Which early conflict helped the United States the most?

SGT Ben Keen — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 07:49:29 -0400

With all the talk coming up concerning the future of America because of the Presidential Elections coming up in a year or so, and being a history-nerd, I thought it would be fun and interesting to take a step back and look back to see how we got here.

America was forged in the crucible of combat. From the first days of Jamestown to the conflict we seen today, America has been fighting to establish and/or preserve freedom here and around the world. But we look back at our own history, which early on conflict do you feel helped us secure our own freedom?

Cases can be made for either the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. So what say you RallyPoint, which one do you feel led to our own freedom and helped secure this country?

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Aug 10 at 2015 8:02 AM

SCPO David Lockwood — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 08:02:08 -0400

I chose other because I believe the Revolutionary War established our freedom while the Civil War helped to Preserve the Freedom for all!

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 10 at 2015 8:35 AM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 08:35:43 -0400

This one's a difficult pick for me. The moral side of me wants to say the Civil War, but without the Revolutionary War I don't think there'd be any sort of need for a Civil War. We certainly wouldn't be as well off as we are now... Or would we be?

Response by MSgt Robert Pellam made Aug 10 at 2015 8:51 AM

MSgt Robert Pellam — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 08:51:00 -0400

I am going with Civil War on this, and despite wanting to start chucking out other conflicts that the U.S. or even the Colonies waged, I will try to stick to the question and 2 wars mentioned.

After the Revolutionary War, it is true we became the U.S. But it was only a toe hold. While England lost the war, they mostly blamed France for their defeat. Economically we were still quite attached to England after the Revolutionary war, and it took the war of 1812 to actually produce an economic freedom from them.

The Civil War was different. It was us against us. This pushed the Survivability of the U.S. as a whole to the breaking point. The South wanted France and England to intervene. If they had would the U.S. been able to sustain a 4 year war against the Confederacy and England or France? This war proved to the world that the U.S. could mobilize on a large scale, and produce war material in mass amounts. I think Europe recognized this and that is why they stayed out of it.

Also, on a side note. France, under Napolean the 3rd was invading Mexico during the time of the war. After the Civil War, citing the Monroe Doctrine, President Johnson had Sherman and 100K men mobilize to the Mexican Boarder. He then sent a missive to Napolean, telling him the plan. France quickly withdrew all troops form Mexico.

So I submit to you the reader. While we may have one independence from Europe in the Revolutionary War, it was the bloody Civil War that proved to them we were not to be taken lightly.

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Aug 10 at 2015 9:08 AM

SSG Warren Swan — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 09:08:06 -0400

The Civil War. That war was to become the defining moment that would make or break the US. as a nation. It also set the tone for how the nation was to evolve and unify. So that said, that war to this day still has a lasting and lingering effect, both good and bad.

Response by SrA Daniel Hunter made Aug 10 at 2015 9:31 AM

SrA Daniel Hunter — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 09:31:12 -0400

It is difficult to pick one, honestly they all contributed to direct the country on a path that has led us where we are.

The War of 1812 would be the first. It solidified the U.S. as an Independent State and led to the defined boarder with Canada. Next would be the Spanish-American War. It solidified the U.S. position expressed in the Monroe Doctrine and established the U.S. as a Global Power.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Aug 10 at 2015 9:11 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 21:11:17 -0400

The American Revolutionary War set us on the right path. The Vietnam War set us on the wrong one. Not the war in Vietnam, but the war in America about Vietnam. Sadly, it undid whatever good started from the American Revolution and thus is the most significant one shaping the mess that is America today. Out of its ashes the Left rose to power in the popular culture and then rose to predominance in every other aspect of our lives. We most likely will need another Revolution to take it back inasmuch as the Left has won control of the ballot box through chicanery and deceit, and it has turned American schools into institutions of propaganda rather than education.

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Aug 10 at 2015 9:17 PM

Capt Richard I P. — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 21:17:52 -0400

Seven Year's War/French and Indian War, sufficiently weakened the two dominant powers with colonies on the continent to free the colonials to forge their own destiny. (Followed in importance by those other two, in order).

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 10 at 2015 9:32 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 21:32:16 -0400

Shays' Rebellion because it showed the weakness of the Articles of the Confederation and it led to the Constitutional Convention also known as the Annapolis meeting which in turn led to the United States Constitution being written, concessions being make so that the Virginia plan and New Jersey plan (the Great Compromise) was made, leading to a Constitution being written and a form of government with three branches each able to have checks and balances on the other so that power did not belong to an individual or group but instead belonged to the people. SGT Ben Keen Great question.