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The first armed conflicts of the American Revolution, sparked by British troops marching to seize colonial military supplies, led to "the shot heard 'round the world" and forced a long, harried British retreat back to Boston, effectively starting the war and trapping the British in the city. Colonial militias, including Minutemen, successfully harassed the British forces throughout the day, resulting in significant British casualties and signaling that colonists fiercely resisted authority. -
A brutal test for the Continental Army, marked by extreme cold, food/supply shortages (especially shoes), rampant disease (typhus, dysentery), and disease-related deaths (around 2,000), but also by resilience, self-built log cabins, crucial training by Baron von Steuben, and emerging professionalism, transforming the army into a more unified, disciplined force by spring. -
Turned traitor in 1780 due to a mix of financial debt, resentment over lack of recognition, and loyalty issues stemming from his wife, Peggy Shippen, leading him to conspire with the British to surrender West Point for money and a British commission. His plot was discovered when his courier, Major John André, was captured with incriminating documents, forcing Arnold to flee to the British lines, where he later led raids against his former countrymen. -
A decisive American victory in the Revolutionary War's Southern Campaign, led by General Daniel Morgan against British Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton, notable for Morgan's brilliant use of a double envelopment tactic, resulting in devastating British losses (over 80% casualties) and a huge morale boost for the Americans, became a crucial turning point in the South. -
The USS Constitution, commanded by Captain Isaac Hull, defeated the HMS Guerriere on August 19, 1812, during the War of 1812, a significant American morale boost that earned Constitution the nickname "Old Ironsides" because its thick oak hull resisted British cannonballs, leading to the Guerriere's capture and scuttling, showcasing the new U.S. Navy's strength. -
The Battle of Baltimore (Sept. 12-14, 1814) was a crucial American victory in the War of 1812, where U.S. forces successfully defended the port city against a British land and sea assault, leading to the inspiration for Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner" after witnessing the flag still flying over Fort McHenry. -
The last major battle of the War of 1812, a decisive U.S. victory led by General Andrew Jackson against a larger British force, was famously fought after the peace treaty was signed but before news arrived, featuring American defenders in earthworks defeating a frontal assault with minimal casualties for the U.S. and devastating losses for the British. -
Andrew Jackson's election marked a populist shift in American politics, emphasizing the "common man" and frontier spirit, culminating in his decisive win in 1828 against John Quincy Adams, though his path included the controversial 1824 election, where he lost the presidency despite winning the popular vote due to a "corrupt bargain" in the House. His campaigns featured bitter personal attacks, especially against his wife, Rachel, who died just before his inauguration. -
A pivotal siege during the Texas Revolution where ~200 Texian defenders, including Davy Crockett Jim Bowie, were overwhelmed by thousands of Mexican troops led by General Santa Anna. -
Mexico ceded vast territories (including present-day California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, and Kansas) to the U.S. for $15 million, establishing the Rio Grande as the Texas border, and promising rights for Mexicans in ceded lands, though integration proved difficult and sparked slavery debates in the U.S. -
The 16th U.S. President in 1860 as the first Republican, winning the Electoral College with 40% of the popular vote against a split Democratic field (Stephen Douglas, John Breckinridge) and Constitutional Union candidate John Bell, securing all electoral votes from free states, foreshadowing the Civil War over slavery. His victory, built on national attention from the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, made him the first president to be assassinated in office, and he's the tallest U.S. President. -
After Abraham Lincoln's election, becoming the first state to do so, fearing his anti-slavery platform threatened their way of life and economy centered on slavery. The state's ordinance of secession declared the Union dissolved, citing Northern states' hostility to slavery and failure to uphold constitutional obligations, triggering a chain reaction of other Southern states leaving the Union and ultimately leading to the Civil War. -
The first major Civil War battle, a Confederate victory that showed the war would be long and bloody, not quick; it featured inexperienced troops, civilian spectators, and the famous "Stonewall" nickname for General Jackson, ending in a chaotic Union retreat despite early successes, with nearly 4,000 total casualties. -
It was the bloodiest battle of the U.S. Civil War, a major turning point, and the largest battle ever fought in North America, resulting in over 50,000 casualties and a Union victory that ended Confederate General Robert E. Lee's invasion of the North. Key facts include Union victory, leaders George Meade (Union) and Robert E. Lee (Confederate), the infamous Pickett's Charge on Day 3, and its aftermath, including the Gettysburg Address. -
The Appomattox Court House surrender on April 9, 1865, marked the effective end of the U.S. Civil War, with General Robert E. Lee surrendering the Army of Northern Virginia to General Ulysses S. Grant at Wilmer McLean's home. -
The Maine was to head for New Orleans in time for Mardi Gras. By then, McKinley hoped, anti-Spain fervor should have died down. But at 2140 on the night of 15 February, a massive explosion tore through the ship, killing 250 men and two officers. (Mortal injuries raised the final toll to 266.) -
Became the official U.S. national anthem when President Herbert Hoover signed a congressional resolution into law, culminating decades of advocacy led by Maryland Representative John Linthicum. Written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 after witnessing the flag's endurance over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, the song was initially popular as sheet music, adopted by the Navy in 1889, and gained widespread recognition before its official designation, solidifying as a powerful patriotic symbol. -
A major WWII campaign, notably General MacArthur's return October 1944 (Leyte landings) fulfilling his promise, leading to massive US landings and fierce fighting, culminating in the devastating Battle of Manila (February 1945) that destroyed the city but broke Japanese resistance, with fighting lasting until Japan's surrender, resulting immense casualties for both sides and Filipino civilians, and including the decisive Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 1944) that crippled the Japanese Navy.