United States at War

A riveting full-page photo and a quotation from the period opens each chapter in this engaging analysis of the French and Indian War, which covers the arc of the conflict, from its genesis to its legacy.

On April 19, 1775, American militiamen gathered at the village center in Lexington to face the coming British soldiers. No one knows who fired the initial shot, but that first blaze of gunfire signaled the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Only a year after the first battle, the American colonies declared their independence from Britain, but the struggle for freedom would cost the lives of many men and women. From the first boycott of the Stamp Act to the final battle at Yorktown, the American Revolution shaped a new nation and introduced an era of democracy to the United States of America.

Many readers may know that the events of the War of 1812 inspired Francis Scott Key to write a poem that later became the national anthem. However, they may not be familiar with the reasons behind the war, its outcomes, and its legacy. Enhanced by excerpts from primary sources and images, this book will discuss the circumstances that led to the war, the people who fought it, the deciding battles, the aftermath, and how it has shaped the nation, we know today.

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and thousands of Americans were killed during the Persian Gulf War, which lasted from 1990 to 1991, and the Iraq War, which lasted from 2003 to 2011. Full of riveting primary sources and personal accounts and full-color photographs from the front lines, this book will provide readers with an in-depth look at the complicated relationship between Iraq and the United States, the reasons behind these two wars, the decision-makers, the important battles, and the global impact these conflicts have had which continues to affect us even today.

Before the Spanish-American War, the United States was a relatively isolated nation, but Cuba's fight to gain independence from Spain garnered sympathy from America and the mysterious sinking of the US battleship Maine pushed the young nation toward war and into world affairs. Engaging narrative enhanced by excerpts from primary sources and images will enthrall students as they learn about the events that led to the war, the important battles and military leaders, the outcome, and the legacy it has today.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States was thrust into World War II. The war with Japan would last four grueling years. Bold leaders, such as General Douglas MacArthur and President Franklin Roosevelt, would lead the United States to victory. Author R. Conrad Stein explores the historic carrier-based naval battles, the "island hopping" campaigns, the home front, and the beginning of the atomic age.

The Mexican War was a war of conquest led by the United States to take the lands north of the Rio Grande and Gila rivers from Mexico. Even today, the debate continues as to the morality of the U.S. invasion although it paved the way for the United States to become a dominant world power. Engaging narrative enhanced by excerpts from primary sources and images will enthrall students as they learn about the circumstances that led to the war, the people who fought it, the deciding battles, the aftermath, and the lasting impact it has had on American pop culture and relations between Mexicans and Americans.

The Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in American history, forced neighbor to fight neighbor and brother to fight brother. More Americans lost their lives in this conflict than in any other war. From the hallowed battlefield at Gettysburg to the surrender at Appomattox, author Zachary Kent explores this pivotal time in American history, when a nation on the brink of destruction was reunited and permanently rid of slavery.

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 ignited a bloody conflict among Europe's most powerful nations. As leaders in Europe bullied each other toward war, they had no idea that this war would become a global conflict. The United States entered World War I and sided with the Allies in their fight against the Central powers. Millions of people died during World War I; empires were destroyed, kings were dethroned, and entire countries disappeared. Author Zachary Kent details "the war to end all wars," including the doughboys of the United States, life on the home front, and the introduction of modern warfare.

"What are we over here fighting for?" An American soldier asked this question during the Vietnam War. Many other American soldiers and citizens wondered the same thing. The conflict began when the United States sent armed forces to defend South Vietnam against Communist North Vietnam. It was supposed to be a brief military operation, but it ended as a bloody, twelve-year conflict in which thousands of American soldiers were killed. Author Deborah Kent examines this tragic and controversial period in American history from the first Marines arriving at Da Nang to the final airlift out of Saigon.

Adolf Hitler, leader of Nazi Germany, ordered his army to invade Poland on September 1, 1939, igniting World War II in Europe. This bloody conflict ravaged Europe and millions of people died. Generals Dwight Eisenhower and George Patton led the United States armed forces across the Atlantic, helping the Allies claim victory. From the beaches of Normandy to the streets of Berlin, author R. Conrad Stein examines the important battles, the men and women who fought the war, and how this conflict changed the world.