by Gary Betts

Created on: August 23, 2009   Last Updated: July 18, 2011

Giving the reasons for war covering several centuries in our world is a daunting and unrealistic task. I would like to, instead, focus on the United States in its relatively short history. And instead of detailing the many reasons for American war, I would like to simply point out if these wars were necessary (N) or unnecessary (U).

I will not be rating relatively minor wars such as the Indian Wars (1817-1898) where the U.S. attacked Native Americans, The Banana Wars (1907-1934) where the U.S. occupied countries in Central America and the Caribbean, NATO wars such as in Yugoslavia, and U.N. wars such as in Somalia.

(N) The American Revotutionary War (1775-1783) - This was an obviously necessary war to free the American people from the grips of British oppression.

(U) The War of 1812 (1812-1815) - The United States was the first to declare war in its expansionist effort to seize Upper Canada (now Ontario) while Britain was busy with the much-larger Napoleonic wars raging in Europe. Former president and a Founding Father Thomas Jefferson said in 1812, "The acquisition of Canada this year, as far as the neighborhood of Quebec, will be a mere matter of marching, and will give us the experience for the attack on Halifax, the next and final expulsion of England from the American continent."

(U) The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) - This war was another expansionist effort by the United States to gain territory. At the completion of this war, the U.S. obtained 55% of Mexican national territory. At the time, U.S. Congressman Abraham Lincoln spoke out against the war. President Ulysses S Grant, who was a young army officer in this war, recalled in his 1885 memoirs, "For myself, I was bitterly opposed to the measure (Mexican War), and to this day regard the war, which resulted, as one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger nation against a weaker nation. It was an instance of a republic following the bad example of European monarchies, in not considering justice in their desire to acquire additional territory."

(?) The American Civil War (1861-1865) - This war could have gone either way. It did save the United States from falling apart, but it also took away the self-determination of the people of several states. This war was the deadliest war in U.S. history, killing 620,000 soldiers and an undetermined number of civilians.

(U) The Spanish-American War (1898) - This was a war that the United States did not have to start. Sure, we have the sinking of the USS

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