U.S. Wars That History Teachers Probably Never Mentioned

Eggs, piracy, a pig. This seemingly disparate list has one unifying theme. All of the items have at one time or another been the pretext for sending U.S. soldiers into action. In fact, there have been obscure wars in almost every corner of the globe involving U.S. forces. So if you’d like to learn about the lesser-known conflicts that have entangled the American military over the years, read on...

King Philip’s War (1675-76)

King Philip’s War, sometimes called the First Indian War, actually happened before the United States existed: it took place in New England during the early days of British settlement. King Philip, a Wampanoag chief originally called Metacom, led the Native Americans in a bitter 14-month war of resistance against the colonialists. The British settlements had formed a military alliance, the New England Confederation, as early as 1643. It was this force that King Philip’s warriors faced in 1675.

Back and forth

In June, the Wampanoag raided the Swansea settlement in Massachusetts, killing numbers of colonialists. The British swiftly retaliated, destroying Philip’s village, Mount Hope on Rhode Island. The fighting spread throughout the Plymouth Colony in the following months with heavy casualties on both sides. The death of King Philip in August 1676 effectively ended most Wampanoag resistance although sporadic violence persisted until the 1678 Treaty of Casco.

Northwest Indian War (1785-95)

The Northwest Indian War, sometimes known as the Ohio War, was a series of skirmishes and battles for control of the American northwest. A union of Native American peoples with British support opposed the U.S. forces and their allies the Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes. Bitter hostilities ground on for a decade across the Ohio and Illinois territories.

Futile efforts

The Northwest Confederacy, a group of Native Americans led by the Huron people, was determined to hold on to what they regarded as their lands. But pressure from settlers backed by the U.S. Army was ultimately irresistible. Final Native American defeat came at the Battle of Fallen Timbers near Lake Erie in 1794. The next year, the Treaty of Greenville annexed much of the First Nation lands.