List of wars involving the United States
The United States has been involved in 108 military conflicts. These include major conflicts like the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II and the Gulf War. It also includes US involvement in widespread periods of conflict like the Indian Wars, the Cold War (including the Korean War and the Vietnam War), and the War on Terror (including the Iraq War, the War in Afghanistan, and others).
Four military engagements encompassing three wars, all of which are interventions, currently involve the US: the Yemeni Civil War, the Somali Civil War, and the Syrian Civil War.
- USA victory - 78
- Another result * - 13
- USA defeat - 13
- Ongoing conflict - 4
*e.g. a treaty or peace without a clear result, status quo ante bellum, result of civil or internal conflict, result unknown or indecisive, inconclusive
18th-century wars
19th-century wars
Conflict | Allies | Opponent(s) | Result for the United States and its Allies | Presidents of the United States |
---|---|---|---|---|
First Barbary War (1801–1805) Part of the Barbary Wars Location: Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Tripoli ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | US-allied victory | Thomas Jefferson |
Tecumseh's War (1810–1813) Part of the American Indian Wars and the War of 1812 Location: Northwest River Ohio ![]() | ![]() | Tecumseh's Confederacy List | US victory | James Madison |
War of 1812 (1812–1815) Location: Eastern and Central North America ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() Creek Allies | ![]() List ![]() | Inconclusive/Other Result
| |
Creek War (1813–1814) Part of the American Indian Wars and the War of 1812 Location: Southern United States ![]() | ![]() Lower Creeks ![]() ![]() | Red Stick Creek | US-allied victory | |
Second Barbary War (1815) Part of the Barbary Wars Location: Mediterranean Sea and the Barbary States ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | US victory | |
First Seminole War (1817–1818) Part of the Seminole Wars and the American Indian Wars Location: Pensacola, Spanish Florida ![]() | ![]() | Seminole | US victory
| James Monroe |
Arikara War (1823) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Missouri River ![]() | ![]() | Arikara | Inconclusive/Other Result
| |
Winnebago War (1827) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Illinois and Michigan Territory | ![]() ![]() | Prairie La Crosse Ho-Chunks with a few allies | US-allied victory
| John Quincy Adams |
Black Hawk War (1832) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Illinois and Michigan Territory ![]() | ![]() Ho-Chunk Menominee ![]() Potawatomi | Black Hawk's British Band Ho-Chunk and Potawatomi allies | US-allied victory
| Andrew Jackson |
Second Seminole War (1835–1842) Part of the Seminole Wars and the American Indian Wars Location: Florida, United States ![]() | ![]() | Seminole | US victory
| Andrew Jackson (March 4, 1829 – March 4, 1837) Martin Van Buren (March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1841) William Henry Harrison (March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841) John Tyler (April 4, 1841 –March 4, 1845) |
Texas Comanche Wars (1836–1875) Part of the Texas–Indian wars and the American Indian Wars Location: South-central United States (Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado) and northern Mexico ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | US victory | Andrew Jackson (March 4, 1829 – March 4, 1837) Martin Van Buren (March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1841) William Henry Harrison (March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841) John Tyler (April 4, 1841 –March 4, 1845) James K. Polk (March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849) Zachary Taylor (March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850) Millard Fillmore (July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853) Franklin Pierce (March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857) James Buchanan (March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861) Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865) Andrew Johnson (April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869) Ulysses S. Grant (March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877) |
Mexican–American War (1846–1848) Location: Texas, New Mexico, California and Mexico ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | US-allied victory
| James K. Polk |
Cayuse War (1847–1855) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Oregon ![]() | ![]() | Cayuse | US victory
| James K. Polk (March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849) Zachary Taylor (March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850) Millard Fillmore (July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853) Franklin Pierce (March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857) |
Apache Wars (1849–1924) Part of the Texas–Indian wars and the American Indian Wars Location: Southwestern United States ![]() | ![]() | Apache Ute Yavapai | US victory
