For this week’s post, I decided to share some of the best websites I’ve found on wars in which Americans fought. The list includes the websites themselves as well as the reasons that I chose them. My list is by no means comprehensive. If you have a favorite website that covers one of America’s wars, please feel free to add it in the comment section.
Note: I have not included blogs here; perhaps I’ll add those in a future post.
U.S. Civil War
Civil War Academy.com
http://www.civilwaracademy.com
This site is most helpful for finding information about battles. It includes a description of each battle and lists other pertinent information. Its most unique feature is that it allows users to search for battles by state as well as name.
The Spanish-American War
The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War
http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/index.html
This site from the Library of Congress has an extensive list of non-American participants in its subject index, as well as a section on the literature of the period. Primary documents such as maps of Cuba and the Philippines at the time of war and the papers of Theodore Roosevelt are online.
World War I
First World War.com
This extensive site includes battlefield maps, a day-by-day timeline, primary documents, a complete listing of battlefields with descriptions, an encyclopedia (people, places, events, and terms), photographs, and first-hand accounts. The Prose and Poetry section is also an interesting place to learn about authors affected by World War I.
World War II
The World at War
The World at War is a nearly day-by-day history of World War II. It also includes extensive information about the events leading up to the war.
Generals of World War II
This detailed site offers information on the military careers of generals in WWII from all participating nations.
Vietnam War
The History Place Presents the Vietnam War
http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam/
This site offers a detailed timeline with quotes and analysis. Information on My Lai, Gulf of Tonkin, Kent State, and other war-related topics is included.
The American Experience: Vietnam
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/
This site provides a glossary of important figures in the Vietnam War, maps, and basic U.S. government documents relating to the war. The Weapons of War section makes the site an especially good resource for details about the weapons the combatants used.
What is your favorite U.S. war website?
Heather on History 