Its victory in the Spanish American War catapulted the United States into the international limelight. This program investigates the history of the war, as well as the journalistic accounts of the conflict. The two are at variance. Archival film footage, photographs, and commentary by historians contrast actual events with the newspaper accounts of "yellow journalist" William Randolph Hearst. Regardless of the truth of his sensationalism, the truth remains that Theodore Roosevelt became a national hero, his Rough Riders became legendary, and the United States became a country to be reckoned with on the world stage.
~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide