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Boston Massacre, a print by Paul Revere

America's Wars

Boston Massacre, a print by Paul Revere

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Photo Galleries (12)

  • American Revolution: Events and Battles
    American Revolution: Events and Battles

    12 Photos

    Explore Revolutionary battle sites such as Lexington, Concord and Yorktown, and learn how the events that took place there shaped the course of the war.

    (12 Photos)
  • American Revolution: Key Military Figures
    American Revolution: Key Military Figures

    10 Photos

    View images of key military figures from the American Revolution, and learn what role they played in this war of independence.

    (10 Photos)
  • Civil War: Union Military Leaders
    Civil War: Union Military Leaders

    13 Photos

    View images of Union leaders from the Civil War, like Abraham Linoln and Ulysses S. Grant, and learn more about the roles they played in this bloody engagment.

    (13 Photos)
  • Civil War: Gettysburg
    Civil War: Gettysburg

    12 Photos

    Explore the historic Civil War battle of Gettysburg through photographs of the battlefield, the soldiers, and the memorials.

    (12 Photos)
  • Civil War: Fort Sumter
    Civil War: Fort Sumter

    9 Photos

    Explore Fort Sumter, South Carolina, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.

    (9 Photos)
  • Civil War: Battles of Bull Run
    Civil War: Battles of Bull Run

    10 Photos

    Learn about the two battles of Bull Run through paintings and photographs of the participants, the battlefield and the surrounding areas.

    (10 Photos)
  • End of World War II
    End of World War II

    8 Photos

    View pictures from VE day and VJ day as Americans celebrate the end of World War II.

    (8 Photos)
  • World War I: Trench Warfare
    World War I: Trench Warfare

    11 Photos

    Trench warfare reached its highest development on the Western Front during World War I (1914–18), when armies of millions of men faced each other in a line of trenches extending from the Belgian coast through northeastern France to Switzerland.

    (11 Photos)

Videos (30)

  • American Revolution
    American Revolution

    Video Clip (3:20)

    Get the story of how a fledgling, largely disconnected nation won its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.

    Video Clip (3:20)
  • Bet You Didn't Know: Veterans Day
    Bet You Didn't Know: Veterans Day

    Video Clip (2:11)

    Do you know why Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11th every year? Get the whole story behind the holiday.

    Video Clip (2:11)
  • History of Memorial Day
    History of Memorial Day

    Video Clip (3:37)

    A look at the official beginning of summer and America's most solemn holiday.

    Video Clip (3:37)
  • America and the Civil War
    America and the Civil War

    Video Clip (4:04)

    Discover how the bloodiest war in American history transformed the face of the nation.

    Video Clip (4:04)
  • Civil War Turning Point
    Civil War Turning Point

    Video Clip (3:08)

    Find out what event turned the tide of the Civil War.

    Video Clip (3:08)
  • Legacy of the Civil War
    Legacy of the Civil War

    Video Clip (1:22)

    One hundred and fifty years after it began, the Civil War is still an important component of our national character.

    Video Clip (1:22)
  • WWI Firsts
    WWI Firsts

    Video Clip (1:18)

    WWI may have been the war to end all wars, but it was also the beginning of many military and civilian technologies.

    Video Clip (1:18)
  • MacArthur and Me
    MacArthur and Me

    Video Clip (3:44)

    Judy Kent's neighbor, George Dibbs, was a combat photographer follwing General MacArthur during WWII and shared his films with her.

    Video Clip (3:44)
  • D-Day
    D-Day

    Video Clip (1:42)

    On June 6, 1944, the Allies invade Western Europe in the largest amphibious attack in history.

    Video Clip (1:42)
  • D-Day Invasion
    D-Day Invasion

    Video Clip (3:07)

    On June 6, 1944, Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy and turned the tides of World War II.

    Video Clip (3:07)
  • Attack on Pearl Harbor
    Attack on Pearl Harbor

    Video Clip (1:49)

    On December 7, 1941, Japan launches a surprise attack on American soil at Pearl Harbor.

