Thanks for that info, Dan

>>I don't know too much about all the rest (we don't learn that in school) but I might have mentioned earlier that you fought the Spanish for, what? - New Mexico, Florida, California, Texas? (wasn't the Alamo involved in that? - or was Spain the aggressor there?)
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>The Alamo occured during the Texas Revolution. Texas then became a separate country, but voted to join the US. When they did, that triggered the Mexican-American War of 1848, which resulted in our gaining control over most of what is north of Mexico.
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>Florida I would have to look up, but it was a part of the US before then, I think.
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>The Spanish-American War was much later. Basically the result of that was our control of Puerto Rico and the Philippines, and creation an independant Cuba (didn't THAT come back to haunt us!).

Who was it who wrote the book "The Young Lions" (a WW2 story re: US Army)? I've got it somewhere but it's been years and I've forgotten for now the author. Anyway, I seem to recall at the beginning his stating that the US is the most bellicose nation in the world, having taken part in more conflicts than any other country (didn't you even have a war with Japan at the turn of the last century?). I seem to recall in a recent thread mention of the Battle of Niagara. Now I'd thought this was all just part of the 1812 war Vs GB but I read then that this was an attempt to get Canada into the empireUnion

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>Meanwhile, we could have a very spirited debate regarding whether the US is an empire or not. Except that it is too early on a Monday for that.

Well put up yer dukes tomorrow! :-)