Wars & Conflicts

Explore the timeline of American wars and conflicts including the French and Indian War, 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, the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War.

Explore the timeline of American wars and conflicts from the American Revolutionary War to current global conflicts.

National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day (April 9)

This day honors those veterans who have served their country while being held captive in enemy territory. The day also honors the family of the prisoners of war and their long and anxious wait to see their family again. Visit the collection.

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The Rising Sun, Part 5 5
The Rising Sun, Part 5
Episode 5

Video

Grades: 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

Midway Island was a U.S. outpost located about a thousand miles west of Hawaii. Prior to World War II, it was basically a weather station with some U.S. Naval groups on it to protect it. The Japanese...
The Rising Sun, Part 7 7
The Rising Sun, Part 7
Episode 7

Video

Grades: 3 4 5 Higher Education

The island of Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific, was the major offensive area for the Japanese, in order to control Australia and the South Pacific. Veterans and historians reflect on...
The Rising Sun, Part 6 6
The Rising Sun, Part 6
Episode 6

Video

Grades: 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

Veterans recall what life onboard a Navy ship was like, including being bored, being seasick, how crowded they were, the schedule, poker and Monopoly, gambling, learning to drink, including some...
Colonial Days | Powder Magazine Museum
Colonial Days | Powder Magazine Museum

Video

Grades: 3 4 5

Children from James B. Edwards Elementary experience social, and political customs of colonial South Carolina in the period just prior and during the Revolutionary War. See children dancing the minuet...
Snee Farm Tour, Part 1 | Powder Magazine Museum
Snee Farm Tour, Part 1 | Powder Magazine Museum

Video

Grades: 4 8

Mrs. Ann Edwards talks to children about the life of Charles Pinckney and his love of his estate, Snee Farm. Mrs. Edwards highlights Charles Pinckney's service during the Revolutionary War, his public...
The Rising Sun, Part 2 2
The Rising Sun, Part 2
Episode 2

Video

Grades: 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

The segment includes reflections on training at Parris Island.
The Rising Sun, Part 1 1
The Rising Sun, Part 1
Episode 1

Video

Grades: 5 8

This segment includes the Marine Corps Hymn, reflections on the attraction that the Marine Corps has for young people who want to serve, and memories of some individuals who made the decision to sign...
The Rising Sun, Part 3 3
The Rising Sun, Part 3
Episode 3

Video

Grades: 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

Veterans remember arriving after the attack on Pearl Harbor and seeing how devastating the losses to the United States Navy were. They didn't realize that well over 2,000 people had been killed...
A World War, Part 5 5
A World War, Part 5
Episode 5

Video

Grades: 9 10 11 12

Veterans and family members recall the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor in detail.
A World War, Part 7 7
A World War, Part 7
Episode 7

Video

Grades: 9 10 11 12

This segment focuses on how the Japanese took control of the Pacific waters. The Philippines had been promised their independence. Within hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese turned...
A World War, Part 8 8
A World War, Part 8
Episode 8

Video

Grades: 9 10 11 12

The damage done to the American ships at Pearl Harbor is discussed. The devastation was hard to accept. The one thing the Japanese had missed was the tank farm where all of the fuel was stored. It was...
A World War, Part 4 4
A World War, Part 4
Episode 4

Video

Grades: 3 4 5 9 10 11 12

Veterans share their recollections of the day that Pearl Harbor was attacked. They were at war again.
A World War, Part 3 3
A World War, Part 3
Episode 3

Video

Grades: 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

Japan needed resources and could only get them from other countries. The United States continued to try to prevent this. Japan sent an envoy to try to negotiate some sort of compromise, but the...
A World War, Part 2 2
A World War, Part 2
Episode 2

Video

Grades: 5 8 9 10 11 12

"The American soldiers arrived, and the tanks came in and ran over those big, high fences like they were matchboxes." Veterans provide their remembrances of the end of the war in Europe and the...
A World War, Part 1 1
A World War, Part 1
Episode 1

Video

Grades: 5 8 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

German soldiers were surrendering so fast, they just would surrender a whole unit and we couldn't handle them all. The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) was announcing "Today in Europe, the war is...
Liberation, Part 3 3
Liberation, Part 3
Episode 3

Video

Grades: 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

Veterans reflect on being captured and taken prisoner or killed by the Germans. It was bitter cold, but the Americans knew better than to complain. There was never any food and there was nothing to...
Liberation, Part 6 6
Liberation, Part 6
Episode 6

Video

Grades: 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

Veterans who arrived to rescue people in the camps describe what they saw; human skeletons barely alive, and some not able to walk. Some were fed too much, too soon, and died from overeating. Bodies...
Liberation, Part 5 5
Liberation, Part 5
Episode 5

Video

Grades: 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

The Siegfried Line ran along the entire border of Germany from north to south. There was barbed wire, and there were land mines, and Dragon's Teeth, which were concrete blocks, that no tank could pass...
Liberation, Part 4 4
Liberation, Part 4
Episode 4

Video

Grades: 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

Diny Adkins recalls being taken in by an elderly couple who later couldn't take care of her, so they took her to a nun. The nun kept her hidden in a closet and was very cold and mean to her. The nun...
Liberation, Part 2 2
Liberation, Part 2
Episode 2

Video

Grades: 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

Veterans share their recollections of the Battle of the Bulge and the siege of Bastogne. It was the cold winter in 50 years, and they were not dressed for the cold. The sky was blackened with shells...
A Path to Victory, Part 7 7
A Path to Victory, Part 7
Episode 7

Video

Grades: 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

Headed into in area in northern France, in which they thought they could rest, the 106th infantry division, 424th infantry, expected to have time to clean their weapons, take showers and have some...
A Path to Victory, Part 6 6
A Path to Victory, Part 6
Episode 6

Video

Grades: 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

Veterans discuss how they spent their time off while serving during World War II. *** Teachers, this video contains references to behavior that may not be suitable for students. Please view before...