Term
|
Definition
War fought between America and Britain due to impressment of American ships and freedom of the seas, brought a new wave of American nationalism, ended by The Treaty of Ghent in 1814, then the Battle of New Orleans was fought after the war had ended.
|
|
|
Term
| War with Mexico (1846-1848) |
|
Definition
| War between Mexico and America due to territorial disputes in the Southwest and the official annexation of texas, ended by The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, and the US received the territories of New Mexico and California, and the Rio Grande becomes the official boundary line between the US and Mexico. |
|
|
Term
| The American Civil War (1861-1865) |
|
Definition
| Fought between the US North (Union) and the US South (Confederacy), the war increased Northern industrialization, 118,000 Americans die, and the war ends in 1865 with the Confederacy being deafeated, also the right of secession is declared illegal and slavery is abolished by the 13th Amendment. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| War between the US and Spain over Spanish control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines; sinking of the USS Maine is used as a pretext for war, yellow-journalism is used to gain American public support, US Navy gains world-power status when they defeat the Spanish Navy at Manila Bay in the Philippines, war is ended with The Treaty of Paris (1898) and the US gets control of Guam, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Cuba, but the Teller Amendment grants Cuba self-rule in exchange for Guantonamo Bay as a naval base. |
|
|
Term
| WWI (US involvement 1917-1918) |
|
Definition
| War between the Allied Powers (Br, Fr, US, and Italy) and the Central Powers (Germ, Aust-Hung, and Turkey), the US got involved due to German violation of the Sussex Plegde and the Zimmerman Note, US govt passes the Espionage and Sedition Act restricting civil liberties of Americans, an armistice ends the fighting on Nov 11, 1918, The Treaty of Versailles forces Germany to accept blame and pay reparations, then territorial possessions of the Central Powers are broken up, Us refuses to ratify the treaty, rejects its participation in the League of Nations, and returns to a policy of isolationism. |
|
|
Term
| WWII (US involvement 1941-1945) |
|
Definition
| War betweent the Allied Powers (Br, US, SU) and the Axis Powers (Nazi Germ, Fascist Italy, Imperial Japan), US involvement caused by Japan attack on Pearl Harbor Dec 7, 1941, the war brings the US out of The Great Depression, women and minorities enter the industrial labor force, FDR starts his fourth presidential term, the US tests the first atomic weapons, Germany surrenders on May, 1945, Japan surrenders on Aug, 1945, and the US starts rebuildign the West hemsphere while Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe begins The Cold War (1945-1991) |
|
|
Term
| The Korean War (1950-1953) |
|
Definition
| War between United Nations' forces led but the US and the communist forces of China and North Korea, it was a war of containment (of communism), caused the Second Red Scare in the US, an armistice ended the fighting in 1953, the official boundary line betweent the Koreas stays at the 38th parallel, but the US maintains 50,000 troops in South Korea. |
|
|
Term
| The Vietnam War (1961-1973) |
|
Definition
| War of the US and South Veitnam against North Vietnam communist forces (Viet Cong), Congress give the President unlimited powers through the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964), first US troops sent to S Vietnam in 1965, most upopular war in US history, US signs the Paris Peace Accords with N Vietnam in 1973, US pulls out of S Vietnam, Congress passes the War Powers Act (1973) limiting the military authority of the president, and the returning vetrans were not very happily welcomed and many eperienced Delayed-Stress Syndrome |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| War between Us led coalition forces and Iraq over the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the ground war only lasted 100 hours, first war with women engaging in combat, Kuwait was liberated, greatest levels of American patriotism since WWII, and the United Nations placed economic sanctions on Iraq. |
|
|
Term
| War in Afghanistan (2002-Present) |
|
Definition
| War between the US and the Taliban govt of Afghanistan and the al Qaeda terrorist organization over the terrorist attacks against the US on Sept 11, 2002, first major involvement of American Special Forces and Army Rangers since the Vietnam War, Taliban govt was replaced with moderate, pro US Islamic govt, and even though the war is over sporadic fighting still continues. |
|
|
Term
| War with Iraq (2003-Present) |
|
Definition
| War between the US, Britain, Australia, and Iraq over Iraq's refusal to comply with US and UN demands on disarmament and to force a regime change in Iraq, caused a division in the UN, the first stage of war has ended but the US, Britain, and Australia are still engaged in occupational duties along with battling various Islamic terrorist groups for control of Iraq, and post-war Iraq is still in question. |
|
|
Term
| War on Terror (2003-Present) |
|
Definition
| US led effort to track down and destroy terrorist organizations, Iran, Syria, and North Korea are accused of sponsoring state supported terrorist nerworks, great divisions within the UN, US govt passes the Patriot Act to allow the FBI and the CIA to remove those in the US who appear to be a threat to national security, US govt creates a new executive office of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense reorganizes its Rapid Deployment Force to include anti-terrorist special operations units like the Delta Force. |
|
|
