Editing Theodore Roosevelt (section)

==Emergence as national figure==
===Assistant Secretary of the Navy===
[[File:LC-USZC4-701 (17518506711).jpg|thumb|The [[Asiatic Squadron]] destroying the Spanish fleet in the [[Battle of Manila Bay]] on May 1, 1898]]
In the [[1896 United States presidential election|1896 presidential election]], Roosevelt backed [[Thomas Brackett Reed]] for the Republican nomination, but [[William McKinley]] won the nomination and defeated [[William Jennings Bryan]] in the general election.{{Sfn|Miller|1992|pp=242–243}} Roosevelt strongly opposed Bryan's [[free silver]] platform, viewing many of Bryan's followers as dangerous fanatics. He gave campaign speeches for McKinley.{{Sfn|Miller|1992|pp=243–246}} Urged by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, President McKinley appointed Roosevelt as the [[Assistant Secretary of the Navy]] in 1897.<ref>{{Cite journal |first=David |last=Lemelin |title=Theodore Roosevelt as Assistant Secretary of the Navy: Preparing America for the World Stage |journal=History Matters |year=2011 |pages=13–34}}</ref> Secretary of the Navy [[John D. Long]] was in poor health and left many major decisions to Roosevelt. Influenced by [[Alfred Thayer Mahan]], Roosevelt called for a build-up in naval strength, particularly the construction of [[battleship]]s.{{Sfn|Miller|1992|p=253}} Roosevelt also began pressing his national security views regarding the Pacific and the Caribbean on McKinley and was adamant that Spain be ejected from Cuba.{{Sfn|Brands|1997|pp=310–212}} He explained his priorities to one of the Navy's planners in late 1897:

{{Blockquote |I would regard war with Spain from two viewpoints: first, the advisability on the grounds both of humanity and self-interest of interfering on behalf of the Cubans, and of taking one more step toward the complete freeing of America from European dominion; second, the benefit done our people by giving them something to think of which is not material gain, and especially the benefit done our military forces by trying both the Navy and Army in actual practice.{{Sfn|Roosevelt|2001|pp=157–158}}}}

On February 15, 1898, the armored cruiser {{USS|Maine|ACR-1|6}} exploded in the harbor of [[Havana, Cuba]], killing hundreds of crew. While Roosevelt and many other Americans blamed Spain for the explosion, McKinley sought a diplomatic solution.{{Sfn|Miller|1992|pp=267–268}} Without approval from Long or McKinley, Roosevelt sent out orders to several naval vessels to prepare for war.{{Sfn|Miller|1992|pp=267–268}}{{Sfn|Brands|1997|pp=325–326}} [[George Dewey]], who had received an appointment to lead the [[Asiatic Squadron]] with the backing of Roosevelt, later credited his victory at the [[Battle of Manila Bay]] to Roosevelt's orders.{{Sfn|Miller|1992|pp=261, 268}} After giving up hope of a peaceful solution, McKinley asked Congress to declare war on Spain, beginning the [[Spanish–American War]].{{Sfn|Miller|1992|pp=271–272}}

===War in Cuba===
{{Further|Rough Riders}}
[[File:Theodore Rooseveltnewtry.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|Colonel Roosevelt in 1898]]
With the beginning of the [[Spanish–American War]] in 1898, Roosevelt resigned as Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Along with Army Colonel [[Leonard Wood]], he formed the [[Rough Riders|First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment]].<ref name="LOC">{{cite web | url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/roughriders.html | title=The World of 1989: The Spanish–American War; Rough Riders | publisher=Library of Congress | access-date=February 7, 2015 | archive-date=February 7, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207100632/http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/roughriders.html | url-status=live }}</ref> His wife and many friends begged Roosevelt to remain in Washington, but Roosevelt was determined to see battle. When the newspapers reported the formation of the new regiment, Roosevelt and Wood were flooded with applications.{{Sfn|Miller|1992|pp=272–274}} Referred to by the press as the "Rough Riders", it was one of many temporary units active only during the war.{{Sfn|Samuels|1997|p=148}}

