Military history of the United States

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The military history of the United States spans over two centuries, the entire history of the United States. During those centuries, the United States evolved from a newly formed nation which fought for its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain (1775–1783) to world superpower status in the aftermath of World War II to the present.^[1] As of 2024, the United States Armed Forces consists of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force, all under the command of the Department of Defense, and the Coast Guard, which is controlled by the Department of Homeland Security.

In 1775, the Continental Congress established the Continental Army, the Continental Navy, and the Continental Marines. This newly formed military, fighting alongside the Kingdom of France, triumphed over the British during the war, which led to independence via the Treaty of Paris. In 1789, the new Constitution made the U.S. president the commander-in-chief, and gave Congress the authority to declare war.^[2] Major conflicts involving the U.S. military include the American Indian Wars, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the American Civil War, the Banana Wars, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Iraq War.