HI101 Tee
Militia: An Anglo-Saxon military tradition brought from Elizabethan England to North America in which civilians could be mustered and tasked to serve as soldiers for the purpose of common defense in times of emergency.
Anglo-Powhatan Wars: A series of conflicts (1609-1646) between English settlers in Virginia and the Powhatan Confederacy over control of land and resources.
Pequot War: A conflict (1636-1638) in New England between the Pequot tribe and English colonists allied with other Native tribes, resulting in the near destruction of the Pequot people.
Bacon’s Rebellion: An uprising in Virginia (1675-1676) by disgruntled frontiersmen against Native tribes and English Governor Berkeley.
King Philip’s War: A conflict (1675-1678) between New England colonists and Native American tribes led by Metacom (King Philip) over land disputes, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides.
French and Indian War: The North American component of the global Seven Years' War (1754-1763), fought between the British, their colonies, and Native allies, and the French, their colonies, and Native allies.
Braddock’s Defeat: A 1755 ambush by French and Native forces that decimated General Edward Braddock’s British troops during the French and Indian War.
George Washington: A Virginian planter and soldier who became commander of the Continental Army and later the first U.S. President.
Salutary Neglect: A British policy in the 17th-18th centuries of lax enforcement of colonial trade regulations, allowing American self-governance.
Battle of Bunker Hill: A June 1775 engagement during the British occupation of Boston, where American militia suffered heavy losses but inflicted significant British casualties.
Continental Army: The unified colonial army formed in 1775 and commanded by George Washington during the American Revolution.
New York Campaign: A series of 1776 battles in which British forces drove the Continental Army from New York City.
Battles of Trenton/Princeton: Key victories in New Jersey in the winter of 1776-1777 that boosted American morale and hindered British reliance on Hessian troops.
Battle of Saratoga: A 1777 American victory that secured French military alliance and marked a turning point in the Revolutionary War.
British Southern Strategy: A British plan during the American Revolution to rally Loyalist support in the South and regain control, ultimately failing.
Siege of Yorktown: The 1781 victory by American and French forces that ended the Revolutionary War.
Continental Army Mutinies: Internal unrest in the Continental Army due to poor conditions and delayed pay during the Revolution.
Newburgh Conspiracy: A 1783 attempt by discontented Continental Army officers to stage a coup, defused by George Washington's leadership.
Shays’ Rebellion: A 1786-1787 Massachusetts uprising by farmers protesting economic injustices, influencing calls for a stronger central government.
St. Clair’s Defeat: A 1791 attack by Native forces under Little Turtle that resulted in the largest defeat of a U.S. Army force by Native Americans.
Whiskey Rebellion: A 1794 uprising in Pennsylvania over an excise tax on distilled spirits, suppressed by federal militia.
Louisiana Purchase: The 1803 acquisition of French territory west of the Mississippi River, doubling U.S. land area.
United States Military Academy: Established in 1802 at West Point to train professional officers for the U.S. Army.
Andrew Jackson: A general in the War of 1812 and later president who led controversial policies like the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
Manifest Destiny: The 19th-century belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America.
Indian Removal: The 1830 policy that forcibly relocated Native Americans west of the Mississippi River, culminating in the Trail of Tears.
Zachary Taylor: A U.S. general in the Mexican-American War who led victories at Palo Alto and Buena Vista before becoming president.
Battle of Buena Vista: A decisive 1847 engagement in northern Mexico during the Mexican-American War, resulting in a U.S. victory.
Winfield Scott’s Mexico City Campaign: A series of battles in 1847 where General Scott captured Mexico City, ending the Mexican-American War.
Fort Sumter: The April 1861 Confederate attack on a Union fort in South Carolina that began the Civil War.
Robert E. Lee: Confederate general known for his leadership during the Civil War, including victories and ultimate surrender at Appomattox.
George H. Thomas: A Union general praised for his steadfast defense at the Battle of Chickamauga.
Ulysses S. Grant: Union general who led the Army to victory and later became U.S. president.
Joshua Chamberlain: Maine officer who played a key role at Gettysburg, defending Little Round Top.