| James K. Polk (March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849) Zachary Taylor (March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850) Millard Fillmore (July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853) Franklin Pierce (March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857) James Buchanan (March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861) Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865) Andrew Johnson (April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869) Ulysses S. Grant (March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877) Rutherford B. Hayes (March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881) James A. Garfield (March 4, 1881 – September 19, 1881) Chester A. Arthur (September 19, 1881 – March 4, 1885) Grover Cleveland (March 4, 1885 – March 4, 1889) Benjamin Harrison (March 4, 1889 – March 4, 1893) Grover Cleveland (March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1897) William McKinley (March 4, 1897 – September 14, 1901) Theodore Roosevelt (September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909) William Howard Taft (March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913) Woodrow Wilson (March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1921) Warren G. Harding (March 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923) Calvin Coolidge (August 2, 1923 – March 4, 1929) |
Navajo Wars (1849–1866) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: New Mexico ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | US victory
| James K. Polk (March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849) Zachary Taylor (March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850) Millard Fillmore (July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853) Franklin Pierce (March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857) James Buchanan (March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861) Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865) Andrew Johnson (April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869) |
Bleeding Kansas (1854–1861) Location: Kansas and Missouri ![]() | Anti-slavery settlers (Free-Staters) | Pro-slavery settlers (Border Ruffians) | Free-Stater victory.
| Franklin Pierce (March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857) James Buchanan (March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861) |
Puget Sound War (1855–1856) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Washington | ![]() Snoqualmie | Nisqually Muckleshoot Puyallup Klickitat Haida Tlingit | US victory
| Franklin Pierce |
Rogue River Wars (1855–1856) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Rogue Valley | ![]() | Tututni | US victory
| |
Third Seminole War (1855–1858) Part of the Seminole Wars and the American Indian Wars Location: Pensacola, Florida | ![]() | Seminole | US victory
| Franklin Pierce (March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857) James Buchanan (March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861) Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865) Andrew Johnson (April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869) |
Yakima War (1855–1858) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Washington Territory ![]() | ![]() Snoqualmie | Yakama Walla Walla tribe Umatilla tribe Nez Perce tribe Cayuse tribe | US victory | |
Second Opium War (1856–1859) Part of the Opium Wars Location: China ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() | US victory
| |
Utah War (1857–1858) Part of the Mormon wars Location: Utah Territory and Wyoming | ![]() | ![]() | Inconclusive/Other Result
| |
Reform War (1858–1866) Location: Mexico | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | Liberals - US victory | |
Pig War (1859) Location: San Juan Islands ![]() Proposed boundaries: Through Haro Strait, favored by the US Through Rosario Strait, favored by Britain Through San Juan Channel, compromise proposal The lines are as shown on maps of the time. The modern boundary follows straight line segments and roughly follows the blue line. The modern eastern boundary of San Juan County roughly follows the red line. | ![]() | ![]() | Inconclusive/Other Result
| James Buchanan |
John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry (1859) Part of pre-Civil War conflicts Location: West Virginia ![]() | ![]() | Abolitionist Insurgents | US victory | |
First and Second Cortina War (1859–1861) Location: Texas and Mexico | ![]() | ![]() | US-allied victory | |
Paiute War (1860) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Pyramid Lake, Nevada | ![]() | Paiute Shoshone Bannock | US victory | |
American Civil War (1861–1865) Location: Southern United States, Indian Territory, Northeastern United States, Western United States, Atlantic Ocean ![]() | ![]() Indian Home Guard ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() Catawba ![]() ![]() | US victory
| |
Yavapai Wars (1861–1875) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Arizona ![]() | ![]() | Yavapai Apache Yuma Mohave | US victory | Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865) Andrew Johnson (April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869) Ulysses S. Grant (March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877) |
Dakota War of 1862 (1862) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Minnesota and Dakota ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | US victory | Abraham Lincoln |
Colorado War (1863–1865) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska | ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Inconclusive/Other Result
| |
Snake War (1864–1868) Part of the American Indian Wars Locations: Oregon, Nevada, California, and Idaho | ![]() | Paiute Bannock Shoshone | US victory | Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865) Andrew Johnson (April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869) |
Powder River War (1865) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Powder River State | ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Inconclusive | |
Red Cloud's War (1866–1868) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Powder River State ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Lakota-allied victory
| |
Formosa Expedition (1867) Location: Hengchun, Taiwan, Qing China' ![]() | ![]() | Paiwan | Paiwan victory | |
Comanche Campaign (1867–1875) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Western United States ![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() Kiowa | US victory | Andrew Johnson (April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869) Ulysses S. Grant (March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877) |
United States expedition to Korea (1871) Location: Ganghwa Island ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Inconclusive/Other Result American military victory American diplomatic failure
| Ulysses S. Grant |
Modoc War (1872–1873) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: California and Oregon ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | US victory | |
Red River War (1874–1875) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Texas | ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() Kiowa | US victory
| |
Las Cuevas War (1875) Location: Texas and Mexico ![]() | ![]() | Mexican bandits | US victory
| |
Great Sioux War of 1876 (1876–1877) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Montana, Dakota and Wyoming ![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | US victory
| |
Buffalo Hunters' War (1876–1877) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Texas and Oklahoma | ![]() | ![]() Apache | US victory | |
Nez Perce War (1877) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana ![]() | ![]() | Nez Perce Palouse | US victory | Rutherford B. Hayes |
Bannock War (1878) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Idaho, Oregon, and Wyoming | ![]() | Bannock Shoshone Paiute | US victory | |
Cheyenne War (1878–1879) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Montana ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | US victory | |
Sheepeater Indian War (1879) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Idaho | ![]() | Shoshone | US victory | |
Victorio's War (1879–1880) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Mexico | ![]() ![]() | Apache | US-allied victory | |
White River War (1879) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Colorado ![]() | ![]() | Ute | US victory | |
Egyptian Expedition (1882) Part of the Anglo-Egyptian War Location: Alexandria ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | US victory | Chester A. Arthur |
Crow War (1887) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Montana ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | US victory | Grover Cleveland |
Ghost Dance War (1890–1891) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: South Dakota ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | US victory | Benjamin Harrison |
Garza War (1891–1893) Location: Texas and Mexico ![]() | ![]() ![]() | Garzistas | US-allied victory | |
Yaqui Wars (1896–1918) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Arizona and Mexico ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() Pima Opata | US-allied victory | Grover Cleveland (March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1897)
|
Second Samoan Civil War (1898–1899) Location: Samoa ![]() | Samoa![]() | Mataafans![]() | Inconclusive/Other Result
| William McKinley |
Spanish–American War (1898) Location: Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippines and Guam ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() | US-allied victory
| |
Philippine–American War (1899–1902) Location: Philippines ![]() | 1899–1902![]() 1902-1906 | 1899–1902![]() Limited Foreign Support: 1902-1906 | US victory
| William McKinley (March 4, 1897 – September 14, 1901)
|
Moro Rebellion (1899–1913) Location: Philippines ![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | US victory
| William McKinley (March 4, 1897 – September 14, 1901)
|
Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901) Location: China ![]() | ![]()
| ![]() ![]() | US-allied victory
| William McKinley |
20th-century wars
Conflict | Allies | Opponent(s) | Result for the United States and its Allies | Presidents of the United States |
---|---|---|---|---|
Crazy Snake's War (1909) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Oklahoma ![]() | ![]() | Creek | US victory | Theodore Roosevelt (September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909) Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge |
Mexican Border War (1910–1919) Part of the Mexican Revolution Location: Mexico–United States border | ![]() | ![]() Supported by: | US victory
| William Howard Taft (March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913) Woodrow Wilson |
