| 1588 | Spanish Armada defeated by the English |
| 1664 | English soldiers conquer New Netherlands |
| 1745 | Colonial troops capture Louisbourg |
| 1755 | Braddock is defeated by the French and Indians in western Pennsylvania |
| 1756 | Seven Years' War is formally declared |
| 1759 | British are victorious at Quebec; Wolfe and Montcalm are killed in battle |
| 1763 | Peace of Paris ending French and Indian War is signed |
| 1770 | British troops “massacre” Boston civilians (March) |
| 1775 | Patriots take stand at Lexington and Concord (April) |
| 1775 | Americans hold their own at Bunker Hill (June) |
| 1776 | British defeat Washington at Long Island (August), Americans score victory at Trenton (December) |
| 1777 | General Burgoyne surrenders at Saratoga (October) |
| 1778 | French treaties recognize independence of the United States (February) |
| 1780 | British take Charles Town (May) |
| 1781 | Washington forces Cornwallis to surrender at Yorktown (October) |
| 1783 | Peace treaty signed (September), British evacuate New York City (November) |
| 1793 | France's revolutionary government announces a ‘war of all people against all kings” (February), Genet affair strains relations with France (April) Washington issues Proclamation of Neutrality (April) |
| 1795 | Jay's Treaty divides the nation (June), Pinckney’s Treaty with Spain is a welcome surprise (October) |
| 1797 | XYZ Affair poisons U.S. relations with France (October) |
| 1798-1800 | Quasi-War with France |
| 1800 | Convention of Mortefontaine is signed with France, ending Quasi-War (September) |
| 1807 | Embargo Act passed (December) |
| 1809 | Embargo is repealed; Non-Intercourse Act passed (March) |
| 1812 | Declaration of war against Great Britain (June) |
| 1813 | Perry destroys British fleet at battle of Put-in-Bay (September) |
| 1814 | British marines burn Washington, D.C. (August) |
| 1814 | Treaty of Ghent ends War of 1812 (December) |
| 1815 | Jackson routs British at battle of New Orleans (January) |
| 1823 | Monroe Doctrine proclaimed |
| 1846 | War with Mexico breaks out |
| 1847 | American forces under Zachary Taylor defeat Mexicans at Buena Vista, Winfield Scott's army captures Veracruz and defeats Mexicans at Cerro Gordo, Mexico City falls to American invaders |
| 1848 | Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo consigns California and New Mexico to United States |
| 1859 | John Brown raids Harper’s Ferry, is captured and executed |
| 1861 | Fort Sumter is fired upon and surrenders to Confederate forces (April), South wins first battle of Bull Run (July) |
| 1862 | Grant captures forts Henry and Donelson (February), Farragut captures New Orleans for the Union (April), McClellan leads unsuccessful campaign on the peninsula southeast of Richmond (March-July), South wins second battle of Bull Run (August), McClellan stops Lee at battle of Antietam (September), Lee defeats Union army at Fredericksburg (December) |
| 1863 | Lee is victorious at Chancellorsville (May), North gains major victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg (July), Grant defeats Confederate forces at Chattanooga (November) |
| 1864 | Grant and Lee battle in northern Virginia (May-June), Atlanta falls to Sherman (September), Sherman marches through Georgia (November-December) |
| 1865 | Grant captures Petersburg and Richmond; Lee surrenders at Appomattox (April), Remaining Confederate forces surrender (April-May) |