Teddy Roosevelt’s Near Death Journey: An exploration of the Brazilian rain forest

The American president Theodore Roosevelt took on an adventure that very nearly killed him. It was in the spring of 1914. It was a difficult time for Roosevelt in that he had recently suffered electoral defeat. He lost the 1912 election for a third term as president of the United States.

At 55 years of age Teddy Roosevelt went on a death defying journey in the Brazilian rain forest on the River of Doubt.

For someone of 55, he was still quite energetic. He felt invincible; however, his second wife, (having lost his first wife Alice Hathaway Lee two days after giving birth to their only child and daughter, from undiagnosed Bright’s disease) Edith Kermit Carow , whom he married on December 2, 1886, wasn’t as confident as her husband.

Edith having concern about her husband’s health and the difficulties of a new expedition, asked their son, Kermit, to accompany his father.  He did so reluctantly having to delay his upcoming marriage to Belle Wyatt Willard, daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Spain.

Initially their father and son time together was intended to be a more reasonable less dangerous trip; not the risky exploration of uncharted waters.

Roosevelt was visiting South America, when Lauro Müller, the minister of foreign affairs for Brazil, suggested Roosevelt go down an uncharted river. This was just the sort of challenge that Roosevelt could not resist.

To read about this amazing journey look into the bestselling book by  Candice Millard River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey