Calls to Arms

Calls to Arms: Presidential Speeches, Messages, and Declarations of War is a collection of presidential messages and speeches that called America to war from John Adams and the Quasi-War with France to George W. Bush and the fight against international terrorism in Afghanistan. The documents included here demonstrate the growth of presidential power and show how Congress responded to each call to arms. The selections also reflect the adherence to constitutional requirements and in the case of undeclared war messages, the evolution of "extra-constitutional" behavior. In addition, the book provides a sample of the popular responses to calls to arms throughout history and provides a handy reference for studying some of the most memorable presidential speeches. A fascinating collection of some of the most important speeches in our country's history, Calls to Arms will appeal to all those interested in American, diplomatic, and military history.

Russell D. Buhite is dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of history at the University of Missouri-Rolla.

Chapter 1 John Adams: Quasi-War with France, 1797-1798 Chapter 2 Thomas Jefferson: War with Barbary States, 1801-1806 Chapter 3 James Madison: War of 1812, 1812; War with Algiers, 1815 Chapter 4 Andrew Jackson: Intervention in Sumatra and Falklands, 1831-1832 Chapter 5 James K. Polk: War with Mexico, 1846 Chapter 6 Abraham Lincoln: Civil War, 1861 Chapter 7 Ulysses S. Grant: Korean Expedition, 1871 Chapter 8 William McKinley: Spanish-American War, 1898; Philippine Insurrection, 1898-1900; China Relief Expedition, 1900 Chapter 9 Theodore Roosevelt: Panama, Dominican Republic, Cuba, 1903-1906 Chapter 10 William H. Taft: Nicaragua, 1912 Chapter 11 Woodrow Wilson: Intervention in Mexico, 1914-1916; Intervention in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, 1914; World War I, 1917-1918; Intervention in Russia, 1918-1919 Chapter 12 Calvin Coolidge: Occupation of Nicaragua, 1927-1928; Intervention in China, 1927 Chapter 13 Franklin D. Roosevelt: World War II, 1941-1942 Chapter 14 Harry S. Truman: Korea, 1950 Chapter 15 Dwight D. Eisenhower: Taiwan Strait, 1954; Lebanon, 1958 Chapter 16 John F. Kennedy: Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 Chapter 17 Lyndon B. Johnson: Vietnam, 1964; Dominican Republic, 1965 Chapter 18 Richard M. Nixon: Invasion of Cambodia, 1970 Chapter 19 Gerald R. Ford: Mayaguez Incident, 1975 Chapter 20 Jimmy Carter: Iran, Hostage Rescue Attempt, 1980 Chapter 21 Ronald Reagan: Marines in Beirut and Intervention in Grenada, 1983; Strike against Libya, 1986; Intervention in Persian Gulf against Iran, 1987 Chapter 22 George H. W. Bush: Intervention in Panama, 1989; Persian Gulf War against Iraq, 1990-1991; Intervention in Somalia, 1992 Chapter 23 William J. Clinton: Intervention in Somalia, 1993; Strike against Iraq, 1993; Intervention in Haiti, 1993-1994; Intervention in Bosnia, 1993, 1995; Intervention in Kosovo, 1999 Chapter 24 George W. Bush: Al-Qaida Terrorist Attack, 2001