Discover how Theodore Roosevelt saw the United States declaring war on Spain in 1898 as an opportunity to test U.S. might, as well as his own. When the United States declared war on Spain in 1898, Theodore Roosevelt saw it as an opportunity to test U.S. might, as well as his own. At age 39, he left his wife and children to recruit and lead an all-volunteer cavalry division known as the Rough Riders. Roosevelt led the Rough Riders in the 1898 Spanish-American War.

To watch this clip in the context of a multi-step media gallery about Roosevelt's foreign policy, check out President Theodore Roosevelt: Foreign Policy Statesman or Bully?