who were the rough riders

The Rough Riders were the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, a famous cavalry regiment raised in 1898 for the Spanish-American War. They were a diverse group of volunteers including cowboys, Ivy League athletes, glee club singers, Texas Rangers, and Native Americans, primarily recruited from the southwestern U.S. territories like Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The regiment was originally commanded by Colonel Leonard Wood, with Theodore Roosevelt as his second in command, who later became the President of the United States. Although called cavalry, the Rough Riders often fought as light infantry due to the absence of their horses in combat. They are best remembered for their role in the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba, which contributed significantly to the U.S. victory in the war. The Rough Riders gained widespread publicity and became legendary partly because of Roosevelt's writings and their dramatic exploits during the war.