    Video Clip (1:49)
  • WWII Spy Strategy
    WWII Spy Strategy

    Video Clip (2:37)

    The Allies use double agents, code breakers and spies to undermine the German military throughout WWII, but cracking the Enigma code proves to be their greatest breakthrough.

    Video Clip (2:37)
  • Vietnam
    Vietnam

    Video Clip (1:42)

    Whether they volunteered or were drafted, 1 out of 10 soldiers did not survive Vietnam.

    Video Clip (1:42)
  • Deconstructing History: Aircraft Carriers in Vietnam
    Deconstructing History: Aircraft Carriers in Vietnam

    Video Clip (1:31)

    U.S. forces relied heavily on aircraft carriers during the Vietnam War to assist in the air war strategy.

    Video Clip (1:31)
  • Deconstructing History: Vietnam
    Deconstructing History: Vietnam

    Video Clip (1:30)

    Discover facts, figures and history about Vietnam.

    Video Clip (1:30)
  • Deconstructing History: Huey Helicopters in Vietnam
    Deconstructing History: Huey Helicopters in Vietnam

    Video Clip (1:30)

    The UH-1 "Huey" helicopter became a symbol of U.S. combat forces in Vietnam.

    Video Clip (1:30)
  • Deconstructing History: Cu Chi Tunnels
    Deconstructing History: Cu Chi Tunnels

    Video Clip (1:29)

    Find out more about the elaborate network of underground tunnels used as hideouts, living quarters and supply routes for the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War.

    Video Clip (1:29)
  • Deconstructing History: Alamo
    Deconstructing History: Alamo

    Video Clip (2:47)

    It has become the site and symbol of the battle for Texan independence, but there is much more to the story. Find out why Americans will always remember the Alamo.

    Video Clip (2:47)
  • U.S. Jetfighter Ace of Korea
    U.S. Jetfighter Ace of Korea

    Video Clip (2:23)

    Get to know Colonel Ralph Parr, one of the greatest jetfighter aces in American history, whose three-decade Air Force career encompassed three wars and five combat tours.

    Video Clip (2:23)
  • A Memorial Day Tribute
    A Memorial Day Tribute

    Video Clip (2:53)

    HISTORY salutes the American soldier.

    Video Clip (2:53)
  • From Farm to Flyer
    From Farm to Flyer

    Video Clip (3:36)

    Kay Nehring's father was a pilot in the Pacific during WWII and Kay has found a home for his films shot during the war.

    Video Clip (3:36)
  • National WWII Memorial
    National WWII Memorial

    Video Clip (3:14)

    Thanks to WWII veteran Roger Durbin the National WWII Memorial opened at the Rainbow Pool in 1995.

    Video Clip (3:14)
  • Presidents Who Served
    Presidents Who Served

    Video Clip (3:39)

    Military service helped build character for Presidents George Bush and Henry Ford.

    Video Clip (3:39)
  • Blacks in the Military
    Blacks in the Military

    Video Clip (3:12)

    Learn how blacks serving in WWII helped forward the Civil Rights Movement.

    Video Clip (3:12)
  • World War II Soldiers Dig In
    World War II Soldiers Dig In

    Video Clip (2:50)

    American soldiers used military-issue shovels for many tasks in World War II.

    Video Clip (2:50)
  • Amphibious Assaults of World War II
    Amphibious Assaults of World War II

    Video Clip (2:16)

    The landing vehicle tank was essential to the amphibious assaults on D-Day and throughout the Pacific theater.

    Video Clip (2:16)
  • Charles Scheffel
    Charles Scheffel

    Video Clip (2:44)

    Born and raised in Enid, Oklahoma, Captain Jack Scheffel enlisted in the army in order to continue his family's strong tradition of military service. He soon learned that, in war, every decision you make can literally mean the difference between life and death.

