Know Your Government: Doing Your Civil Duty

One of the greatest things someone can do for their government is understanding it. To understand your government you have to look past party lines and look right to the source. Even though it may seem boring, actually reading a bill that's contraversial, instead of being "told" what is in it.

My dear readers, there should never be a thing called "the scilent public."

Stand for something than stay quiet for nothing.

DO YOUR CIVIL DUTY. For teenagers under the age of 18 this can seem hard. You cannot vote and you may even feel that the government does not care about you; however, you will be the constituants of the future. They should care. To begin to take responsibility for your government you do not need to protest, you do not need to make a upheaval change, *though I do not disapprove those things!!! Those are terrific and definately make you matter!* it can be easier than that. It is knowing actually knowing what your government is doing.

Here are some websites that can help you with your civil duty:

US Bureau of Economic Analysis:
www.beu.gov\

US Army:
www.army.mil

US Census Bureau:
www.census.gov\

US Bureau of Labor Statistics *Jobs:
www.bls.gov\

These are just a few of some main government offices who produce the real stats. This is where you should go for your information if you want it to be untainted by the mass media.

Look into your government. It'll be yours one day.

Finals and Slow Starts

I wish to apologize for any trouble that this brings anyone. Unfortunately due to finals this coming week and part of next week TG will not be able to post anything for a while. During the off time though I will be compiling new information.

So until then I will leave you some video's by School House Rock because they are great entertainment and if you pay attention you might learn something...might...

http://www.youtube.com/user/SchoolHouseRockKids#p/c/BEF70B25331D09DE/6/p0LmYEjXNIg
*No More Kings

http://www.youtube.com/user/SchoolHouseRockKids#p/c/BEF70B25331D09DE/9/gLQg7G3hkGY
*Three Ring Government

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=QpggZ9hDxC4
*Melting Pot

http://www.youtube.com/user/SchoolHouseRockKids#p/c/BEF70B25331D09DE/4/2TBxxPPhzj8
*I'm Just A Bill

http://www.youtube.com/user/SchoolHouseRockKids#p/c/BEF70B25331D09DE/3/h-dIvtxvSsY
*I'll Send Your Folks to College

All of these are about 3 to 4 minutes long and they do have good information too if you listen through your laughs.

Anyways on to the next topic!
If anyone has any area of interest that they would like us to look into and bring in information on we will gladly take suggestions. This applies anytime on Teen Government. If ever anyone has questions ask.

I know that starting out has been slow and I would deeply appreciate it if you kept your patience with me and the team and stick with us.

Thank you!!!

Creator and President of Teen Government
-Kes

The United States At War: A List of Military Conflics With Other Nations

There have been five formally declared wars against foreign nations in the United States. These are also listed below in the complete list of military engagements in other countries.

Formally Declared Wars by the United States Government

1. War of 1812
2. Mexican-American War 1846
3. Spanish American War 1898
4. World War I 1917
5. World War II 1941/1942

There are at least 125 occasions where the President has acted without prior express of military authorization from Congress. These include Korea 1950, Philippine-American War 1898-1903, and Nicaraqua 1927.

