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TR held many offices. He was on the federal Civil Service Commission, then headed the New York City Police Department. After campaigning vigorously for [[William McKinley]] in the momentous 1896 presidential election, he became Assistant Secretary of the Navy, the #2 position. TR loved ships and had written solid naval history; his goal was to modernize the Navy, bringing it up to world class standards.

TR held many offices. He was on the federal Civil Service Commission, then headed the New York City Police Department. After campaigning vigorously for [[William McKinley]] in the momentous 1896 presidential election, he became Assistant Secretary of the Navy, the #2 position. TR loved ships and had written solid naval history; his goal was to modernize the Navy, bringing it up to world class standards.

==War with Spain, 1898==

==War with Spain, 1898, and Medal of Honor==

When the battleship ''Maine'' was blown up in Manila harbor on February 15, 1898, Roosevelt, immediately resigned as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and worked with Colonel [[Leonard Wood]] to recruit a volunteer cavalry regiment composed of TR's Ivy League friends and western cowboys for the [[Spanish-American War|coming war against Spain]]. Hundreds answered his invitation to join in this grand endeavor, and, after brief training, the "Rough Riders" arrived in Cuba. On July 1, 1898, Roosevelt seized the initiative and led his men on the celebrated charge of San Juan Hill where 89 of the 490 who followed were killed. Nevertheless, the press and Roosevelt made this the most important battle of the campaign. The "splendid little war" (as termed by John Hay, State Ambassador to England<ref>Frank Freidel, ''The Splendid Little War'', (Boston: Little, Brown and Co. 1958)</ref>) was soon over and TR returned to a hero's welcome in New York City.

When the battleship ''Maine'' was blown up in Manila harbor on February 15, 1898, Roosevelt, immediately resigned as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and worked with Colonel [[Leonard Wood]] to recruit a volunteer cavalry regiment composed of TR's Ivy League friends and western cowboys for the [[Spanish-American War|coming war against Spain]]. Hundreds answered his invitation to join in this grand endeavor, and, after brief training, the "Rough Riders" arrived in Cuba. On July 1, 1898, Roosevelt seized the initiative and led his men on the celebrated charge of San Juan Hill where 89 of the 490 who followed were killed. Nevertheless, the press and Roosevelt made this the most important battle of the campaign. The "splendid little war" (as termed by John Hay, State Ambassador to England<ref>Frank Freidel, ''The Splendid Little War'', (Boston: Little, Brown and Co. 1958)</ref>) was soon over and TR returned to a hero's welcome in New York City.