The regiment trained for several weeks in [[San Antonio, Texas]]; in his autobiography, Roosevelt wrote that his experience with the [[New York National Guard]] enabled him to immediately begin teaching basic soldiering skills.<ref>{{cite book |last=Roosevelt |first=Theodore |date=2014 |title=Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TwHCAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA244 |publisher=The Floating Press |page=244 |isbn=978-1-77653-337-4 |access-date=February 9, 2015 |archive-date=November 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119023721/https://books.google.com/books?id=TwHCAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA244 |url-status=live }}</ref> Diversity characterized the regiment, which included [[Ivy League]]rs, athletes, frontiersmen, [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]], hunters, miners, former soldiers, tradesmen, and sheriffs. The Rough Riders were part of the cavalry division commanded by former Confederate general [[Joseph Wheeler]]. Roosevelt and his men landed in [[Daiquirí]], Cuba, on June 23, 1898, and marched to [[Siboney, Cuba|Siboney]]. Wheeler sent the Rough Riders on a parallel road northwest running along a ridge up from the beach. Roosevelt took command of the regiment; he had his first experience in combat when the Rough Riders met Spanish troops in a skirmish known as the [[Battle of Las Guasimas]]. They fought their way through Spanish resistance and, together with the Regulars, forced the Spaniards to abandon their positions.<ref name="The Rough Riders">{{Cite book | last = Roosevelt | first = Theodore | author-link = Theodore Roosevelt | year = 1898 | chapter-url = http://www.bartleby.com/51/ | title = The Rough Riders | chapter = III | page = 2 | publisher = Bartleby | access-date = August 8, 2008 | archive-date = July 23, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080723190331/http://bartleby.com/51/ | url-status = live }}</ref>[[File:TR San Juan Hill 1898.jpg|thumb|Colonel Roosevelt and the [[Rough Riders]] along with members of the 3rd Volunteers and the [[10th Cavalry Regiment (United States)|10th Cavalry Regiment]] after capturing [[Kettle Hill]] in [[Cuba]] during the [[Spanish-American War]] in July 1898]] On July 1, in a combined assault with the Regulars, under Roosevelt's leadership, the Rough Riders became famous for charges up [[Kettle Hill]] and San Juan Hill. Roosevelt was the only soldier on horseback, as he rode back and forth between rifle pits at the forefront of the advance up Kettle Hill, an advance that he urged despite the absence of orders. He was forced to walk up the last part of Kettle Hill because his horse had been entangled in [[barbed wire]]. The assaults would become known as the Battle of San Juan Heights. The victories came at a cost of 200 killed and 1,000 wounded.{{Sfn|Brands|1997|p=356}}

In August, Roosevelt and other officers demanded the soldiers be returned home. Roosevelt recalled San Juan Heights as "the great day of my life". After returning to civilian life, Roosevelt preferred to be known as "Colonel Roosevelt" or "The Colonel"; "Teddy" remained much more popular with the public, though Roosevelt openly despised that moniker.<ref name= HandyBook>{{cite book| last= Matuz| first = Roger | title = The Handy Presidents Answer Book | url= https://archive.org/details/handypresidentsa0000matu| url-access= registration| year = 2004 | publisher=Visible Ink Press| isbn = 978-0-7808-0773-0 }}</ref>{{page needed|date=September 2021}}

===Governor of New York===
Shortly after Roosevelt's return, Republican Congressman [[Lemuel E. Quigg]], a lieutenant of New York machine boss [[Thomas C. Platt]], asked Roosevelt to run in the [[1898 New York state election|1898 gubernatorial election]]. Prospering politically from the [[Platt machine]], Roosevelt's rise to power was marked by the pragmatic decisions of Platt, who disliked Roosevelt. Platt feared Roosevelt would oppose his interests in office and was reluctant to propel Roosevelt to the forefront of national politics, but needed a strong candidate due to the unpopularity of the incumbent Republican governor, [[Frank S. Black]]. Roosevelt agreed to become the nominee and to try not to "make war" with the Republican establishment once in office. Roosevelt defeated Black in the Republican caucus, and faced Democrat [[Augustus Van Wyck]], a well-respected judge, in the general election.{{Sfn|Miller|1992|pp=309–311, 318}} Roosevelt campaigned on his war record, winning by just 1%.{{Sfn|Morris|1979|pp=674–687}}

As governor, Roosevelt learned about economic issues and political techniques that proved valuable in his presidency. He studied the problems of trusts, monopolies, labor relations, and conservation. G. Wallace Chessman argues that Roosevelt's program "rested firmly upon the concept of the square deal by a neutral state". The rules for the Square Deal were "honesty in public affairs, an equitable sharing of privilege and responsibility, and subordination of party and local concerns to the interests of the state at large".{{Sfn|Chessman|1965|p=6}}

By holding twice-daily press conferences—an innovation—Roosevelt remained connected with his middle-class base.{{Sfn|Morris|1979|p=693}} Roosevelt successfully pushed the Ford Franchise-Tax bill, which taxed public franchises granted by the state and controlled by corporations, declaring that "a corporation which derives its powers from the State, should pay to the State a just percentage of its earnings as a return for the privileges it enjoys".<ref>{{cite book | first = Theodore | last = Roosevelt | title = The Roosevelt Policy: Speeches, Letters and State Papers, Relating to Corporate Wealth and Closely Allied Topics, of Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=bJ8-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA2 | year = 1908 | page = 2 | access-date = October 17, 2015 | archive-date = April 6, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150406171230/http://books.google.com/books?id=bJ8-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA2 | url-status = live }}</ref> He rejected Platt worries that this approached Bryanite Socialism, explaining that without it, New York voters might get angry and adopt public ownership of streetcar lines and other franchises.{{Sfn|Brands|1997|pp=378–379}}

