Teddy Roosevelt Museum & Library

Remember the Maine

The leadup to the Spanish-American War is founded on three Cuban wars of independence and the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor.

Ten Years’ War (1868–1878): Dissatisfied with corrupt Spanish administration, lack of political representation, and high taxes, Cubans in the eastern provinces united under wealthy planter Carlos Manuel de Céspedes. His declaration of independence in October 1868 — the Grito de Yara — signaled the beginning of a war in which 200,000 lives were lost.

The Little War (1878–1879): The second conflict between Cuban rebels and Spain began August 26, 1879. After some minor successes it ended in rebel defeat in September 1880.

The Necessary War (1895–1898): The last of the three liberation wars. The final three months escalated to become the Spanish-American War, with United States forces deployed in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippine Islands.

Spanish-American War (1898): The destruction of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898 cost the lives of 268 American sailors. Spain severed diplomatic relations with the United States on April 21. The U.S. Navy began a blockade of Cuba the same day. On April 23, Spain declared war on the U.S. On April 25, Congress responded, declaring that a state of war had existed since April 21.

Preparing for War

On April 21, 1898, the United States Army was very small — about 28,100 soldiers in 42 regiments of cavalry, infantry, and artillery. President McKinley issued a proclamation calling for 75,000 volunteers to be added to the 125,000 state regiments and 28,000 Regular Army personnel. Congress authorized 17 volunteer regiments, including three volunteer cavalry units.

The 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry was formed in San Antonio in late April 1898 with Colonel Leonard Wood commanding and Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt as second in command. This regiment became known as the Rough Riders, raised initially from New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma Territory, and the Indian Territory. Expert horsemen and riflemen, they trained in San Antonio during May 1898.

By the beginning of June, the regiment began arriving in Tampa, Florida — the designated embarkation port for forces invading Cuba. Tampa's Henry B. Plant had built his legendary Tampa Bay Hotel (now Plant Hall at the University of Tampa) with its distinctive Moorish minarets, and Major General William Rufus Shafter established his 5th Corps headquarters there. By mid-June, 16,000 soldiers had sailed for Cuba and a rendezvous with history.

The Crowded Hour

On June 20, 1898, Admiral Sampson, General Shafter, and Cuban General Calix­to García planned the invasion. Some 16,000 U.S. soldiers waded ashore in the surf on June 22 as the diversion at Cabañas proved highly effective.

The Battle of Las Guasimas on June 24 was the first engagement of the Santiago campaign — a Spanish rearguard action against the advancing cavalry brigade led by General Wheeler. During the fighting, Wheeler, a former Confederate officer, reportedly called out: "Let's go, boys! We've got the damn Yankees on the run again!" The battle cost U.S. forces 17 dead and 52 wounded; Spanish forces suffered 7 dead and 14 wounded.

On July 1st, the Battle of San Juan Hill — the largest land battle of the Spanish-American War — occurred. The American forces charged upon the heights and dispersed the Spanish after suffering heavy casualties. Roosevelt, as the regiment's new commander, called it the Rough Riders' greatest victory. Following the surrender of the Spanish army at Santiago, they agreed to depart Cuba, ending over four centuries of Spanish rule.

The Unique Accomplishments of Teddy Roosevelt

Rancher, police commissioner, soldier, governor, statesman, environmentalist, Vice President, and the 26th President of the United States — Theodore Roosevelt led one of the most consequential lives in American history.

• Politician After serving as a New York State Assemblyman, President of the NYC Board of Police Commissioners, and Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Teddy was elected Governor of New York in 1898. He became Vice President in 1901 and succeeded President McKinley after McKinley's assassination. Elected President in 1904.
• Nobel Peace Prize Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating an end to the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05 — the first American to receive the honor.
• Football In 1905, college football's "death harvest" had killed 18 players and seriously injured 137. Roosevelt summoned the game's most powerful figures and tasked them with reform. New rules announced in early 1906 drastically reduced fatalities.
• National Parks Often called the Conservation President, he doubled the number of National Park sites. He signed legislation establishing five new national parks and enacted the Antiquities Act, enabling proclamation of historic landmarks and national monuments.
• Medal of Honor Teddy Roosevelt is the only President to have been awarded the Medal of Honor — for his actions in Cuba in 1898. He and his son Theodore Jr. (WWII) are one of only two father-son pairs to both have received the nation's highest award. His son Quentin was killed in action in WWI; he and Theodore Jr. are buried adjacently in the Normandy American Cemetery.

The Tampa Rough Riders

The 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment – Rough Riders, Inc. was founded in 1978 to create and perpetuate a living memorial to the unique accomplishments of President Theodore Roosevelt and the members of the original 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. Today the organization is 630 members strong, with a dual historical and charitable mission.