Timeline of United States military operations
This timeline of United States military operations, based in part on reports by the Congressional Research Service, shows the years and places in which United States Armed Forces units participated in armed conflicts or occupation of foreign territories. Items in bold are wars most often considered to be major conflicts by historians and the general public.
Note that instances where the U.S. government gave aid alone, with no military personnel involvement, are excluded, as are Central Intelligence Agency operations. In domestic peacetime disputes such as riots and labor issues, only operations undertaken by active duty personnel are depicted in this article; state defense forces and the National Guard are not included, as they are not fully integrated into the U.S. Armed Forces even if they are federalized for duty within the United States itself.
Conflict names and dates
Throughout its history, the United States has engaged in numerous military conflicts. The country has officially declared war on foreign nations on five occasions. Additionally, the United States Congress and the United Nations Security Council have authorized and funded various military engagements. In the military, specific names are assigned to operations and phases of wars. For example, during the Gulf War, operations were designated as Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Desert Sabre. Furthermore, each operation may encompass distinct phases, each with its own unique name.Extraterritorial and major domestic deployments
Portions of this list are from the Congressional Research Service report RL30172, version of October 5, 2004.1775–1799
1775–1783: American Revolutionary War: an armed struggle for secession from the British Empire by the Thirteen Colonies that would subsequently become the United States.1776–1777: Cherokee War of 1776: a series of armed conflicts when the Cherokee fought to prevent the encroachment of American settlers into eastern Tennessee and eastern Kentucky; under British rule, this land had been preserved as native territory.
1776–1794: Cherokee–American wars: a continuation of the Second Cherokee War, which included a larger number of native tribes attempting to halt the expansion of settlers into Kentucky and Tennessee
1785–1795: Northwest Indian War: a series of battles with various native tribes in present-day Ohio. The goal of the campaign was to affirm American sovereignty over the region and to create increased opportunities for settlement.
1786–1787: Shays' Rebellion: a Western Massachusetts debtor's revolt over a credit squeeze that had financially devastated many farmers. The federal government was fiscally unable to raise an army to assist the state militia in combating the uprising; the weakness of the national government bolstered the arguments in favor of replacing the Articles of Confederation with an updated governmental framework.
1791–1794: Whiskey Rebellion: a series of protests against the institution of a federal tax on the distillation of spirits as a revenue source for repaying the nation's war bonds. The revolt was centered upon southwestern Pennsylvania, although violence occurred throughout the Trans-Appalachian region.
1798–1800: Quasi-War: an undeclared naval war with the French First Republic over American default on its war debt. Another contributing factor was the continuation of American trade with Britain, with whom their former French allies were at war. This contest included land actions, such as that in the Dominican Republic city of Puerto Plata, where U.S. Marines captured a French vessel under the guns of the forts. Congress authorized military action through a series of statutes.
1799–1800: Fries's Rebellion: a string of protests against the enactment of new real estate taxes to pay for the Quasi-War. Hostilities were concentrated in the communities of the Pennsylvania Dutch.
1800s
1801–1805: First Barbary War: a series of naval battles in the Mediterranean against the Kingdom of Tripoli, a quasi-independent state of the Ottoman Empire. Action was in response to the capture of numerous American ships by the infamous Barbary pirates. The federal government rejected the Tripolitan request for an annual tribute to guarantee safe passage, and an American naval blockade ensued. After the seizure of, American forces under William Eaton invaded coastal cities. A peace treaty resulted in the payment of a ransom for the return of captured American soldiers and only temporarily eased hostilities.1806: Pike Expedition: On an exploratory expedition ordered by Gen. James Wilkinson, an Army platoon under Captain Zebulon Pike unintentionally entered Spanish Mexico at the headwaters of the Rio Grande. Pike and his troops were made prisoner without resistance at a fort he constructed in present-day Colorado, taken to Mexico, and later released after seizure of his papers.
1806–1810: Action in the Gulf of Mexico: American gunboats operated from New Orleans against Spanish and French privateers off the Mississippi Delta, chiefly under Captain John Shaw and Commodore David Porter.
