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Nearly four decades after independence, the United States again found itself in conflict with its old imperial rival. On June 18th, 1812, after months of debate over British interference with American trade, the impressment of American sailors into the Royal Navy, and tensions along the frontier, Congress passed and President James Madison signed a declaration of war.
The day after Japanese aircraft and submarines attacked Pearl Harbor and other Pacific outposts, President Franklin Roosevelt addressed Congress in a joint session that would be remembered for its “day of infamy” language.
An American mission seeking diplomatic contact became a punitive naval and amphibious operation. The capture of Korean forts in June demonstrated military power without securing the agreement the expedition sought.
As the European war neared its end, American units fought their way into cities that had symbolized the enemy regime. By April 20th, 1945, elements of the United States Seventh Army had battled through the outskirts and defensive belts around Nuremberg, a city deeply associated with party rallies and racial laws. The fighting involved street-by-street advances, clearance of fortified buildings, and close coordination
During the Spanish–American War, American forces stepped ashore on the southern coast of Puerto Rico and opened a new front in the conflict with Spain. Troops under Major General Nelson Miles landed near the small harbor of Guánica, taking advantage of surprise and local currents to avoid heavier defenses elsewhere. Initial resistance was limited, but skirmishes soon broke out as Spanish and Puerto Rican troops probe
On this date, the Continental Congress resolved that the “United Colonies” would henceforth be known as the “United States of America.” It was a decision made in the middle of a war whose outcome was far from certain, but it gave the rebellion a clearer political…
Not every turning point comes with smoke and cannon fire.
In the early phase of the Mexican–American War, United States Navy ships under Commodore John D. Sloat arrived off Monterey, the principal Mexican port in Alta California. On July 7th, 1846, sailors and Marines landed, raised the American flag over the customs house, and proclaimed United States control of the town.
A story of a silent campaign against merchant ships and how it helped choke an island empire’s war effort.
On that same June weekend, United States soldiers were fighting on the ground in Italy. On June 4th, 1944, elements of the United States Fifth Army entered Rome after months of hard campaigning up the Italian peninsula, past Salerno, Cassino, and the Anzio beachhead. The capture of Italy’s capital marked the first time an Axis capital city fell into Allied hands, a powerful symbol of progress in a campaign sometimes
In the closing months of the Second World War in Europe, the Rhine River stood as a natural barrier shielding the heart of Germany from advancing Allied armies. On March 7th, 1945, soldiers of the United States 9th Armored Division reached the town of Remagen and were astonished to find the Ludendorff railroad bridge still standing despite German attempts to demolish it.
Before the United States formally entered the Second World War, its leaders faced the challenge of preparing a still-divided public for the scale of the coming struggle. On May 27th, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt used a nationwide address to proclaim an “unlimited national emergency,” warning that Axis victories overseas threatened American security. The declaration did not yet mean war, but it unlocked broad
A boiler explosion aboard the gunboat Bennington on July 21, 1905 turned routine naval service into a mass-casualty emergency. Rescue, medical care, investigation and public mourning followed.
Just days after Fort George fell, another drama played out at sea off the American coast. On June 1st, 1813, the American frigate USS Chesapeake sailed from Boston to challenge the British blockading ship HMS Shannon. In a furious, close-range engagement that lasted only minutes, British gunnery and boarding tactics shattered the Chesapeake’s crew, leaving Captain James Lawrence mortally wounded.
Early in the War of 1812, the United States Navy frigate Constitution intercepted the British frigate Guerriere in the Atlantic and accepted battle. In a sharp engagement marked by heavy gunnery and aggressive maneuvering, Constitution’s solid hull shrugged off many British round shot, giving rise to the famous nickname “Old Ironsides.” American broadsides dismasted Guerriere and left her so badly damaged that she ha
Off the French port of Cherbourg, two warships met in a duel that captured worldwide attention and helped decide a quieter but crucial front in the Civil War. The Confederate commerce raider CSS Alabama had spent years attacking Union merchant shipping across the globe, forcing the United States to divert warships to hunt her and driving up insurance rates.
As revolt simmered in Spanish-ruled Cuba and American public opinion burned with sympathy for Cuban insurgents, the armored cruiser USS Maine steamed into Havana harbor. Officially, the ship’s mission was to make a friendly visit and protect American citizens and interests in case unrest spilled over. Unofficially, her presence sent a blunt message that the United States was watching events closely and was willing to
On the night of February 15th, 1898, the battleship USS Maine exploded and sank while riding at anchor in Havana Harbor, killing more than two hundred American sailors. The ship had been sent to Cuba during a period of unrest as a visible symbol of United States interest in the island’s struggle against Spanish rule. When the Maine erupted and settled into the harbor mud, the immediate cause was unclear, and controve