Power to make appointments to policy-making positions was a key role for the governor. Platt insisted he be consulted on major appointments; Roosevelt appeared to comply, but then made his own decisions. Historians marvel that Roosevelt managed to appoint so many first-rate people with Platt's approval. He even enlisted Platt's help in securing reform, such as in spring 1899, when Platt pressured state senators to vote for a civil service bill that the secretary of the Civil Service Reform Association called "superior to any civil service statute heretofore secured in America".{{Sfn|Chessman|1965|p=79}}

Chessman argues that as governor, Roosevelt developed the principles that shaped his presidency, especially insistence upon the public responsibility of large corporations, publicity as a first remedy for trusts, regulation of railroad rates, mediation of the conflict of capital and labor, conservation of natural resources and protection of the poor.{{Sfn|Chessman|1965|p=6}} Roosevelt sought to position himself against the excesses of large corporations and radical movements.{{Sfn|Miller|1992|p=322}}

As chief executive of the most populous state, Roosevelt was widely considered a potential presidential candidate, and supporters such as [[William Allen White]] encouraged him to run.{{Sfn|Miller|1992|pp=331–333}} Roosevelt had no interest in challenging McKinley for the nomination in 1900 and was denied his preferred post of [[Secretary of War]]. As his term progressed, Roosevelt pondered a 1904 run, but was uncertain about whether he should seek re-election as governor in 1900.{{Sfn|Miller|1992|pp=333–334}}

===Vice presidency (1901)===
{{Main |1900 United States presidential election}}

In November 1899, Vice President [[Garret Hobart]] died, leaving an open spot on the 1900 Republican national ticket. Though Henry Cabot Lodge and others urged him to run for vice president in 1900, Roosevelt issued a public statement saying that he would not accept the nomination.{{Sfn|Miller|1992|pp=333–334, 338}} Eager to be rid of Roosevelt, Platt nonetheless began a newspaper campaign in favor of Roosevelt's nomination.{{Sfn|Miller|1992|p=338}} Roosevelt attended the [[1900 Republican National Convention]] as a state delegate and struck a bargain with Platt: Roosevelt would accept the nomination if the convention offered it to him but would otherwise serve another term as governor. Platt asked Pennsylvania party boss [[Matthew Quay]] to lead the campaign for Roosevelt's nomination, and Quay outmaneuvered [[Mark Hanna]] at the convention to put Roosevelt on the ticket.{{Sfn|Miller|1992|pp=340–341}} Roosevelt won the nomination unanimously.{{Sfn|Miller|1992|p=342}}

Roosevelt's vice-presidential campaigning proved highly energetic and a match for Democratic presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan's barnstorming style. In a whirlwind campaign that displayed his energy to the public, Roosevelt made 480 stops in 23 states. He denounced the radicalism of Bryan, contrasting it with the heroism of those who won the war against Spain. Bryan had strongly supported the war itself, but he denounced the annexation of the [[Philippines]] as [[imperialism]]. Roosevelt countered that it was best for the [[Filipinos]] to have stability and the Americans to have a proud place in the world. The voters gave McKinley an even larger victory than that which he had achieved in 1896.{{Sfn|Brands|1997|pp=388–405}}<ref>John M. Hilpert, ''American Cyclone: Theodore Roosevelt and His 1900 Whistle-Stop Campaign'' (U Press of Mississippi, 2015).</ref>

Roosevelt took office as vice president in March 1901. The office was a powerless sinecure and did not suit Roosevelt's aggressive temperament.<ref>{{Cite journal | first = G Wallace | last = Chessman | title = Theodore Roosevelt's Campaign Against the Vice-Presidency | journal = Historian | year = 1952 | volume = 14 | number = 2 | pages = 173–190 | doi=10.1111/j.1540-6563.1952.tb00132.x}}</ref> Roosevelt's six months as vice president were uneventful and boring for a man of action. He had no power; he presided over the Senate for a mere four days before it adjourned.{{Sfn|Miller|1992|p=346}} On September 2, 1901, Roosevelt first publicized an [[aphorism]] that thrilled his supporters: "[[Big Stick ideology|Speak softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far."]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Woltman |first=Nick |date=August 31, 2015 |title=Roosevelt's 'big stick' line at State Fair stuck...later |url=https://www.twincities.com/2015/08/31/roosevelts-big-stick-line-at-state-fair-stuck-later/ |work=[[Twin Cities Pioneer Press]] |access-date=June 9, 2020 |archive-date=June 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610043645/https://www.twincities.com/2015/08/31/roosevelts-big-stick-line-at-state-fair-stuck-later/ |url-status=live }}</ref>