# Race and Military Service in The Rough Riders

> Theme guide for The Rough Riders by Theodore Roosevelt.

Roosevelt acknowledges the contributions of African American regulars (the 'colored' cavalry), praising their fighting qualities, though within the racial attitudes of his era, referring to them as 'smoked Yankees.'

## Where it surfaces

- [IV: The Cavalry at Santiago](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_rough_riders_se/chapters/iv-the-cavalry-at-santiago): Roosevelt's interaction with retreating colored infantrymen and the eventual acceptance of black soldiers by the Rough Riders highlights racial tensions and camaraderie.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_rough_riders_se/themes/race_and_military_service
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_rough_riders_se/themes