Who Composed Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders?

A Volunteer Cavalry of Diverse Americans

The 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry—dubbed the "Rough Riders"—was authorized by Secretary of War Russell A. Alger. While Theodore Roosevelt is famously associated with leading them, the regiment included:

• Cowboys, ranchers, and miners from the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)
• Ivy League athletes and aristocrats from the Northeast (Harvard, Yale, Princeton)
• Lawmen, Native Americans, and African Americans (though segregated)
• Veterans of previous wars and adventurers

Many volunteered before Roosevelt joined. He resigned as Assistant Secretary of the Navy to serve as lieutenant colonel, later colonel. They fought dismounted at Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill (Cuba, 1898), becoming symbols of American martial spirit.