From 1886 to 1901, Roosevelt became a historian, civil service commissioner, police commissioner, assistant secretary of the Navy, war hero, and vice-president. He was also forced to deal with his brother Elliott’s alcoholism, infidelity, and untimely death. In all these experiences Roosevelt sought to promote what he regarded as “righteousness.” His histories provided analysis of religious controversies while his work in the Civil Service Commission and police department illustrated his commitment to moral reform. His actions in the Spanish-American War won him a popularity that helped make him New York governor in 1898. Reluctantly, he agreed to run for vice-president in 1900. While Roosevelt did not recover much personal piety in these years, he gained a reputation as a moralistic preacher of righteousness.