The rough riders
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The Rough Riders
Transcript of The rough riders
The Rough Riders
Most know the basic story of the Rough Riders
• They were a volunteer cavalry unit led by Theodore Roosevelt in the Spanish American War
• Teddy Roosevelt is famous for leading the charge up San Juan Hill to defeat a Spanish garrison there
Here some additional facts about the Rough Riders
Some probably know already
The Rough Riders were not alone in their charge up San Juan Hill
• There were 8,000 other soldiers with them including 4 units of African American soldiers called the “Buffalo Soldiers’
The Rough Riders had three mascots for their unit
• An eagle named Teddy• A mountain lion named Josephine• A dog named Cuba(the dog was the only animal to accompany the unit to Cuba)
A more accurate name for the unit would have been the “Rough Walkers”• Most of the horses had to be left in the US because there
wasn’t enough room on the ships to transport them• Of course the officers got to bring their horses• Teddy Roosevelt brought two horses one drowned during the landing at Cuba
The Rough Riders actually captured two hills:
• San Juan Hill • Kettle Hill
Teddy Roosevelt carried a gun that was recovered from the wreckage of the USS Maine
• His brother-in-law was on the recovery crew and gave the weapon to him
• TR carried it in honor of the men who died on the USS Maine
The Rough Riders had a very high casualty rate
• The 37% casualty rate was the highest of any US unit in the Spanish American War
Roosevelt’s fame from this war helped propel him into politics
• His popularity helped him become governor of New York where he worked to fight against unjust business practices in that state
• He was elected to the office of Vice President• He became President of the US in 1901 when William
McKinley was assassinated• He was re-elected in 1904 because the people like his
Progressive attitude of social and business reform
Works Cited:
Gardner, Mark Lee. "The Rough Riders – Seven Things You Didn't Know About Theodore Roosevelt's Famous Volunteers." Militaryhistorynow.com. N.p., 13 May 2016. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.
