From the Revolutionary War to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, changes in technology are discussed, as is the nature of war itself, along with public opinion on individual conflicts and its effect on how the government presents military action.

Table of Contents

• Publisher’s Note
• Introduction
• Historical Timeline
• 1. An Independent Army: The Formation of a National American Army (1774-1775)
• 2. Military Under Civilian Control: POTUS as Commander-in-Chief (1797-1900s)
• 3. Trouble on the High Seas: The Barbary Pirates and the Growth of the US Navy (1784-1806)
• 4. A Military Education: Establishment of West Point and the Professionalization of the US Military (1757-1790)
• 5. America Invaded and Invading: The War of 1812 and the Growth of America’s Military Establishment (1812-1814)
• 6. An Unfair Fight: The Mexican-American War (1846-1848)
• 7. The War Within: The US Civil War and the Battle for American Morality (1861-1865)
• 8. Westward Expansion: Indigenous Americans and the US Army (1770s-1870s)
• 9. The Imperialist Agenda: The Use of the Military in American Imperialism (1850s-1900)
• 10. Revolutionary Influence: The US Military in the Mexican Revolution (Early 1900s)
• 11. The Great War and the Sea: World War I and Oceanic Commerce (1914-1918)
• 12. In the Trenches: Trench Warfare in World War I (1914-1918)
• 13. Gender Defenders: Women Pioneers and the Prohibition on Women in Combat (Early 1900s-Present)
• 14. Armored Warfare: The Introduction of the Tank (1914-1945)
• 15. The Selective Service: History and Controversy of Military Conscription (1800s-1900s)
• 16. The Battle for Public Opinion: World War II and the War for Popular Belief (1939-1945)
• 17. The Nuclear Option: Nuclear Weapons and their Use in Warfare (1945)
• 18. The Unification Debate: Unification of the Military and the National Security State (1947-Present)
• 19. Rules of Warfare: Ethics of Combat to the Geneva Convention (1949-present)
• 20. Integration and Justice: African Americans in the Military (1948-Present)
• 21. Korea Divided: The Korean Conflict and the Beginning of the Cold War (1950-1953)
• 22. A Land War in Asia: The Vietnam Conflict and the Anti-War Movement (1955-1975)
• 23. Military Theater: The First Oil War (1990-1991)
• 24. A Culture of Abuse: The Tailhook Scandal and Sexual Abuse in the Military (1990s)
• 25. The Era of Terror: Invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan (2001-Present)
• 26. From Afar: Autonomous Weapons in Warfare (2010s)
• 27. Military Identity: LGBTQ Rights and Military Service (2020s)
• 28. Space Aggression: The US Military in Outer Space (2020s)
• 29. Conclusion: A Matter of Priorities
• Primary and Secondary Sources
• Glossary
• Historical Snapshots
• Bibliography
• About the Author