Battle of Antietam: A September 1862 battle in Maryland, the bloodiest single day of the Civil War, ending Lee’s first invasion of the North.
Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln's 1863 declaration freeing slaves in Confederate-held territory.
Battle of Gettysburg: A decisive 1863 Union victory in Pennsylvania that marked a turning point in the Civil War.
Conscription: The compulsory enlistment for military service, first used by the Confederacy in 1862 and later by the Union in 1863.
“Lost Cause”: A post-Civil War narrative that romanticized the Confederacy and minimized the role of slavery.
South Carolina Colored Volunteer Regiments: African American units from South Carolina that served under white officers during the Civil War.
United States Colored Troops (USCT): African American military units that comprised 10% of the Union Army, often serving in support roles.
Freedmen’s Bureau: A federal agency established in 1865 to aid freed slaves during Reconstruction.
Ku Klux Klan: A white supremacist insurgency group formed in 1866, engaging in terrorism against African Americans and supporters of Reconstruction.
Pullman Railroad Strike: A violent 1894 labor strike by railroad workers over wage cuts, leading to federal intervention.
National Guard Association: Founded in 1879, it advocated for state militias with federal support for emergencies.
Henry O. Flipper: The first African American graduate of West Point in 1877.
Wounded Knee Creek: A December 1890 massacre in South Dakota, marking the last major conflict between Native Americans and the U.S. Army.
Emory Upton: A West Point officer and author of Military Policy of the United States, advocating for a professional Army.
Spanish-American War: A conflict (1898-1900) where the U.S. defeated Spain, gaining territories and establishing itself as an imperial power.
Elihu Root: Secretary of War who implemented major Army reforms, including the General Staff and War College system.
Emilio Aguinaldo: Leader of the Philippine independence movement, defeated by the U.S. in 1901.
China Relief Expedition: A 1900 international effort to suppress the Boxer Rebellion in China.
Punitive Expedition to Mexico: A 1916-1917 U.S. military campaign led by Pershing to capture Pancho Villa.
Selective Service: The draft system instituted in 1917 during World War I to expand the U.S. Army.
National Army: The mass conscripted force created to supplement the regular Army in World War I.
American Expeditionary Forces (AEF): U.S. troops sent to Europe under General Pershing in World War I.
Amalgamation: The policy debate over integrating U.S. forces into Allied units during World War I.
Houston Riot: A 1917 mutiny of African American soldiers in Texas against racial discrimination.
Bulletin 35: A World War I directive that standardized promotion procedures for officers.
Red Summer of 1919: A wave of racial violence and riots across the U.S. following World War I.
Demobilization: The process of discharging troops and transitioning the economy back to peacetime after World War I.
Bolshevism: The radical socialist ideology behind the Russian Revolution, which alarmed Western governments.
National Defense Act of 1920: A post-World War I law that restructured the Army and established the Army Air Service.
Army Air Service (later Corps): The aviation branch of the Army established during World War I, which later became the Air Force.
Dwight D. Eisenhower: A West Point graduate who became Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II and later U.S. president.
Strategic Bombing: The targeted destruction of enemy infrastructure and industry using air power.
North Africa Campaign: Allied operations (1942-1943) to push Axis forces out of North Africa.
Italian Campaign: A 1943-1945 Allied effort to invade and liberate Italy from Axis control.
Normandy Campaign: The June 1944 D-Day invasion that began the liberation of France.
Women’s Army Corps: A World War II organization for women serving in non-combat Army roles.
Pearl Harbor Attack: The December 7, 1941 Japanese surprise attack on the U.S. naval base that brought the U.S. into World War II.
Battle of Midway: A June 1942 naval battle that turned the tide of the Pacific War in favor of the Allies.
Philippines Campaign: A series of World War II battles to liberate the Philippines from Japanese occupation.
Battle of Okinawa: A 1945 battle that paved the way for a potential Allied invasion of Japan.
Firebombing: The use of incendiary bombs to destroy enemy cities, notably in Japan and Germany.
Atomic Bomb: The nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, ending World War II.
