Outstanding hand-corrected typed manuscript draft for part of Theodore Roosevelt's autobiography, five pages, 8.5 x 11, no date but circa 1912, containing over 350 words in Roosevelt's hand, written in pencil. Headed "Book Learning and Education. Boyhood and Youth," the draft represents what would become paragraphs 13–19 of his book Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography, published by Macmillan in 1913. The draft begins: "My father, Theodore Roosevelt [evidently written in another hand], was the best man I ever knew. He combined strength and courage with gentleness, tenderness, and great unselfishness. He would never tolerate in us children selfishness or cruelty, in idleness, cowardice or untruthfulness…He never physically punished me but once, but was the only man of whom I was ever really afraid…My mother, Martha Bulloch, was a sweet, gracious, beautiful Southern Woman, a delightful companion and beloved by everybody. She was entirely 'unreconstructed' to the day of her death…My grandmother…lived with us, and was distinctly overindulgent to us children…Towards the close of the Civil War, although a very small boy, I grew to have a partial but alert understanding of the fact that the family were not one in their views about that conflict…My aunt, my mother's sister, Anna Bulloch, lived with us. She was as devoted to us children as was my mother herself, and we were equally devoted to her in return. She taught us our lessons while we were little…She knew all the 'Bre'r Rabbit' stories and I was brought up on them. My uncle, Robert Roosevelt, was much struck with them and took them down from her dictation, publishing them in 'Harper's' where they fell flat." Roosevelt squeezes his many emendations into the margins and between lines, at times adding complete sentences and even paragraphs to the autobiographical text. In very good to fine condition, with some minor chipping and paper loss along the fragile page edges.
Theodore Roosevelt was a prolific author and, in fact, had first come to national prominence as a serious historian with the two-volume work The Naval War of 1812. He went on to write and publish many books, covering American history, politics, the military, hunting, and nature. In his autobiography, Roosevelt chronicles his life from his childhood to his presidency and beyond, covering a wide range of topics, including his adventures as a cowboy in the Dakota Territory, his experiences as a 'Rough Rider' in the Spanish-American War, and his time as President of the United States. The autobiography provides insight into Roosevelt's character, values, and political beliefs, making it a valuable resource for understanding both the man himself and the history of the United States during his era.
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