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Beginning of French and Indian War
Also known as the Seven Years' War, the French and Indian War was fought in Europe, India, and North America by many European nations, most notably the French and English. The war centered around the ability of the English and French to gain colonial territories. The English would virtually drive the French out of North America, but the war was very costly from a financial standpoint which led to tensions between the England and the colonies, eventually leading to the Revolutionary War. -
Treaty of Paris
This treaty signed by Great Britain, France, and Spain, ended the French and Indian War. The treaty began a period of dominance of the British in North America and virtually eliminated the French colonies in North America. The treaty did provide protection for the French in Canada (Quebec) though. -
Revolutionary War
Beginning with the Battle at Lexington and Concord, the American Revolutionary War was the war between the British and the Americans over United States independence. The war was a result of many taxes and restrictions placed on colonists by the British and the American cry of "no taxation without representation." The war would end in 1783. -
Treaty of Paris
This treaty, which ended the Revolutionary War, was signed by the United States and Great Britain in 1783, and was ratified by the Congress of Confederation on January 14, 1784. The treaty was signed at Hotel d'York by Americans John Adams, Ben Franklin, and John Jay, and a member of the British Parliament, David Hartley. This provided that the United States would be free and sovereign (as well as other less significant points). -
War of 1812
This war, lasting from 1812 to 1815, was fought between United States and British troops. The United States declared the war for a number of reasons including a desire to expand into the Northwest territory, trade restrictions, impressment of U.S. sailors, and the British support of Native Americans against the United States. While watching one of the battles, Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics to the "Star Spangled Banner" which would become the U.S. National Anthem. -
Treaty of Ghent
This treaty ended the hostitlities between the United States and Great Britain. The Battle of New Orleans, a decisive victory for the Americans and a springboard for the political career of Andrew Jackson, was fought after the signing of the treaty though as news of the treaty had not yet reached the United States. The Treaty of Ghent ended the War of 1812 but really solved none of the issues that caused the war. Instead the fighting was ended and most of the issues at hand would be postponed. -
Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American war was a conflict between the United States and Mexico lasting from 1846 to 1848. The Mexicans were upset with the annexation of Texas by the U.S. and President James K. Polk was extremely willing to go to war with Mexico to gain territory in the Southwest. Polk sent General Zachary Taylor to the Rio Grande border, and when Mexican troops attacked Polk formally declared war on Mexico. The war was oppossed by many northerners and Whigs because of slavery expansion. -
Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo
This treaty, negotiated by Nicholas Trist, ended the war between the Mexicans and the Americans. The terms of the treaty are: 1. U.S. gains Mexican Cession (p.d. CA, NV, UT, AZ, NM, CO) 2. Mexico gives up all claims to Texas 3. Rio Grande River established as U.S.-Mexican border 4. U.S. pays Mexico $15 million 5. Mexican citizens living in transferred territories ensured property rights. -
Civil War
This was fought between the Confederate States of America (consisting of 11 southern states, led by President Jefferson Davis) and the United States of America (led by President Abraham Lincoln). The war began when Confederate troops attacked and took control of Union Fort Sumter (SC) and lasted until 1865. Reasons for secession include the Compromise of 1850, slavery, John Brown's raids, the nullification crisis, the Wilmot Proviso, the election of Republican Lincoln as president, etc. -
Appomattox Court House
This location, Appomattox Court House, Virginia, is where Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, thus ending the Civil War. Lee attempted to fight back one last time here but was eventually forced to surrender. The terms of surrender were very generous; Grant allowed the Confederate soldiers to take their horses and mules with them and he also provided them with food rations. The treaty of surrender was signed at about 4 p.m. on April 9th. -
Spanish-American War
This war, lasting only from April to August of 1898, was fought between the U.S. and Spain. Yellow journalism in the United States caused many Americans to side with the Cubans against the Spanish (Spanish were ruling Cuba at the time). The mysterious bombing of the USS Maine also pushed President McKinley to declare war on the Spanish. The Americans dominated the war which led to them gaining island possessions including the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam. -
US entry into WWI
While much of Europe had been waging war for almost three years because of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, as well as various alliances and the military buildup of many nations, the United States would not enter the war until WWI. They entered for a number of reasons, such as the sinking of the Sussex and the Lusitania, the Zimmerman Note, but most importantly, the unrestricted submarine warfare of the Germans. -
Armistice to end WWI
The armistice to end WWI took place on November 11, 1918, and effectively ended the fighting of WWI. The armistice was a total victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for the Germans. While loosely following Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points plan, much of the surrender was writtern by French General Ferdinand Foch included heavy reperation payments, immediate withdrawl of German troops and a number of other terms. -
Pearl Harbor
While Europe and Japan had been involved in war for a couple of years, the Japanese suprise attack on Pearl Harbor was what started the direct involvement of American in WWII. Naval forces of the Empire of Japan launched a suprise attack on the American naval base of Pearl Harbor. A large portion of the American fleet was destroyed and roughly 2,500 military personnel and civilians were killed in the attack. -
End of WWII
The end of WWII marked the end of many years of fighting between the Allied and Axis powers. The Germans surrendered on May 8, 1945. The Soviets had converged on and taken over the German capital of Berlin. Hitler had committed suicide roughly a week early. Japan would not officially surrender until September 2, 1945, after the United States had dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima on August 6th, followed by another atomic bomb being dropped on the city of Nagasaki on August 9th. -
Korean War
On June 25, 1950, North Korea, after months of heightening tensions, invaded South Korea. The United States came to aid of South Korea, intially pushing the Communist North Koreans to the Yalu River. China would then enter the war on the side of North Korea and launched a counter- attack, pushing the South Korean and American forces back to the 38th Parallel, that resulted in a stalemate and the creation of the Korean Demilitarized Zone -
Armistice to end Korean War
The Korean War had been in a stalemate in for almost two years, and there had been on and off again peace negotiations, but the return of prisoners of war had been the major debating point. Many North Korean POW's did not wish to return to the North, which was unacceptable to the North Koreans and Chinese. The United Nations accepted India's proposed armistice which settled the border at the 38th Parallel and established the Korean Demilitarized Zone. -
US involvement in Vietnam
Initially, it was the French, not the United States who sent their troops to Vietnam. The United States only sent military advisor to help the South in their war effort. Under Lyndon Johnson, however, the War in Vietnam was escalated, due to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. By 1968, the United States had 500,000 troops in Vietnam to fight North Vietnam and the communist guerilla fighters, the Vietcong. Early in 1968, North Vietnam and the Vietcong launched the Tet Offensive. -
Paris Peace Accord
Richard Nixon, elected President in 1968, promised "peace with honor" to end the War in Vietnam. He had his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger to negotiate a peace between North and South Vietnam. They all agreed to what was called the "Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam," that marked a ceasefire in Vietnam and the removal of American troops from Vietnam.
