After the American colonies were founded, but before we had coalesced into a united force, the British government engaged our resources in a number of small wars. The majority of these wars were extensions of the on going conflict with France, but in a few they also took on the Natives. King Philip’s War was fought against the Wampanog, Narragansett and the Nipmuck Indians of the Northeast, while King William’s War, Queen Anne’s War, and King George’s War were all fought against the French or the French Colonies. The final of these small skirmishes was the French and Indian War (also known as the Seven Years War) where the British fought the French and Indians from 1756 – 1763. From 1759 – 1761, the English Colonists also fought the Cherokee Indians in the Cherokee War.

The American Revolution (1775-1783) was, perhaps, one of the most one sided wars in the history of warfare. The largest empire, with some of the greatest, battle-proven soldiers in the world at that time went up against a bunch of untrained farmers wielding, in some cases, little more than pitchforks and a deep love of their newly adopted homeland. Almost anyone would bet against the farmers. But, they used their passion to fuel their fighting and won their freedom.

After the end of the Revolution, we fought a relatively minor war with France known as the Franco-American Naval War or the Quasi War – so called because there was no formal declaration, though the fighting was real enough. The French were locked in yet another tussle with England, and saw America’s diplomatic policy toward England as being an alliance. After years of failed negotiations, the US offered the same diplomatic terms to France in 1798, and they were rebuffed. It was not long before French and American ships were attacking each other throughout the Caribbean. It was 1800 before negotiations led to the end of hostilities.

12 years later, we fought The War of 1812 (1812-1815); our second war for independence. The British decided they’d take another whack at colonization. Again, it was to no avail. The country had grown by leaps and bounds and, despite sustaining some damage, the British were not only flushed back out of the original colonies, but they were chased back along the Mississippi River to the port of New Orleans.

Other early fighting included Shay's Rebellion (1786-1787) in Massachusetts, The Whiskey Rebellion (1794) and Fries's Rebellion/ "The Hot Water War" (1799) both fought over taxes in Western Pennsylvania. There were also various Slave Rebellions starting in 1800 and continuing through the end of the Civil War in 1865.

Early skirmishes with the Native Americans included The Powhatan Uprising, The Sand Creek Massacre, The Black Hawk War, The Wounded Knee Massacre, The Battle of White Bird Canyon, and The Battle of Guadalupe Canyon.