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Roosevelt showed that through his research and writing that he had a fascination with naval history. Congressman Henry Cabot Lodge encouraged President McKinley to appoint Roosevelt as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1897. The Secretary of the Navy, John D. Long, was more worried about formalities than functions, in poor condition, and left many major decisions to Roosevelt. Teddy seized the opportunity and began pressing his national security views regarding the Caribbean and Pacific on McKinley. Roosevelt was adamant that Spain should be ejected from Cuba, to encourage the latter’s independence and to demonstrate the US resolve to reinforce the Monroe Doctrine.
The Spanish-American War in 1898 is argued one of the most pointless wars in American history. At the time, most people didn’t realize that the war was not for territory, for markets, for principle, or even for honor. It actually began because the editor of the New York Journal, William Randolph Hearst, searched for sensational material to print that could beat his competitors, The New York World. Each of them have been battling it out, each trying to find the best stories to print to beat their opponent. Hearst heard rumors of atrocities committed by the Spanish Empire in their territories and started printing stories of Spanish abuses. The stories grasped New Yorkers’ attention and soon all of America was reading Hearst’s stories about the drama in Spain’s Latin American territories. Hearst realized that he found the jackpot and kept printing these kinds of stories. Hearst sent artist Frederic Remington to Cuba to capture all of the action on canvas. Frederic later wanted to come back to the US because he knew that the war wouldn’t rise up. Hearst answered back with his famous quote, “You furnish the pictures, and I’ll furnish the war!” His sensationalistic style of journalism, which was called yellow journalism, filled up the American hearts full of anger and hatred towards the Spanish for their abusive acts. In 1898 when the US warship Maine exploded in the Havana Harbor, America thought that they were attacked, and raged for war. Ten days after the Maine blew up, the Secretary left the office and Roosevelt became Acting Secretary for four hours. Teddy cabled the Navy worldwide to prepare for war, ordered supplies and ammunition, and brought in specialists and went to Congress asking for the jurisdiction to recruit as many sailors as he wanted. Roosevelt was a key part in prepping the Navy for the Spanish-American War. He had a systematical mind, even as he was longing for war. He explained his priorities to one of the Navy’s planners in late 1897:
"I would regard war with Spain from two viewpoints: first, the advisability on the grounds both of humanity and self-interest of interfering on behalf of the Cubans, and of taking one more step toward the complete freeing of America from European dominion; second, the benefit done our people by giving them something to think of which is not material gain, and especially the benefit done our military forces by trying both the Navy and Army in actual practice."
Theodore Roosevelt as Assistant Secretary of the Navy took immediate action. Since his boss was away from office at this time, he sent a telegram to Admiral Dewey, who commanded the US fleet in the Asian Pacific. It instructed the admiral that if war erupted between Spain and America, he would take offensive action against the Philippines, who were part of the Spanish Empire at the time. After war was declared, Dewey followed his orders and sailed to Manila from Hong Kong, and launched a surprise attack on the morning of May 1, 1898, on the Spanish fleet that was anchored in the bay. Dewey had captured the Philippines and this was the first time the US Navy demonstrated its power.
In the meantime, McKinley had called for 100,000 volunteers to fight against the Spanish in the Caribbean. The Secretary of War, General Russell Alger, offered the command of one of the three volunteer regiments to Roosevelt. Teddy’s friends told him not to accept the offer, and to instead keep the reputable position of Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Theodore ignored them, and resigned his spot at the Navy Department, and volunteered to fight as a soldier. He earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in one of the most motley, if not most famous, Army divisions in history, the Rough Riders. The Rough Riders consisted of 1,000 men and they came from different aspects of life throughout America. Some were ranchers, gamblers, cowboys, outlaws, and more. Some others were from the East and dropped out of college for excitement that rose when the war broke out. Everybody part of the Rough Riders was willing to fight.
Although having a bit of trouble when landing in Cuba, the Rough Rider’s hardest task was on July 1, 1898 at San Juan Hill near the city of Santiago, Cuba. A Spanish entrenchment at the top of the hill was protecting the city, and had to be captured in order to take Santiago. Roosevelt later described that this was the best day of his life as he charged forth on horseback to lead the Rough Riders up the hill. The battle was very thick as fifteen of Roosevelt’s men had died and seventy-three of them were injured and wounded. The Rough Riders suffered more causalities than any other unit over the course of the Spanish-American War. Once Santiago was captured, the war ended as another American fleet had defeated the Spanish Navy in Santiago Harbor.
Roosevelt was now promoted to full Colonel for his bravery at San Juan, drafted a letter criticizing the US War Department for its inefficiency and incompetence, and sent it to the Associated Press to be published. He also wrote the Round Robin letter, which asked for the removal of US trooped from Cuba because of the horrible conditions, and many high-ranking commanders signed it. The letter was sent to the War Department, and once the troops were withdrawn, Americans praised Roosevelt as a national hero for safely bringing back the troops home.