River of Doubt Summary

Teddy Roosevelt was a powerful president who had one two terms of office and was running for a third. In 1913 the result of the election was in and he had taken an extreme loss, beating the republican candidate but losing against the democratic candidate. Ashamed by his loss, Roosevelt went to stay at Sagamore Hill. In 1913-14 Roosevelt went to South America, for a relaxation trip from the pressure he was facing in America. He went with his son Kermit, and met the Prime Minister of Brazil, who told them about a mysterious river that had run through the jungle. They decided to go on an expedition to map the course of the river not knowing how dangerous the trip was. During their travels they were attacked by natives, and their dugout canoes were stuck at the water line. Because of the hard travels, they had to take rations and cut down food supplies. Many people on the expedition, including Roosevelt, grew sick from malaria. From then sickness, Roosevelt had a fever of 105 degrees Fahrenheit and had to be carried by his son. In the end, only three people including Roosevelt and Kermit survived the expedition.