This portrait shows Theodore Roosevelt in the uniform of the “Rough Riders,” the volunteer cavalry regiment he organized and led during the Spanish–American War of 1898.

Colonel Theodore Roosevelt

Accession number:
2025.01

Maker:
Howard Chandler Christy
for Scribner's magazine (reproduction)

Historical period:
January 1899

Miltary branch:

Wars and Conflicts:

Type:
,

Dimensions:
16" x 19.5"

Acquisition date:
N/A

Credit line:
The Army and Navy Club Library Trust Fund

Location:
,

Provenance:
N/A

Label:

This portrait shows Theodore Roosevelt in the uniform of the “Rough Riders,” the volunteer cavalry regiment he organized and led during the Spanish–American War of 1898. It was the first U.S. volunteer cavalry regiment, comprised largely of cowboys, hunters and athletes. Roosevelt led the unit in the charge up Kettle Hill, part of the battle for San Juan Heights in Cuba. Though costly, the assault was celebrated in the press for helping drive Spanish forces from Cuba, and Roosevelt’s personal bravery—fighting on foot under fire—made him a national hero. The fame launched his political career, leading swiftly from New York politics to the vice presidency and, in 1901, the presidency.

The image was first created by illustrator Howard Christy in 1899 to promote Roosevelt’s serialized memoir of the campaign in Scribner’s Magazine. Christy was among the era’s most popular illustrators, and his patriotic imagery, widely distributed in magazines, played a central role in shaping public memory of the war and America’s emerging identity as a global power.