National Security Act of 1947: Legislation that reorganized U.S. defense, creating the Air Force and CIA.
NATO: A 1949 military alliance to counter Soviet influence in Europe.
United Nations Command (UNC): The multinational force established during the Korean War.
Pusan Perimeter: A critical 1950 defensive stand by U.N. forces in the Korean War.
Operation Chromite: The September 1950 amphibious landing at Inchon, turning the tide of the Korean War.
38th Parallel: The pre-Korean War division of North and South Korea, reestablished after the war.
Officer Personnel Act 1947 and Enlisted Career Guidance Plan (1948): Postwar reforms aimed at modernizing Army personnel systems.
Universal Military Training: A post-World War II proposal to train all American men for national defense.
Executive Order 9981: Issued by President Truman in 1948, it desegregated the U.S. Armed Forces.
Continental Army Command (CONARC): Established in 1955 to oversee training and readiness of U.S. Army forces.
Nuclear Deterrence: The strategy of maintaining a credible nuclear arsenal to prevent enemy aggression during the Cold War.
Pentomic Division: A Cold War Army restructuring concept emphasizing mobility and tactical nuclear weapons.
Military Assistance Command – Vietnam (MACV): The U.S. command that coordinated military operations in the Vietnam War.
Strategic Hamlet Program: A Vietnam War policy to isolate rural populations from communist insurgents.
Vietnamization: The Nixon administration’s strategy to transfer combat responsibilities to South Vietnamese forces.
Fragging: The deliberate killing of officers by soldiers, a symptom of declining morale during the Vietnam War.
My Lai: A 1968 massacre of Vietnamese civilians by U.S. soldiers, undermining public support for the war.
School Desegregation: Efforts by the federal government and courts to integrate public schools, often enforced by the U.S. Army.
Attrition: A Vietnam War strategy aiming to wear down the enemy through sustained casualties.
ARVN: The Army of the Republic of Vietnam, which fought alongside U.S. forces in the Vietnam War.
National Liberation Front (NLF): Also called the Viet Cong, a communist-led insurgent group in South Vietnam.
Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (CORDS): A Vietnam War program to integrate military and civilian efforts.
Westmoreland: General William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam, known for his strategy of attrition.
All Volunteer Force: The U.S. military recruitment system established after the Vietnam War ended conscription in 1973.
Total Force Concept: A policy integrating active duty, National Guard, and Reserve forces into a unified structure.
US Army Forces Command (FORSCOM): Established to oversee training and deployment of active and reserve Army units.
US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC): Created to manage Army training and education programs.
AirLand Battle: A Cold War-era operational concept emphasizing combined arms and deep strikes.
Women’s Army Corps: Phased out in 1978, its roles were integrated into the regular Army.
Equal Rights Amendment: A proposed constitutional amendment for gender equality that sparked debates over women in the military.
Phyllis Schlafly: An anti-ERA activist who opposed expanded roles for women, including in the military.
Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS): An advisory body to promote women’s integration into military roles.
War Powers Act: A 1973 law limiting the president’s ability to deploy troops without Congressional approval.
Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm: A 1990-1991 conflict where U.S.-led forces liberated Kuwait from Iraq.
UN Peacekeeping Operations: Missions where U.S. forces have participated in international peace enforcement.
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy: A 1993 compromise allowing gay soldiers to serve in the military if they concealed their sexual orientation.
Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom: U.S.-led campaigns in Iraq (2003) and Afghanistan (2001) to combat terrorism and insurgency.
Counterinsurgency: Military strategies aimed at defeating insurgent forces and stabilizing regions.
Counterterrorism: Actions to prevent and combat terrorism worldwide.
Advise and Assist: Military programs to train and support allied forces in counterinsurgency and stabilization efforts.
Operation Enduring Freedom: The U.S. military operation in Afghanistan to dismantle the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Global Anti-Terror Operations: Broad military and intelligence efforts post-9/11 to counter global terrorism.
Eric Shinseki: The U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1999-2003) who initiated Army transformation efforts.
Army Transformation Initiative: A modernization effort to make the Army more agile and capable of responding to global threats