1810s
1810: West Florida : Governor William C. C. Claiborne of Louisiana, on orders of President James Madison, occupied with troops territory in dispute east of the Mississippi River as far as the Pearl River, later the eastern boundary of Louisiana. He was authorized to seize as far east as the Perdido River.1812: Amelia Island and other parts of east Florida, then under Spain: Temporary possession was authorized by President James Madison and by Congress, to prevent occupation by any other power; but possession was obtained by General George Mathews in so irregular a manner that his measures were disavowed by the President.
1812–1815: War of 1812: On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war against the United Kingdom. Among the issues leading to the war were British impressment of American sailors into the Royal Navy, interception of neutral ships and blockades of the United States during British hostilities with France, and support for Indian attacks on American settlers in the Northwest Territory. The war ended with the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.
1813: West Florida : On authority given by Congress, General Wilkinson seized Mobile Bay in April with 600 soldiers. A small Spanish garrison gave way. Thus U.S. troops advanced into disputed territory to the Perdido River, as projected in 1810. No fighting.
1813–1814: Nuku Hiva Campaign: U.S. forces built a fort on the island of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands to protect three prize ships which had been captured from the British. The American force subsequently fought with and against native tribes.
1814: Spanish Florida: General Andrew Jackson took Pensacola and drove out the British forces.
1814–1825: Caribbean: Engagements between pirates and U.S. Navy ships or squadrons took place repeatedly especially ashore and offshore about Cuba, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, and Yucatán. Three thousand pirate attacks on merchantmen were reported between 1815 and 1823. In 1822, Commodore James Biddle employed a squadron of two frigates, four sloops of war, two brigs, four schooners, and two gunboats in the West Indies.
1815: Algiers: The Second Barbary War was declared against the United States by the Dey of Algiers of the Barbary states, an act not reciprocated by the United States. Congress did authorize a military expedition by statute. A large fleet under Captain Stephen Decatur attacked Algiers and obtained indemnities.
1815: Tripoli: After securing an agreement from Algiers, Captain Stephen Decatur demonstrated with his squadron at Tunis and Tripoli, where he secured indemnities for offenses during the War of 1812.
1816: Spanish Florida: United States forces destroyed Negro Fort, which harbored fugitive slaves making raids into United States territory.
1816–1818: Spanish Florida – First Seminole War: The Seminole Indians, whose area was a haven for escaped slaves and border ruffians, were attacked by troops under General Jackson and General Edmund P. Gaines and pursued into northern Florida. Spanish posts were attacked and occupied, British citizens executed. In 1819 the Floridas were ceded to the United States.
1817: Amelia Island : Under orders of President James Monroe, United States forces landed and expelled a group of smugglers, adventurers, and freebooters. This episode in Florida's history became known as the Amelia Island Affair.
1818: Oregon:, dispatched from Washington, made a landing at the mouth of the Columbia River to assert U.S. claims. Britain had conceded sovereignty but Russia and Spain asserted claims to the area. Subsequently, American and British claims to the Oregon Country were resolved with the Oregon Treaty of 1846.
1820s
1820–1823: Africa: Naval units raided the slave traffic pursuant to the 1819 act of Congress.1822: Spanish Cuba: United States naval forces suppressing piracy landed on the northwest coast of Cuba and burned a pirate station.
1823: Cuba: Brief landings in pursuit of pirates occurred April 8 near Escondido; April 16 near Cayo Blanco; July 11 at Siquapa Bay; July 21 at Cape Cruz; and October 23 at Camrioca.
1823: Arikara War.
1824: Cuba: In October landed sailors near Matanzas in pursuit of pirates. This was during the cruise authorized in 1822.
1824: Puerto Rico : Commodore David Porter with a landing party attacked the town of Fajardo which had sheltered pirates and insulted naval officers. He landed with 200 men in November and forced an apology. Commodore Porter was later court-martialed for overstepping his powers.
1825: Cuba: In March cooperating American and British forces landed at Sagua La Grande to capture pirates.
1827: Greece: In October and November, landing parties hunted pirates on the Mediterranean islands of Argentiere, Myconos, and Andros.