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Wars & Conflicts

Explore the timeline of American wars and conflicts including the French and Indian War, the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War.

Explore the timeline of American wars and conflicts from the American Revolutionary War to current global conflicts.

National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day (April 9)

This day honors those veterans who have served their country while being held captive in enemy territory. The day also honors the family of the prisoners of war and their long and anxious wait to see their family again. Visit the collection.

Content Type
 How Did World War I Start? 2

Video

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How Did World War I Start?
Episode 2
Dr. M. Ryan Floyd discusses the events leading up to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which signaled the beginning of World War I.
 French and Indian War, Part 2 | History In A Nutshell 2

Video

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French and Indian War, Part 2 | History In A Nutshell
Episode 2
Part two briefly outlines the French and Indian War. After England officially declares war on France in 1756, this marks the beginning of both the French and Indian War, and the Seven Years War...
 French and Indian War, Part 1 | History In A Nutshell 1

Video

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French and Indian War, Part 1 | History In A Nutshell
Episode 1
Although the French and Indian War began officially in 1756, rising tension and engagements between British and French colonists happened years prior. With the English, French, and Native Americans...
 Confederate Relic Room | Let's Go!

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Confederate Relic Room | Let's Go!
The South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum 's mission is to collect and preserve the military history of this state. When visitors enter Columbia's oldest museum, they will uncover...
 H.L. Hunley Museum | Let's Go!

Video

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H.L. Hunley Museum | Let's Go!
The H.L. Hunley submarine made history during the American Civil War when she became the first submarine to sink an enemy ship in combat. In February 1864, the Hunley, under command of Lieutenant...
 Butler, Pierce Mason | South Carolina Public Radio

Audio

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Butler, Pierce Mason | South Carolina Public Radio
"B" is for Butler, Pierce Mason (1798-1847). Soldier, governor. A native of Edgefield District, Butler graduated from the South Carolina College. From 1819-1829, he was an officer in the United States...
 Burke, Aedanus | South Carolina Public Radio

Audio

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Burke, Aedanus | South Carolina Public Radio
"B" is for Burke, Aedanus (1743-1802). Jurist, congressman. A native of Ireland, Burke arrived in South Carolina in 1775 and served in the militia during the Revolution. In 1780 he was elected a judge...
 Brooks, Preston Smith | South Carolina Public Radio

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Brooks, Preston Smith | South Carolina Public Radio
"B" is for Brooks, Preston Smith (1819-1857). Congressman. Brooks attended Moses Waddel’s academy and the South Carolina College. In 1844, Edgefield District elected him to the General Assembly...
 Bull, Stephen | South Carolina Public Radio

Audio

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Bull, Stephen | South Carolina Public Radio
"B" is for Bull, Stephen (d. 1800). Soldier, legislator. Descended from one of the first families of South Carolina, Stephen Bull was the nephew of Lieutenant Governor William Bull, Jr. Bull...
 Burroughs, Franklin Gorham | South Carolina Public Radio

Audio

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Burroughs, Franklin Gorham | South Carolina Public Radio
"B" is for Burroughs, Franklin Gorham (1837-1897). Manufacturer, merchant, land developer. A native of North Carolina, Burroughs disliked farming. In 1857, he moved to Conway and went to work with a...
 Columbia Army Airbase | South Carolina Public Radio

Audio

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Columbia Army Airbase | South Carolina Public Radio
"C" is for Columbia Army Air Base. In 1940, Columbia Army Air Base began as one of 250 sites where federal funds would be used to construct an airfield. It was originally designated Lexington County...
College of Charleston | South Carolina Public Radio Columbia, Burning of | South Carolina Public Radio

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Columbia, Burning of | South Carolina Public Radio
"C" is for Columbia, Burning of (February 17-18, 1865). Columbia was in chaos when Mayor Thomas J. Goodwyn surrendered the city. Retreating Confederates set fire to the Charlotte Railroad depot...
 Pratt, Nathaniel Alpheus | South Carolina Public Radio

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Pratt, Nathaniel Alpheus | South Carolina Public Radio
"P" is for Pratt, Nathaniel Alpheus (1834-1906). Chemist, engineer, inventor. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Pratt, a native Georgian was named assistant chief of the Confederate States Nitre and...
 Guerard, Benjamin | South Carolina Public Radio

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Guerard, Benjamin | South Carolina Public Radio
"G" is for Guerard, Benjamin (d. 1788). Governor. Guerard studied law in England and was admitted to the South Carolina bar in 1761. He served in the Commons House, but spent most of his time dealing...
 D-Day: 40 Years Ago, Part 3 (1984) 3

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D-Day: 40 Years Ago, Part 3 (1984)
Episode 3
Part 3 of the D-Day: 40 Years Ago special of Carolina Journal. Veterans from both Axis and Allied powers gather to remember their experiences on D-Day, and to honor the fallen.
 D-Day: 40 Years Ago, Part 2 (1984) 2

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D-Day: 40 Years Ago, Part 2 (1984)
Episode 2
Part 2 of the D-Day: 40 Years Ago special of Carolina Journal. Veterans from both Axis and Allied powers gather to remember their experiences on D-Day, and to honor the fallen.
Spanish-American War and Panama Canal

Lesson

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Spanish-American War and Panama Canal

Students will be able to understand the reason for the United States gaining control of new territories. Students will know the background information concerning the Panama Canal and the United States...

 Brown, Thomas | South Carolina Public Radio

Audio

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Brown, Thomas | South Carolina Public Radio
"B" is for Brown, Thomas (1750-1825). Soldier. Brown was among the most notorious Loyalist commanders in the South during the American Revolution. He immigrated to Georgia in 1774, established a large...
 Horry, Peter | South Carolina Public Radio

Audio

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Horry, Peter | South Carolina Public Radio
"H" is for Horry, Peter (ca. 1743-1815) Planter, soldier, legislator. In 1775, Peter Horry was commissioned a captain in the Second South Carolina Regiment. By 1780, he commanded the Fifth South...
Sayre, Christopher Gadsden | South Carolina Public Radio Secessionville, Battle of | South Carolina Public Radio

Audio

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Secessionville, Battle of | South Carolina Public Radio
“S” is for Secessionville, Battle of [June 16, 1862). Union general Henry Benham launched an assault on Tower Battery near the planter village of Secessionville. The Confederate defenders, supported...
 Unionists | South Carolina Public Radio

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Unionists | South Carolina Public Radio
“U” is for Unionists. Unionists in South Carolina were anti-scessionists and supporters of the federal Union in the decades prior to the Civil War—especially during the Nullification Crisis of the...