Nile River

President Roosevelt thanks Lieutenant-Governor Jackson for his letter and advice on which outfitters to use on his trip to Africa. Roosevelt outlines his initial travel plans, and encloses an itinerary from a German officer, on which he asks Jackson’s opinion. He discusses the many kinds of animals that he and his son Kermit Roosevelt would like to shoot, and assures Jackson that the majority of the trophies will be for the National Museum. Roosevelt asks advice on the types of formal clothes to bring to Africa.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-02

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt asks Edward North Buxton several questions regarding boots, firearms, staff, and finances for his upcoming African safari. Roosevelt mentions that he is worried that his son Kermit Roosevelt might become ill with fever during the trip. Roosevelt asks Buxton to let him know if Count Ernst Karl Hoyos-Sprinzenstein, is able to visit him in Oyster Bay so he can show him his trophies and discuss the hunting trips Hoyos has written about. Roosevelt encloses some letters and asks Buxton about the status of the writers. In a handwritten postscript, Roosevelt expresses his excitement to see Africa.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-01

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt tells Percy C. Madeira that he has sent exactly the information Roosevelt needs for his upcoming African safari. Roosevelt will follow Madeira’s recommendations about books to read, getting maps of the region through American Embassies, short trips to get into shape, and boats for navigating the Nile.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-31

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt asks F. R. Wingate several questions regarding his upcoming African safari, including where to find the best game, the best way to travel up the Nile, and when the best time would be to start writing to make arrangements for hunters, equipment shipments, and so on. Roosevelt emphasizes that he expects no special favors or treatment and that he is “no game butcher.” He intends to get hunting trophies for the National Museum of Natural History and perhaps a bull elephant of his own if “entirely proper.” Roosevelt is eager to see how the British are governing Egypt and East Africa, having recently read Modern Egypt by Evelyn Baring Cromer, and sympathises with the difficulty of colonial rule.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-29

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt sends Ambassador Reid details about his plans for his African safari. Roosevelt discusses the timing and route of his trip, as well as his plans for hunting and gathering scientific specimens for the United States National Museum. Roosevelt is “delighted beyond all measure” that Sir F. R. Wingate has opened the reserves under his command to Roosevelt’s expedition. He assures Reid that he will not take too many trophies or slaughter game without cause. Roosevelt asks Reid to pass along this information to Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes in the hopes that he will open the reserves in British East Africa, Uganda, and Sudan, as well as to relieve the minds of other East African provincial officials about the nature of Roosevelt’s trip. Roosevelt would also like to visit Italy, France, and England on the way home from his safari, but does not want to place undue burden on the governments of those nations. He does not wish for official state functions, but to visit old friends with his family.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-20

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt discusses the potential timing of his trip to Africa, the game he would like to shoot, and the guns he plans to bring.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-05-11

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt updates Kermit Roosevelt on the plans for an upcoming trip to Africa. He believes if it happens, Kermit will be able to complete his freshman year at Harvard before they go. He encloses material from Edward North Buxton and promises his son that whenever he goes to Africa, he will take him with him.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-05-01

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt tells Edward North Buxton that next year he will be out of the presidency and is contemplating going for a hunting trip in Africa. He outlines a potential route and asks Buxton if he has any suggestions for where to find good game.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-26

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt tells J. H. Patterson that he is not sure what he will do once he has left the presidency, but that he is considering taking a trip to Africa. He asks if Patterson would be willing to give him some advice about where he could go in Africa for good hunting, and asks several questions about what sorts of expenses he should expect, what preparations he should make, and who might be able to help outfit his trip.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-20

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt thanks Edward North Buxton for sending him The Life of Lord Dufferin. He will tell his daughter Alice and her future husband Nicholas Longworth that Buxton has invited them to visit if they travel to England. He wishes Buxton and his daughter luck on their trip up the Nile.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-01-09

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Edmund Heller is happy to be asked to accompany President Roosevelt on his trip to Africa. Roosevelt’s route will allow the party to first collect the more common game, with the opportunity for discoveries coming later when they travel through Uganda and on the Nile. Heller’s past experience on in Africa was with Carl Ethan Akeley’s Field Museum expedition, where he was in charge of salting the skins of the game. He was not involved in outfitting the expedition. Heller regrets that he cannot immediately be of help to Roosevelt in the planning and organization of the trip.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-31

Creator(s)

