Understanding U.S. Military Conflicts through Primary Sources

An easily accessible resource that showcases the links between using documented primary sources and gaining a more nuanced understanding of military history.

Primary source analysis is a valuable tool that teaches students how historians utilize documents and interpret evidence from the past. This four-volume reference traces key decisions in U.S. military history—from the Revolutionary War through the 21st-century conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq—by examining documents relating to military strategy and national policy judgments by U.S. military and political leaders.

A comprehensive introductory essay provides readers with the context necessary to understand the relationship between diplomatic documents, military correspondence, and other documentation related to events that shaped warfare, diplomacy, and military strategy. Once the stage is set, the work covers 14 conflicts that are significant to U.S. history. Treatment of each of the conflicts begins with a historical overview followed by a chronology and approximately 30 primary source documents presented in chronological order. Each document is accompanied by a description and annotations and by an analysis that highlights its importance to the event or topic under discussion. Designed for secondary school and college students, the work will be exceptionally valuable to teachers who will appreciate the ready-made lessons that fit directly into core curriculum standards.