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Declaration of Independence
an assertion by a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state -
Louisiana Purchase
acquisition of the Louisiana territory by the United States from France. The U.S. paid fifty million francs and a cancellation of debts worth eighteen million francs for a total of sixty-eight million francs -
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War of 1812
was a conflict fought between the United States, the United Kingdom, and their respective allies -
Spanish–American War
Hostilities began in the aftermath of the internal explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor in Cuba, leading to U.S. intervention in the Cuban War of Independence -
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Philippine-American War
an armed conflict between the First Philippine Republic and the United States -
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Border War
the military engagements which took place in the Mexico–United States border region of North America during the Mexican Revolution -
Panama Canal
an artificial 77 km waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade -
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WWI
Over nine million combatants and seven million civilians died as a result of the war a casualty rate exacerbated by the belligerents' technological and industrial sophistication, and the tactical stalemate caused by grueling trench warfare -
Zimmerman Telegram
was a secret diplomatic communication issued from the German Foreign Office that proposed a military alliance between Germany and Mexico in the prior event of the United States entering World War I against Germany -
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Russian Civil War
a multi-party war in the former Russian Empire immediately after the Russian Revolutions of 1917, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future -
Kellogg–Briand Pact
international agreement in which signatory states promised not to use war to resolve "disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of whatever origin they may be, which may arise among them -
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Great Depression
a severe worldwide economic depression originating in the United States. -
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WWII
The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries -
Pearl Harbor
surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory -
United Nations
an intergovernmental organization tasked to promote international cooperation and to create and maintain international order -
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Mexican American War
an armed conflict between the United States of America and the United Mexican States -
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Cold War
state of geopolitical tension after World War II between powers in the Eastern Bloc and powers in the Western Bloc -
Marshall Plan
American initiative to aid Western Europe, in which the United States gave over $13,000,000,000 in economic assistance to help rebuild Western European economies after the end of World War II -
Rio Pact
The central principle contained in its articles is that an attack against one is to be considered an attack against them all; this was known as the "hemispheric defense" doctrine. -
Organization of American States
a continental organization for the purposes of regional solidarity and cooperation among its member states. Headquartered in the United States capital Washington, D.C. the OAS's members are the 35 independent states of the Americas. -
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Berlin Blockade
the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of Berlin under Western control. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between several North American and European countries based on the North Atlantic Treaty -
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Korean War
war between North Korea and South Korea. North Korea invaded South Korea following a series of clashes along the border -
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Vietnam War
It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and the government of South Vietnam -
Bay of Pigs
Invasion was a failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by the Central Intelligence Agency-sponsored paramilitary group Brigade -
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Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin -
Cuban Missile Crisis
a 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union concerning American ballistic missile deployment in Italy and Turkey with consequent Soviet ballistic missile deployment in Cuba -
Détente
a French word meaning release from tension -
SALT 1
signed by the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics respectively, and were intended to restrain the arms race in strategic ballistic missiles armed with nuclear weapons. -
Camp David Accord
The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David. -
SALT 2
signed by the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics respectively, and were intended to restrain the arms race in strategic ballistic missiles armed with nuclear weapons. -
Gulf War
codenamed Operation Desert Shield for operations leading to the buildup of troops and defense of Saudi Arabia and Operation Desert Storm in its combat phase -
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Persian Gulf War
codenamed Operation Desert Shield for operations leading to the buildup of troops and defense of Saudi Arabia and Operation Desert Storm in its combat phase -
NAFTA
The North American Free Trade Agreement is an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America -
9/11
a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda on the United States -
war on terror
also known as the Global War on Terrorism, is an international military campaign that was launched by the U.S. government after the September 11 attacks in the U.S -
War in Afghanistan
supported initially by the United Kingdom and Canada and later by a coalition of over 40 countries, including all NATO members. The war's public aims were to dismantle al-Qaeda and to deny it a safe base of operations in Afghanistan by removing the Taliban from power -
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Iraq War
a protracted armed conflict that began in 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition that overthrew the government of Saddam Hussein -
Arms Trade Treaty
a multilateral treaty that regulates the international trade in conventional weapons.Ninety-three states have ratified the treaty, and a further 41 states have signed but not ratified it -
Yemeni Civil War
ongoing conflict that began in 2015 between two factions, each claiming to constitute the Yemeni government, along with their supporters and allies.
