Roosevelt seemed to thrive on the kind of leadership required in battle. After an initial brief period in public office, he decided that he did not want to be "stuck" in a government position if a war broke out. Instead, he pursued a career that would allow him to build a public name for himself as a rough and ready soldier. His big chance came when the American warship the USS Maine caught fire in Havana Harbor on February 15th, 1898. The U.S. Navy blamed the explosion on a mine laid by Spain, which still had colonies and the Western Hemisphere and therefore kept a military presence nearby. It is now believed that the explosion probably resulted from an internal coal fire--not an enemy attack, but the incident led to increased tensions nonetheless.
When the U.S. did go to war with Spain later that year, Roosevelt was serving as Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President William McKinley. Against McKinley's wishes--and those of his family--Roosevelt resigned from his position to help another Navy officer assemble a volunteer cavalry regiment known as the Rough Riders. On July 1, 1898, Roosevelt led first a naval assault and then an infantry advance at San Juan Hill, in Cuba. The attack was bold, successful and, according to Roosevelt, instrumental in winning the battle. Word of the charge reached the U.S. mainland, and soon Roosevelt had established his reputation as a war hero.
Question
What other reasons might Roosevelt have for wanting to lead a charge at San Juan Hill, besides achieving a military objective?
