The United States was forged as a nation in a war, and through its long history, it has repeatedly had to go back to war to protect its independence and the freedoms on which it was founded. Although war runs counter to the democratic principles of the United States, it is an unavoidable central theme of American history. The United States at War addresses this theme by offering compact surveys of the most important military conflicts in which the United States has been involved--from the Revolutionary War through the Iraq War of 2003. The two-volume set's 177 essays examine these conflicts from a variety of perspectives, ranging from detailed discussions of individual battles to overviews of the broader ramifications of the conflicts. The basic arrangement is chronological, with individual sections on twelve wars and periods of conflict. All the essays have standardized ready-reference top matter that allows readers to see the most salient facts about each topic at a glance.