    Video Clip (2:44)
  • The Christmas Truce
    The Christmas Truce

    Video Clip (2:15)

    During WWII soldiers from opposing sides laid down their guns and celebrated Christmas together.

    Video Clip (2:15)
  • America Divided
    America Divided

    Video Clip (3:54)

    America is at the brink of a Civil War as cotton spreads west and threatens to expand slavery into new territories.

    Video Clip (3:54)
  • Atomic Bomb Ends WWII
    Atomic Bomb Ends WWII

    Video Clip (2:49)

    The U.S. looked to a new weapon to put an end to WWII.

    Video Clip (2:49)

Speeches & Audio (10)

  • Chamberlain Declares War on Germany
    Chamberlain Declares War on Germany

    Audio Clip (2:58)

    On September 3, 1939, in a radio broadcast to his nation, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announces that Germany's refusal to withdraw its troops from Poland after its September 1 invasion has pushed Great Britain to war.

    Audio Clip (2:58)
  • Mussolini Declares War
    Mussolini Declares War

    Audio Clip (1:48)

    On June 10, 1940, in a rousing speech to his country, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declares war on France and England.

    Audio Clip (1:48)
  • FDR Asks Congress to Declare War on Japan
    FDR Asks Congress to Declare War on Japan

    Audio Clip (7:47)

    On the day after the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt tells a joint session of Congress that the United States must take up arms in response.

    Audio Clip (7:47)
  • Germany's Surrender in WWII
    Germany's Surrender in WWII

    Audio Clip (2:39)

    On May 7, 1945, a report from the WOR Newsroom announces the unconditional surrender of all German forces on all fronts. German Gen. Alfred Johl signed the document in Reims, France, at 2:41 a.m. local time, ending the European phase of the war.

    Audio Clip (2:39)
  • Clinton Sends Troops to Haiti
    Clinton Sends Troops to Haiti

    Audio Clip (4:55)

    On September 15, 1994, in an address to the nation, President Bill Clinton reviews the reasons behind his decision to launch a U.S.-led military mission to restore a democratic government to Haiti.

    Audio Clip (4:55)
  • Admiral Byrd Calls for an End to All Wars
    Admiral Byrd Calls for an End to All Wars

    Audio Clip (2:51)

    In April 1937, on the 20th anniversary of America's entrance into World War I, Adm. Richard E. Byrd, as honorary chairman of the No-Foreign-War Crusade, calls for an expanded effort to prevent the outbreak of another great war.

    Audio Clip (2:51)
  • Prospects for Peace in Vietnam
    Prospects for Peace in Vietnam

    Audio Clip (1:06)

    Despite North Vietnam's violation of the New Year ceasefire in 1967, Secretary of State Dean Rusk expresses hope for a peaceful resolution in Vietnam.

    Audio Clip (1:06)
  • LBJ on Resumption of Air Strikes in North Vietnam
    LBJ on Resumption of Air Strikes in North Vietnam

    Audio Clip (1:16)

    In a broadcast from the White House on January 31, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson informs the nation that U.S. airstrikes on Vietnam have resumed after a 37-day pause in bombing.

    Audio Clip (1:16)
  • JFK on Korean War Armistice Talks
    JFK on Korean War Armistice Talks

    Audio Clip (1:11)

    In July 1951, John F. Kennedy, a promising young Democrat from Massachusetts, offers his views on the terms the United States should seek at the Korean War armistice talks in Kaesong.

    Audio Clip (1:11)
  • Truman Orders U.S. Forces to Fight in Korean War
    Truman Orders U.S. Forces to Fight in Korean War

    Audio Clip (0:23)

    On July 19, 1950, in a radio and television address, President Harry Truman announces to the world that America will intervene in the Korean conflict in order to stem the spread of communism.

    Audio Clip (0:23)

Interactives (4)

Read More about America's Wars

Military conflicts throughout U.S. history have shaped the country's policies, influenced its culture, defined its borders and cost thousands of lives.

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