American War history

Looking for events during a specific war period? See Civil War, WWI, WWII — or choose a specific year here.

See a WWII combat helmet up close
See a real vintage WW2 helmet up close

The M1 helmet was a WW2 helmet used by the United States military in the 1940s, and the M1C helmet was designed especially for paratroopers. Take a look up-close, inside and out!

Civil War remembrance - Memorial Day postcard
20 vintage Memorial Day postcards

Here are more 20 colorfully-illustrated vintage Memorial day postcards for the national American holiday originally known as Decoration Day. These patriotic antique cards are all from the early 1900s.

Civil War recruitment posters and broadsides
10 Civil War recruitment posters & broadsides (1861-1864)

By looking back at these old Civil War recruitment posters & broadsides, you can see what was being offered to men as an incentive to sign up to fight in the Civil War — and what exactly the leaders were looking for in troops back in the 1860s.

WWII fighter planes compared (1940s)
WWII fighter planes compared (1940s)

The Allies weren’t just trying to create the very best WWII fighter planes that they could – they were also constantly evaluating what the Nazis were using. Here’s a look.

Who was Frederick Douglass
Who was Frederick Douglass?

Frederick Douglass, who was born a slave in Talbot county, Maryland, in 1817, was the one conspicuous anti-slavery agitator who spoke of the wrongs and cruelty of slavery from personal experience.