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Q: Longest period of time the US has not been at war ? ( Answered,   2 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Longest period of time the US has not been at war ?
Category: Reference, Education and News > General Reference
Asked by: bitmaster69-ga
List Price: $2.00
Posted: 05 Apr 2003 20:45 PST
Expires: 05 May 2003 21:45 PDT
Question ID: 186646
What is the longest period of time the US has not been at war with
someone and what is that date range for this period?
Answer  
Subject: Re: Longest period of time the US has not been at war ?
Answered By: juggler-ga on 05 Apr 2003 21:24 PST
 
Hello.

The United States' longest period without a war would appear to be the
33-year period between the end of the Civil War (1865) and the
beginning of the Spanish-American War (1898).

Sources:
"America's Wars," hosted by History Channel: 
http://www.historychannel.com/cgi-bin/frameit.cgi?p=http%3A//www.historychannel.com/exhibits/memorial/america.html

"Wars and Conflicts of the United States Navy" hosted by US Navy: 
http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/

Specific start/end dates:

Civil War end:
Lee's Surrender: April 9, 1865
Library of Congress: Civil War Chronology
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/tl1865.html

Spanish American War
April 19, 1898: Congress Declares War
Library of Congress: Civil War Chronology
http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/chronology.html

search strategy: 
wars, revolutionary, "civil war", spanish-american, korean, "world
war"

I hope this helps.

Clarification of Answer by juggler-ga on 05 Apr 2003 21:27 PST
Sorry for that mis-labeled link:

Library of Congress: Spanish-American War Chronology 
http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/chronology.html
Comments  
Subject: Re: Longest period of time the US has not been at war ?
From: kemlo-ga on 06 Apr 2003 12:45 PDT
 
During these years [1865-1898 wasn't America fighting the "Indian Wars"?
Subject: Re: Longest period of time the US has not been at war ?
From: juggler-ga on 06 Apr 2003 13:09 PDT
 
That's a fair point, Kemlo.
 
If you want to count the battles between the U.S. government and
Indians as "wars," it's probably necessary to say that were no
significant periods without war in the 19th century.
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/reference/iwcmp.htm

If you wish to take that approach, then the United States' longest
period without a war would seem to be  the 23-year period between
World War I & World War II (1918-1941).

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