Theodore Roosevelt: The River of Doubt Expedition
A year after a tough loss in the 1912 election as the Progressive
Party nominee; Roosevelt decided that he would take a daring trip to Brazil to
explore the River of Doubt as a way of coping with his loss. To assist him in his
expedition, the Brazilian government supplied him with a guide, Candido Rondon.
Before reaching the River of Doubt, the entourage had to traverse over 400
miles of land. After these hundreds of miles traveled, the journey has just
begun.
Once the group finally reaches the
river, the trip is anything but simple. As the group started their journey
along the river, they realized that the canoes were not going to be able to
carry them along the river. The group’s poor preparation for the trip left them
only a few feet away from 15 feet black caiman and piranhas. Eventually, the
group stumbles upon a series of rapids leading to a 30 foot waterfall that was
almost insuperable. Several days after overcoming the waterfall, the local
cannibalistic natives make themselves known as Rondon was hunting with his dog.
The natives killed his dog and almost massacred the entire group. As the
expedition dragged on, Roosevelt slips on a rock and slices open his leg and soon
afterwards contracts malaria. As the journey continued Roosevelt’s condition
worsened and became critical. After his injury Roosevelt requires surgery and
as the doctor is operating, Roosevelt bravely faces the pain without even
wincing. Shortly after all of these mishaps, the journey comes to a close once
they find civilization.
Roosevelt wanted to prove to other
people that he was a strong leader and man in addition to being an exceptional
president. After to Roosevelt’s harrowing expedition he had never returned to
his previous health. Roosevelt succeeded in charting 1,000 miles of the River
of Doubt. In honor of Roosevelt’s bravery and charting of the river, Candido
Rondon decided to rename the river, Rio Theodoro.
