| Name of War | Dates | Declared by Congress? |
| Revolution | 1775-1783 | No |
| 1812 | 1812-1815 | Yes |
| Mexican | 1846-1848 | Yes |
| Civil War | 1861-1865 | No |
| Spanish-American | 1898-1902 | Yes |
| World War I | 1917-1918 | Yes |
| World War II | 1941-1945 | Yes |
| Cold War | 1945 - 1989 | No |
| Korea | 1950-1953 | No |
| Viet Nam | 1954-1975 | No |
| Grenada | 1983 | No |
| Panama | 1989-1990 | No |
| Gulf War | 1990-1991 | No |
| War on Terror | 2001-Present | No |
| Afghanistan | 2001-Present | No |
| Iraq | 2003-2012 | No |
The wars in boldface type will receive special attention in the course.