¶ … Riders

After the Civil War, the United States military was depleted. Because of this lack of troops, several groups of volunteers gathered to serve their country. The most famous of these volunteer cavalries would become known as the Rough Riders, and the most famous Rough Rider was Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt's sense of duty and leadership during the Spanish-American War helped him to later become President of the United States.

What I find most interesting about the Rough Riders is that they were a volunteer army comprised of brave and patriotic soldiers. I find it amazing that ordinary citizens would volunteer their time and possibly sacrifice their lives to fight for their country, without being employed by the military. I also find it admirable that Theodore Roosevelt resigned from being Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1898 to join the Rough Riders (Library of Congress). Roosevelt's participation in the Rough Riders proved that he was a genuinely courageous and patriotic leader.

The Rough Riders were trained to fight Spanish troops in Cuba. Because of Cuba's hot climate, the United States government made an effort initially to recruit volunteers from hotter regions of the United States such as the American southwest (Library of Congress). The Rough Riders ended up being the only volunteer cavalry that was sent to Cuba during the Spanish-American War (Library of Congress). Another thing I learned from reading about the Rough Riders was that the Spanish-American War was fought on many fronts, including Cuba. The Rough Riders were an important part of Cuba's history as well as American history. After reading about the Rough Riders, I have a greater appreciation for how ordinary Americans have fought for their country. Finally, I learned that the history of the Rough Riders proves that United States is truly governed by the people and for the people.

Reference

Library of Congress. "Rough Riders." Retrieved July 14, 2009 from http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/roughriders.html