Tuesday, March 15, 2011

American Wars

Cross Posted @ Homeschooling Notebook

One way to study American History is to focus on the major wars that have occurred. The following wars had a huge part in the shaping of America, its culture, and its people.
  1. American Revolution
  2. Civil War
  3. War of 1812
  4. Spanish-American War
  5. World War 1
  6. World War 2
  1. Korean and Vietnam Conflicts
  2. Cold War
  3. Industrial Revolution
  4. Prohibition
  5. Great Depression
  6. Civil Rights Movement

American Revolution

The Revolutionary War lasted from 1775-1783. This fight between Great Britain and its thirteen colonies was the result of years of growing conflict. After the French and Indian War that occurred between 1754-1763, the British government began requiring the colonies to pay higher taxes. Over time, protests and conflict led to a tightening of control by the Mother Country. Beginning with the fighting at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, open warfare broke out.

Civil War

The Civil War which lasted from 1861 to 1865 divided the United States to such an extent that its impact can still be felt over 140 years later. Many of the major causes of the war were set from the inception of the Constitution. The battles, both large and small, were horribly bloody and resulted in over 600,000 deaths and over 450,000 injuries.

War of 1812

The War of 1812 has sometimes been called the Second War of Independence and was fought between the United States and Great Britain. During the war, Washington D. C. was taken over, and President Madison was forced to flee. The war ended in 1815 essentially restoring the status quo between the two countries.
Some call it the Second War of Independence, for when it ended and the US had fought Great Britain to a stalemate, America's independence was assured.

Spanish-American War

The Spanish-American War began in 1898 as a direct result of an incident that occurred in Havana harbor. On February 15, 1898, an explosion occurred on the USS Maine that caused the deaths of over 250 American sailors. Even though later investigations have shown that the explosion was a accident in the boiler room of the ship, public furor arose and pushed the country to war because of what was believed at the time to be Spanish sabotage.

World War 1

World War 1 was fought between 1914 and 1918, though the United States did not enter the war until 1917. The causes of World War 1 are complicated and based on years of entangling alliances and competition between nations.

World War 2

When events began happening in Europe that would eventually lead to World War 2, many Americans took an increasingly hard line towards getting involved. World War 1 had caused an increased desire for isolationism amongst the American people. However, the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 led to America's involvement in the war.

Korean and Vietnam Conflicts

Both Korea and Vietnam were "hot" wars that occured during the Cold War era. In both of the conflicts, America was fighting overseas to try and stop the spread of communism. Unfortunately, neither war resulted in victory for the United States and both led to increased dissension amongst the American people.

Cold War

The Cold War was a stand-off between the two major superpowers left at the end of World War II: the United States and the Soviet Union. They both tried to further their own ends by influencing nations around the world. The period was marked by conflict and increasing tension that only resolved with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991.




American History Timeline
American Involvement in Wars from Colonial Times to the Present


Dates
War in Which American Colonists or
United States Citizens Officially Participated
Major Combatants
July 4, 1675 -
August 12, 1676
King Philip's War New England Colonies vs. Wampanoag, Narragansett, and Nipmuck Indians
1689-1697 King William's War The English Colonies vs. France
1702-1713 Queen Anne's War War of Spanish Succession) The English Colonies vs. France
1744-1748 King George's War (War of Austrian Succession) The French Colonies vs. Great Britain
1756-1763 French and Indian War (Seven Years War) The French Colonies vs. Great Britain
1759-1761 Cherokee War English Colonists vs. Cherokee Indians
1775-1783 American Revolution English Colonists vs. Great Britain
1798-1800 Franco-American Naval War United States vs. France
1801-1805; 1815 Barbary Wars United States vs. Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli
1812-1815 War of 1812 United States vs. Great Britain
1813-1814 Creek War United States vs. Creek Indians
1836 War of Texas Independence Texas vs. Mexico
1846-1848 Mexican-American War United States vs. Mexico
1861-1865 U.S. Civil War Union vs. Confederacy
1898 Spanish-American War United States vs. Spain



 
Total Casualties as of December 13, 2010

Total Serving Battle Deaths Other Deaths Total Deaths Wounded Pct Killed
Revolutionary War
4,435
4,435 6,188 0
War of 1812 286,730 2,260
2,260 4,505 0.79%
Mexican War 78,718 1,733 11,550 13,283 4,152 16.87%
Civil War 2,213,363 140,414 224,097 364,511 281,881 16.47%
Spanish American 306,760 385 2,061 2,446 1,662 0.80%
World War I 4,734,991 53,202 63,114 116,316 204,002 2.46%
World War II 16,112,566 291,557 113,842 405,399 670,846 2.52%
Korean War 5,720,000 33,746 3,249 36,995 103,284 0.65%
Vietnam War 8,744,000 47,355 10,796 58,151 153,303 0.67%
Desert Storm 2,225,000 147 235 382 467 0.02%
Enduring Freedom
1,099 318 1,417 9,675 0
Iraqi Freedom
3483 890 4,408 31,935 0
Totals
579,809 430,197 1,010,003 1,471,900


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