CIVIL RIGHTS BUTTON.
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Winning Bid:
$205.94
(Includes 15% Buyer's Premium)
Bidding Ended:
Tuesday, March 15, 2016 10:00:00 PM (20 Minute Clock Begins At Tuesday, March 15, 2016 10:00:00 PM)
Item Description
1.25" by Bastian Bros. Front depicts four black soldiers with the caption below "Discharged Without Honor." Button is slightly flattened and has noticeable tan stain around the outer edge but vast majority of center area remains clean. Button retains its full gloss. "Brownsville" refers to a 1906 event in Texas. Black soldiers of the 25th United States Infantry were accused of rioting and subsequently, after what many felt was insufficient investigation with contradictory evidence, President Theodore Roosevelt summarily discharged "Without Honor" all 167 enlisted men previously garrisoning at Fort Brown. Many people who previously applauded Roosevelt's civil rights policies were shocked and this controversy moved to the national stage. The Constitution League, a civil rights organization, particularly specified the lack of due process accorded the soldiers. In the forefront of those seeking redress was Senator Foraker, a nemesis of Roosevelt and an aspiring 1908 presidential hopeful. While the 1908 nomination went to Taft, Foraker managed to keep the issue in public attention over the next several years. It took until 1972 for the discharged soldiers to win justice. The Nixon administration awarded honorable discharges and the sole surviving veteran at the time received a $25,000 pension. Rare and historic.
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