While the Rough Riders aren’t responsible for single-handedly winning the war, they were instrumental in the overall victory. That’s more or less the overall portrayal of the Rough Riders during the war. When we watch old Westerns today, one of the most ubiquitous tropes is the posse of heroes riding after the villains in a dust cloud. During the Spanish-American war, they were among the most public characters. Roosevelt and the Rough Riders were a motley group of ‘soldiers’, though they didn’t start out as an official part of any army. This charge on the 1st of July, 1898, is probably what they’re most remembered for today.

For this, they had to charge up the highest point of the area, which was San Juan Hill. This group was part of Kettle Hill’s capture, also assisting in the capture of San Juan Ridge. Theodore Roosevelt got together a group consisting of miners, Native Americans, cowboys, and law enforcement officials, all under the name of Rough Riders. The United States was in arms against Spain due to the latter’s colonial policies regarding Cuba.

The Rough Riders are known as the first voluntary kind of cavalry during the Spanish-American War. When Roosevelt was still the Assistant Secretary of the United States Navy, he gave his resignation in 1898 in order to organize a group called the Rough Riders. However, some of his actions and projects went down in history even before he became President. Teddy Roosevelt was one of the most memorable and influential Presidents of the United States.

The Rough Riders by Theodore Roosevelt