Andrew Server

Historical Methods
Dr. Messenger/ Dr. Larson
February 20, 2014
The Rough Riders in the Spanish American War
As America entered the Spanish American War in 1898, Theodore Roosevelt (then

Assistant Secretary of the Navy) stepped down from his title and assumed the rank of Colonel,

commanding the first United States Volunteer Cavalry, also known as the Rough Riders. As an

assemblage of men from a variety of backgrounds ranging from outlaws to college students, the

Rough Riders were lionized by the media at the time as they charged the Spaniards at San Juan

Hill near Santiago, Cuba, attaining a major victory for the United States. The stories of the

Rough Riders were well received by the media, and while their recognition was rightfully

earned, the media outlets across the nation tended to romanticize some aspects of the cavalry

brigade. This essay will highlight how the media at the time used embellished language and

failed to portray some facts which then romanticized the acts and achievements of the Rough

Riders in the Spanish American War.

One particular misconception that some newspapers printed in regards to the Rough

Riders was that they charged San Juan Hill on horseback while in reality they charged the hill on

foot. This was described in the El Paso Daily Herald in 1899 as it states that the Rough Riders Formatted: Font: Italic
Deleted: (italicize newspaper titles)
were men, who were born in the saddle and relied on their horseswere told that they would Deleted: ,

have to fight on foot1. The San Francisco Call in 1898 however, depicts the Rough Riders as

charging on horseback, seen in an illustration depicted in figure 1.1. This miscommunication of

the fact that the Rough Riders in actuality charged San Juan Hill on foot romanticizes the

1
El Paso Daily Herald. (El Paso, Tex.), June 24, 1899. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of
Congress. Accessed February 20, 2014 http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86064199/1899-06-24/ed-1/seq-
9/.
occurrence as a mighty cavalry charge. Referring to the Rough Riders by that name also

misrepresents the fact that they were without horses, causing the public to believe that they were

riding into battle when they were really marching.

Figure 1.1: The San Francisco Call depicts the Rough Riders on horseback. 2

The media at the time also used hyperbolic speech in their headlines and articles in order

to romanticize the achievements of the Rough Riders after they seized San Juan Hill. For

instance, the San Francisco Call in 1898 described the Rough Riders as fighting like demons

who were undaunted by fiery baptism3. While the Rough Riders no doubt exuded great

bravery and heroism, the embellished terms that the newspaper used idealizes the actions and

reactions made by the brigade. The Coconino Sun in 1898 romanticized the fighting of the Rough Formatted: Font: Italic

Riders, stating that while the Spanish sharpshooters sent a rain of leaden pellets the Americans

swept everything before them with a dash and a hurrah4. The thought of the Rough Riders

seizing the hill with such gallantry is appealing and catches the readers eye, but it is idealized in

2
The San Francisco Call, June 25, 1898. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
Accessed February 20, 2014http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1898-06-25/ed-1/seq-1/.
3
The San Francisco Call. July 3, 1898. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
Accessed February 20, 2014.http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1898-07-03/ed-1/seq-1/.
4
The Coconino Sun [microform]. (Flagstaff, Ariz.), July 9, 1898. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers.
Lib. of Congress. Accessed February 20, 2014http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87062055/1898-07-09/ed-
1/seq-5/.
that it likely was much more complicated or brutal than how those words describe. Some

newspapers embellished details about the Rough Riders through use of blanket statements. For

instance, The San Francisco Call stated in July 1898 that some of the Rough Riders were

grizzled by years of exposure on the Western frontier, (were) tough as pine knots and can shoot

as fast and as straight as a man who weighs three times as much5. Not only does this description

include hyperbolic, there are also blanket statements in that the text assumes that those men

could shoot faster than a larger man.

Of the military divisions that were sent by the United States to fight in the Spanish

American War, perhaps the most notable was the first US Volunteer Cavalry, better known as

the Rough Riders. Aside from having a charismatic president-to-be as a colonel among its ranks

in Theodore Roosevelt, the Rough Riders are known for their heroic charge and conquest of San

Juan Hill, near the city of Santiago, Cuba. The accomplishments and actions made by the Rough

Riders were no doubt admirable and required much bravery. However, media at the time tried to

seize the readers attention by romanticizing those details of the cavalry brigade. In their use of

miscommunicated facts hyperbolic or embellishing language and blanket statements, news media

at the time of the Spanish American War created an idealistic and quixotic picture of the Rough

Riders in the minds of the American public.

5
The San Francisco Call. June 19, 1898. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
Accessed February 20, 2014. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1898-06-19/ed-1/seq-21/.
Well done!
Grade= A

Bibliography Deleted: Works Cited

El Paso Daily Herald. (El Paso, Tex.), June 24, 1899. Third Edition. Chronicling

America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress. Accessed February 20, 2014.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86064199/1899-06-24/ed-1/seq-9/.

The Coconino Sun. [microform] (Flagstaff, Ariz.), July 9, 1898. Chronicling America:

Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress. Accessed February 20, 2014.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87062055/1898-07-09/ed-1/seq-5/.

The San Francisco Call. July 3, 1898. Volume LXXXIV. NO. 33. Chronicling America:

Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress. Accessed February 20, 2014.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1898-07-03/ed-1/seq-1/.

The San Francisco Call. June 19, 1898. Page 21. Chronicling America: Historic

American Newspapers. Library of Congress. Accessed February 20, 2014.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1898-06-19/ed-1/seq-21/.

The San Francisco Call. June 25, 1898. Volume LXXXIV. NO. 25. Chronicling

America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress. Accessed February 20, 2014.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1898-06-25/ed-1/seq-1/.