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Primary sourcePainting16 November 1902

Drawing the Line in Mississippi

Clifford K. Berryman · 16 November 1902

A 1902 political cartoon by Clifford Berryman showing President Roosevelt refusing to shoot a captive bear, the origin of the teddy bear.

This cartoon depicts Roosevelt and shaped his popular image, eventually giving rise to the teddy bear named after him.

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Black-and-white reproduction of Clifford Berryman's 1902 cartoon 'Drawing the Line in Mississippi'. A tall man in a wide-brimmed hat and hunting clothes, holding a walking stick and raising one hand, faces a small bear tied to a rope, while a hunter in the background holds the rope. Trees surround them.
Clifford K. Berryman, Drawing the Line in Mississippi, 1902. National Archives / Washington Post.

About this source

What it is

This cartoon was drawn by Clifford K. Berryman and published in 1902. It shows President Theodore Roosevelt, dressed in hunting clothes, showing compassion for a small bear tied to a rope by a hunter, refusing to shoot the animal.

Why it matters

The cartoon captured a widely reported incident during a Roosevelt hunting trip in Mississippi and became hugely popular. It helped shape the public image of Roosevelt as a man of principle and compassion even in a hunting context, and it directly inspired the creation of the 'teddy bear' toy, named after the president. The cartoon shows how editorial artists of the era used humor and symbolism to build a politician's public personality.

Look closer

  • What details in the drawing show Roosevelt's reaction to the bear?
  • Why might a cartoonist choose to draw a political leader in this kind of everyday scene rather than in a formal setting?
  • How did this single cartoon change the way Americans thought about Roosevelt, and even inspire a new kind of toy?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Theodore Roosevelt on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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