Merriam Press Military History Series. The military history of the United States is much maligned in the minds of far too many Americans these days and unfortunately so is much of history in general. In its place textbooks focus on mundane issues that have little relevance to our past and will do little or nothing for our future. When someone is asked what year the War of 1812 occurred and has no answer that pretty much tells you that we are marching down a slippery path that may well have catastrophic outcomes. The same is true when a person who should know can’t state the countries we faced in World War II other than to mention France who was an ally.

This total lack of historical knowledge is frightening when one considers the words of George Santayana in his work The Life of Reason where he wrote: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Others more recently have made similar phrases that say much the same. Yet, the younger generation either does not care to hear our historical past or are denied the facts by our out-of-touch education system. More attention is given to the type of foods served in the school cafeterias than how our nation has progressed through time.

Patriotism has largely been replaced with notions of diversity and social matters that have little or no meaning to what our founding fathers put forth in both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. Individuals burn the U.S. flag or defame our country on one accord and suck up the freedoms offered by our laws on the other as if they are entitled to those same rights.

The object of this work is to focus on the military history of our nation from its earliest beginnings to the end of the American Civil War. Military history of the United States does not mean only organized armies. From the time of Spanish exploration of North America there have been conflicts that required a response that was military in some sense. The progression of that response comes from crews aboard ships, individuals taking up arms, quasimilitary groups, organized State militias, and to fully constituted nation armies. The first conflicts in North America involved the Native American Indians against small groups or individuals, not armies, but that would change as this nation grew in population. Countries like France and Great Britain would send their military troops to these shores for territorial gains changing the scope to full military involvement. The stage was set for the beginning of the United States Military. Illustrated.

Contents

Military History of the United States Timeline

Preface

French and Indian Wars

The Revolutionary War

Post Revolutionary War

The War of 1812

Native American Indian Wars

Texas War with Mexico

Mexican War

American Civil War

Bibliography

Index