Theodore Roosevelt was a fighter. "If it were righteous, he fought for it; if it was evil, he hurled the full weight of his personality against it. He never capitulated, never sidestepped, never fought foul. He carried the fight to the enemy" (Howland, pg. 1). Although Roosevelt was well known for his involvement in many political issues, he was most famous for his fight for his own physical wellness, his participation in the Spanish-American War, and his role as mediator in the Russo-Japan War, which won him the nobel peace price.
             Born in New York City in 1858, Theodore Roosevelt's first fight was for his health. During his childhood, he was in such bad health that it was doubtful that he would ever grow to manhood. He vigorously fought to physically strengthen his weak, thin body through to his years at Harvard. He endured many physical workouts and he enjoyed boxing. Roosevelt continued to box even after he became President in 1901.
             Roosevelt became a national hero during the Spanish-American War in 1898. The brief conflict arose between Spain and the United States because of Spanish policies in Cuba. U.S. sympathy after the Ten Years War (1868-1878) and the unsuccessful revolt in 1895 led to U.S. intervention in Cuba's fight for independence from Spanish rule.
             During this time, Roosevelt was Assistant Secretary of the
             Navy. The actual declaration of war dragged on for nearly two months. However, when the war arrived, Roosevelt resigned from his post as Assistant Secretary as he "... could not stand inactivity in Washington. He was a fighter - and he must go where the real fighting was" (Howland, pg 245).
             Roosevelt was named Lieutenant-Colonel of the Army's First United States Volunteer Calvary and, with Colonel Leonard Wood, was responsible in recruiting and equipping the new regiment. Two days after the announcement, nearly twenty-three thousand applications were received. Although Colonel Wood was...