Little Race War (1912) Part of the Banana Wars Location: Cuba ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | US-allied victory
| William Howard Taft |
United States occupation of Nicaragua (1912–1933) Part of the Banana Wars Location: Nicaragua ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | US victory
| William Howard Taft (March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913) Woodrow Wilson Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge Herbert Hoover |
Bluff War (1914–1915) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Utah and Colorado ![]() | ![]() | Ute Paiute | US victory | Woodrow Wilson |
United States occupation of Veracruz (1914) Part of the Mexican Revolution Location: Mexico ![]() | ![]() Supported by: | ![]() Supported by: | US victory | |
United States occupation of Haiti (1915–1934) Part of the Banana Wars Location: Haiti ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | US-allied victory | Woodrow Wilson (March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1921) Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge Herbert Hoover Franklin D. Roosevelt |
United States occupation of the Dominican Republic (1916–1924) Part of the Banana Wars Location: Dominican Republic ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | US victory | Woodrow Wilson (March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1921) Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge |
World War I (1914–1918, direct U.S. involvement in 1917–1918) Location: Europe, Africa, Asia, Middle East, the Pacific Islands, and coast of North and South America ![]() | ![]() ![]()
| ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | US-allied victory
| Woodrow Wilson |
Russian Civil War (1917–1923, direct U.S. involvement in 1918–1920) Location: Russia | ![]()
| ![]()
| Bolshevik Victory[19]
| |
Posey War (1923) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Utah ![]() | ![]() | Ute Paiute | US victory
| Warren G. Harding |
World War II (1939–1945, direct U.S. involvement in 1941–1945) Location: Europe, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Middle East, Mediterranean, North Africa, Oceania, North and South America ![]() | Allies:
| Axis:
| US-allied victory
| Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S. Truman |
Korean War (1950–1953) Part of the Cold War Location: Korea ![]() | ![]()
| ![]()
| Inconclusive/Other Result
| Harry S. Truman (April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1953) Dwight D. Eisenhower |
Vietnam War (1955–1964[a], 1965–1973[b], 1974–1975[c]) Part of the Cold War and Indochina Wars Location: Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supported by: | North Vietnam-allied victory
| Dwight D. Eisenhower (January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961) John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
Laotian Civil War (1959–1975) Part of the Indochina Wars and Cold War Location: Laos ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supported by: ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() Supported by: | Pathet Lao-allied victory
| |
Permesta Rebellion (1958–1961) Location: Indonesia ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | Indonesian government victory | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
Lebanon crisis (1958) Location: Lebanon ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | US-allied victory
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Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961) Part of the Cold War Location: Cuba ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | Cuban government victory
| John F. Kennedy |
Dominican Civil War (1965–1966) Location: Dominican Republic ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() | US-allied victory
| Lyndon B. Johnson |
Korean DMZ Conflict (1966–1969) Part of the Korean conflict and the Cold War Location: Korean Demilitarized Zone ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | US-allied victory
| Lyndon B. Johnson (November 22, 1963 – January 20, 1969) Richard Nixon |
Cambodian Civil War (1967–1975) Part of the Cold War Location: Cambodia ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supported by: | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supported by: | Khmer Rouge-allied victory
| Lyndon B. Johnson (November 22, 1963 – January 20, 1969) Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
Multinational intervention in Lebanon (1982–1984) Location: Lebanon ![]() | ![]() ![]() Multinational Force in Lebanon: ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
![]() ![]() | Syrian-allied victory
| Ronald Reagan (January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989) |
United States invasion of Grenada (1983) Part of the Cold War Location: Grenada ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() Military advisors: | US-allied victory
| Ronald Reagan |
Bombing of Libya (1986) Location: Libya | ![]() | ![]() | US victory
| |
Tanker War (1987–1988) Part of the Iran–Iraq War Location: Persian Gulf ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | US victory
| |
United States invasion of Panama (1989–1990) Location: Panama ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | US-allied victory
| George H. W. Bush |
Gulf War (1990–1991) Location: Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Israel ![]() | ![]() |