In 1776, the 13 American colonies - refusing to pay unjust taxes - declared their independence from Britain. The resulting years of war are called the American Revolution…

From 1861 to 1865 America was caught in the convulsions of war—The Civil War. No historical event, short of the American Revolution itself, has so deeply affected the United States.

From 1861 to 1865 America was caught in the convulsions of war—The Civil War. No historical event, short of the American Revolution itself, has so deeply affected the United States.

On April 9, 1865, General Lee surrendered what remained of his Confederate Army. But what had the North won?

At the end of World War II, the United States and Soviet Russia vied for dominance around the world. This contest was called the Cold War. Both Korea and Vietnam felt the full brunt of this conflict…

After WWII, Korea was divided in half at the 38th parallel. To the north were the Communists; to the south were the United Nations peacekeeping forces.

On May 13, 1846, the United States Congress declared war on Mexico. Although the Mexican-American War lasted only 18 months, its consequences were profound.

By the turn of the twentieth century, the United States had evolved from a colony into an international power. As a result of the Spanish-American War, America acquired colonies in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. She also acquired a taste for international politics.

This is the story of a war during which one American President was assassinated, another declined to seek re-election, and a third was discredited.

The United States emerged from the American Revolution still engaged in old world politics. In particular, America faced all the trade restrictions of the British Navigation Acts.

President Woodrow Wilson called World War I “a war to make the world safe for democracy.” But the conflict did not result in democracy or safety.

Historians have said that World War II was a continuation of World War I - but with greater violence and less regard for the values of civilization.

What was the ultimate cost of World War II? For the Axis peoples, it was defeat, humiliation, and economic ruin. For the Allied peoples, the price was more subtle.

What was the ultimate cost of World War II? For the Axis peoples, it was defeat, humiliation, and economic ruin. For the Allied peoples, the price was more subtle.