American Involvement in Wars from Colonial Times to the Present

Civil war Battle of Antietam
Dead bodies at the Battle of Antietam. Library of Congress
Updated April 04, 2017

Following is a timeline showing the major wars in which America was involved, both before declaring independence and after. 

Chart of Wars With American Involvement 

Dates
 		War in Which American Colonists or
United States Citizens Officially Participated		Major Combatants
July 4, 1675 -
August 12, 1676		King Philip's WarNew England Colonies vs. Wampanoag, Narragansett, and Nipmuck Indians
1689-1697King William's WarThe English Colonies vs. France
1702-1713Queen Anne's War (War of Spanish Succession)The English Colonies vs. France
1744-1748King George's War (War of Austrian Succession)The French Colonies vs. Great Britain
1756-1763French and Indian War(Seven Years War)The French Colonies vs. Great Britain
1759-1761Cherokee WarEnglish Colonists vs. Cherokee Indians
1775-1783American RevolutionEnglish Colonists vs. Great Britain
1798-1800Franco-American Naval WarUnited States vs. France
1801-1805; 1815Barbary WarsUnited States vs. Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli
1812-1815War of 1812United States vs. Great Britain
1813-1814Creek WarUnited States vs. Creek Indians
1836War of Texas IndependenceTexas vs. Mexico
1846-1848Mexican-American WarUnited States vs. Mexico
1861-1865U.S. Civil WarUnion vs. Confederacy
1898Spanish-American WarUnited States vs. Spain
1914-1918World War I

Triple Alliance: Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary vs. Triple Entente: Britain, France, and Russia. The United States joined on the side of the Triple Entente in 1917.

1939-1945World War IIAxis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan vs. Major Allied Powers: United States, Great Britain, France, and Russia
1950-1953Korean WarUnited States (as part of the United Nations) and South Korea vs. North Korea and Communist China
1960-1975Vietnam WarUnited States and South Vietnam vs. North Vietnam
1961Bay of Pigs InvasionUnited States vs. Cuba
1983GrenadaUnited States Intervention
1989US Invasion of PanamaUnited States vs. Panama
1990-1991Persian Gulf WarUnited States and Coalition Forces vs. Iraq
1995-1996Intervention in Bosnia and HerzegovinaUnited States as part of NATO acted peacekeepers in former Yugoslavia
2001Invasion of AfghanistanUnited States and Coalition Forces vs. the Taliban regime in Afghanistan to fight terrorism.
2003Invasion of IraqUnited States and Coalition Forces vs. Iraq

 

Source: The New York Public Library Desk Reference, 3rd Edition.