Heller, Edmund, 1875-1939

Percy C. Madeira sends President Roosevelt details related to his upcoming African safari, answering many of his previous questions. Madeira mentions several books for Roosevelt to read, and recommends the best sources for maps of the region. He also outlines some short trips for Roosevelt to start out with after arriving in Mombasa, with Roosevelt’s goal of shooting various types of gazelles in mind. Madeira says that four or five months is ample time for his main safari. Madeira makes suggestions for Roosevelt’s Nile trip, including contacts for outfitters, recommendations for shipping equipment, and notes about climate and servants. Finally, Madeira warns Roosevelt that due to his status, he might be quoted very high prices by various vendors, and offers to keep his name secret to get better prices.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-30

Creator(s)

Madeira, Percy C. (Percy Childs), 1862-1942

Chronology of the daily life of Theodore Roosevelt from January 1871 to December 1878. Notable events include the Roosevelt family’s trip to Europe and Egypt, Roosevelt’s entrance to Harvard, the death of Theodore “Thee” Roosevelt, Roosevelt’s trip to Maine, and Roosevelt meeting Alice Hathaway Lee.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association

Creation Date

1985

Creator(s)

Moore, Robert J. (Robert John), 1956-; Theodore Roosevelt Association

Paul Russell Cutright examines the thirteen natural history notebooks that Theodore Roosevelt kept during his childhood and young adult years. He notes the dates, the subjects, and the locations of the observations kept in each notebook. Cutright focuses on Roosevelt’s love of birding and most of the notebook excerpts deal with this subject. He highlights Roosevelt’s skill at identifying birds by their calls and songs, notes his considerable observation skills, and credits various naturalists and friends who influenced Roosevelt.

Two photographs of Roosevelt as a child and young man and a full-page picture of a mounted snowy owl that Roosevelt prepared accompany the article.

A listing of the officers of the Theodore Roosevelt Association along with the members of the executive, finance, and Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace committees is on page two of the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

President Roosevelt hides in “The Nile” reeds as a crocodile opens its mouth and swims down the river. Caption: The President–When anything makes a personal dental appeal to me like that, I wouldn’t shoot for the world. The President proposes to finish his African hunt when he reaches the Nile.–News Item.

comments and context

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-08

Theodore Roosevelt writes George von Lengerke Meyer as he is steaming down the White Nile River towards Khartoum. He thinks Meyer would have really enjoyed the safari. Roosevelt is proud that Kermit has developed so well, and he informs Meyer that they are bringing home the skins of three large eland which will go to a museum. Roosevelt was very impressed with Meyer’s report, but he cannot believe what a “scoundrel” Eugene Hale is.

Collection

Massachusetts Historical Society

Creation Date

1910-03-01

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Sheet music for “Teddy, We’re Glad You’re Here,” a song welcoming back Theodore Roosevelt from his African safari and imploring him to give up “the strenuous life” and let America love him. The cover features a portrait illustration of Roosevelt surround by hands reaching for the portrait and animals. There is also illustrations of the Sphinx and Roosevelt riding a camel.

Collection

Dr. Danny O. Crew Theodore Roosevelt Sheet Music Collection

Creation Date

1910

Creator(s)

Russell, Vivian I.; Whipp, Lawrence Kilbourne, 1888-1945

Postcard is part of the Roosevelt Tour series. Image on front shows a hippopotamus walking through a swamp. Reverse has the description: “HIPPOPOTAMUS IN THE SWAMP. The hippopotamus is found in every river with water enough to cover him when he lies down, and in nearly every lake and marsh in the Uganda Protectorate, in which country the Roosevelt party are now hunting. He is a serious impediment to navigation at the northern end of Lake Albert and on the Upper Nile. There is no immediate danger of his becoming extinct, for in the vast marshes he is hard to reach and for years to come is to a great extent safe from the white man’s bullets. This is a direct photograph, taken as will be noticed, at close range, and shows the animal feeding in the swamp.”

Collection

Fritz R. Gordner Collection

Creation Date

1909

Creator(s)

Unknown

Kermit Roosevelt is concerned about John Wallace Riddle’s pneumonia and hopes he is feeling better. Kermit and President Roosevelt are busy making plans for their African safari. He describes their planned itinerary. Kermit has been able to see Isabella and Robert Harry Munro Ferguson many times this summer. He will be joining Ferguson for a September hunting trip in Wyoming.

Collection

Arizona Historical Society

Creation Date

1908-1909

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Kermit, 1889-1943

Kermit Roosevelt outlines Robert Harry Munro Ferguson’s upcoming visit. Roosevelt has been busy at school and Theodore Roosevelt is planning for an African safari.

Collection

Arizona Historical Society

Creation Date

1908-06-02

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Kermit, 1889-1943