LE3-C2S3T5pg31-38 The United States Can Declare War and Maintain a Navy

Purpose This lesson will look at two powers to declare war and maintain a naval service and examine the five declared wars in which the United States has engaged over the past two centuries.

1. State how a nation is given the right to declare war. 2. Identify reasons for the creation and maintenance of the United States Navy. 3. Define the reasons why nations, in general, declare war. 4. List the five declared wars of the United States the reasons for the declarations of war.

CPS Key Word Questions (1-4)

_________________ - the division of authority between the Congress of the United States, the President, and the Federal Courts. __________ - the supreme and independent power of authority of a state.  Checks and balances  Sovereignty

_______ - encouraging people to behave in a violent or unlawful way. _______ - when a person or country does not support anyone in disagreement, war, or contest.  Inciting  Neutral

CPS Lesson Questions (1-2)

Is a Democratic or Totalitarian nation more likely to declare war? Explain you reasoning. A.Democratic B.Totalitarian C.The same

True or False: The Bill of Rights of the United States documents the fundamental laws of the United States of America. A.True B.False This describes the Constitution.

Think about what you know about American history. List 2-3 wars and what you know about them in American history. (Use CPS “Pick a Student” for this question)

 The Constitution of the United States documents the fundamental laws of the United States of America.  The division of authority is known as _________________. checks and balances

 The power “to declare war” found in the U.S. Constitution (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11) is generally thought of as an inherent power of all nations.  The power to declare war is not a power of all nations simply because they are nations.

 Many of our nation’s founders argued in favor of including the power “to provide and maintain a Navy” (Article I Section 8 Clause 13) in the Constitution.  These founders claimed that naval service would be the cheapest, as well as the best, defense against a foreign enemy.

 Between 1798 and 1993, there were approximately 234 times in which the United States used its military forces overseas in combat or potential conflict situations.  The one common characteristic linking most of these military actions is that Congress did not formally declare war.  The United States has used the power to declare war on another nation ____ times from 1798 to five

 Despite the desire of the United States to insulate itself from European affairs, the Napoleonic Wars ( ) pulled the United States into a trade war with England and France.  On June 1, 1812, President James Madison asked Congress to declare war on Great Britain.

CPS Lesson Question (3)

Between 1798 and 1993, approximately how many times did the U.S. use its military forces overseas in combat or potential conflict situations? A.240 B.234 C.270 D.236

 Because Mexico never recognized Texas’s independence, Mexicans technically considered the United State’s annexation of Texas an act of war.  Mexican troops attacked a scouting group of American soldiers.  President Polk used the skirmish to claim that Mexico had invaded the United States and asked Congress to declare war.

 On February 15, 1898, an explosion killed 266 United States sailors on the Maine while the warship was anchored in Havana, Cuba.  On April 11, 1898, President William McKinley asked Congress for a declaration of war, even though the day before Spain had agreed to United States demands in Cuba.  By the time the Spanish-American War arrived, the United States boasted a heavily armed, modern navy.

 With the resumption of submarine attacks on neutral ships in the Atlantic Ocean, President Wilson decided to seek a declaration of war from Congress.  When Wilson made the request on April 2, 1917, to declare war, 209 Americans had died in the attacks, 28 of them on American ships.

 Just before dawn on December 7, 1941, the Japanese Air Force launched a surprise attack against the United States Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, destroying most of the battleships.  Casualties totaled 2,280 killed and 1,109 wounded.  On December 8, President Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war against Japan.

CPS Lesson Question (4)

When did President Roosevelt ask Congress to declare war against Japan? A.December 7, 1941 B.December 10, 1941 C.December 8, 1941 D.December 20, 1941

List the 2-3 most important things you learned in this lesson. Why are they important to you? (Use CPS “Pick a Student” for this question)

Images in this lesson were taken from:  Microsoft © Clip Art Gallery  Marine Corps Combat Camera  MCJROTC Student Text