Tr's Wild Side

“TR’s Wild Side” Article Analysis
Before becoming president, Theodore Roosevelt was in command of a regiment called the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War.   While in Cuba, Roosevelt showed his “attention to nature and love of animals” in many different ways such writing down his personal accounts with nature and Cuba’s plant and animal life.   Douglas Brinkley, the author of “TR’s Wild Side”, is a professor history at Rice University and American author.   The article was published in American Heritage in the fall 2009 edition.   “TR’s Wild Side” goes into detail of how he commanded the Rough Riders yet still found time to record detailed descriptions of Cuba’s environment, causing Roosevelt to become the conservationist he was. This article is an accurate source because Brinkley provides primary sources and background information on Roosevelt’s time in Cuba, allowing the reader to see how his conservationist views originated from his love of nature.  
Throughout the article, Brinkley quotes many primary sources, including letter to family members, diary entries, and Roosevelt’s very own war memoir, The Rough Riders.   In his letters, Roosevelt confided in his family members about the terrain, coast, and environment.   He also wrote about the species that roamed there, “the woods are full of land crabs, some of which are almost as big as rabbits.” Roosevelt kept diaries in Cuba, “jotting down exact dialogue and stream-of-consciousness impressions.” The Rough Riders provided readers with Roosevelt’s very own accounts in his time in Cuba and his thoughts on the Cuban environment.   He writes often of his love for animals, hence why he decided to take three pets on his trip with him.   Brinkley mentions Josephine, Teddy, and Cuba all in the article.   The author does a good job of providing primary sources to allow the readers to picture vivid images of Roosevelt’s thoughts and accounts in the wild.
Brinkley’s article had many good points however; the best would...