Teen Government's List of Military Engagements with Other Countries Up Till 2008

In Chronological Order

Recognized "wars" are bolded

1. Revolutionary War
2. Second Cherokee War 1776
3. Chickamauga Wars 1776
4. Northwest Indian War 1786
5. Quasi-War 1798 *To gain the Dominican Republic city of Puerto Plata
6. Fries' Rebellion 1799
7. First Barbary War 1801
8. Spanish 1806 *Captain Zebulon Pike invaded Spanish Territory at the headquarters of Rio Grand
9. Gulf of Mexico 1806 *American gunboats operated from New Orleans agaisnt spanish and French privateers of the Mississippi Delta
10. West Florida/Spanish Florida Atacks 1810,13,16,18 *Troops occupied the territory east of the Mississippi as far as Pearl River and later into Louisiana, mulitple attacks by U.S to gain land in that area for years after
11. Amelia Island 1812-17 *Troops sent to obtain Amelia Island and other parts of east Florida they would return in 1817
12. War of 1812
13. Caribbean 1814 *U.S fights with pirates and merchant men in the Caribbean
14. Second Barbary War 1815
15. Tripoli 1815
16. Cuba Piracy Wars 1822-25
17. Greece Piracy Hunt 1827
18. Falkland Islands 1831 *Captain Silas Duncan (USS Lexington) sails to find three missing American Sailors, and to fight for American intrests
19. Attack on Quallah Battoo, Sumatra and Indonesia 1832 *Commodore John Downes (USS Potomac) came ashore to punish natives from the twon of Quallah Battoo for plundering an American cargo ship
20. Argentina 1833 *To protect the United States' intrests and other countries during an insurrection
21. Peru 1835 *Marines protected American interests in Callao and Lima during an attempted revolution
22. Mexico 1836 * General James Gaines occupies Nacogdoches, Texas under the order to "...cross the imaginary boundary line..." if the Native Americans threatened them
23. The Caroline Affair 1838 * After the failure of the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837, William Lyon Mackenzie and his rebels fled to Navy Island. Americans sympathized with their cause and sent supplies up on the SS Caroline which was intercepted by the British and set aflame, killing one American. It was falsely stated that dozens of Americans had been killed as they were trapped on board and American foces retaliated by burning a British steamer while it was in U.S waters. "Sometimes you just need to shoot people." -J. Conway
24. Sumatra (Indonesia) 1838
25. Fiji Islands 1840 * Naval forces land to punish natives for attacking American explorers
26. *For the next five years there are many more island attacks like Fiji and Sumatra.*
27. Mexican-American War 1846
28. *Again from 1851 till a little after 1856 the U.S attacks, the Ottoman Empire, Johanns Island, Argentina, Nicaragua, Ryukyu and Bonin Islands, China, Fiji, Uruguay, Mexico, and Panama.
29. Angola and Colombia 1860
30. American Civil War 1861
31. Japan 1863-64 and again in '68 *All said to be retaliation to Japanese ships and people firing upon American vessels
32. Southern United States/Reconstruction 1865
33. Mexico 1866
34. Nicaragua
35. Formosa (Taiwan) 1867
36. Uruguay and Colombia 1868
37. Mexico Priating 1870 *U.S Destroys the pirate ship Forward
38. Kingdom of Hawaii 1870 *At the death of Queen Kalama, when the American consul in Honolulu would not raise the American flag at half-mast, some troops were sent in to do so
39. Korea 1871 *Attack lasted two days
40. Kingdom of Hawaii 1874 *Sent troops to protect the intrests of Americans living in the kingdome during the coronation of a new monarch
41. Egypt 1882 *Protection of American interests and lives
42. *A few unsettled issues, and protection of American interests occur in the year of 1888 and the beginning of 1889 in Korea, Haiti, and Samoa
43. Kingdom of Hawaii 1889 * U.S forces at Honolulu protected the interests of Americans living in Hawaii during an American led revolution
44. Argentina 1890
45. The Mass Killing of the Sioux Indians: South Dakota 1890 *Massacre of Wounded Knee
46. Haiti 1891
47. Bering Strait 1891
48. Chile 1891 *Protection of American interests
49. Overthrow of Hawaiian Kingdom 1893 *Marines landed in Hawaii, ostensibly to protect American lives and property, but many believed it actually to promote a provisional governement under Sanford B. Dole. This action was "disavowed" by President Cleveland and the U.S eventually apologized 100 years later in 1993
50. Brazil, Nicaragua, and Korea 1894--5
51. China 1894
52. Colombia, Venezuela, and Nicaragua 1895-1898
53. Spanish-American War 1898
54. Samoa 1889
55. China 1898
56. Nicaragua 1899
57. Philippine-American War 1899
58. China's Boxer Rebellion 1900 *U.S troops operated to protect foreign lives mostly at Peking
59. Colombia, Honduras, Dominican Rebublic, Syria, Abyssinia (Ethiopia), Panama 1900-1904
60. Tangier, Morocco 1904 *Marines landed to protect the consul gerneral
61. Panama 1904
62. Korea 1905
63. Cuba 1906 *U.S forces sought to re-establish a governemtn after revolutionary activity
64. Honduras 1907
65. Occupation of Nicaragua 1910 *Troops protected American interests and lives at Bluefields
66. Honduras 1911
67. China 1911 U.S forces sought to evacuate missionaries before the Xinhai Revolution but failed
68. Honduras 1912 *Small force landed to prevent sezure by the government of an American owned railroad in Puerto Cortes
69. Panama, Cuba, China, Turkey and Nicaragua 1912 * Overviewing political elections in Panama, protecting American interests in Cuba, and the United States had many protection treaties with China
70. Mexico 1913
71. Haiti 1914 *Put down rioting and revolution for "the protection of American and foreign interests
72. Dominican Republic, Meixco, Haiti, and China 1913-1916
73. World War I 1917
74. Cuba, Mexico, and Panama 1917-18 *Keep the peace
75. Soviet Union 1918
76. Dalmatia (Croatia) 1919
77. Turkey 1919
78. Hunduras 1919
79. China, Guatemala, Russia (Siberia), Panama, Costa Rica, Turkey, Honduras, Nicaragua and Cuba 1920-34
80. New Foundland, Bermuda, St. Lucia, Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua, Trinidad, andBritish Guiana 1940
81. Greenland and Iceland 1941
82. Netherlands 1941
83. World War II 1941
84. China 1945
85. Occupation of Germany 1945
86. Occupation of Austria 1945
87. Occupation of Italy 1945
88. Occupation of Japan 1945
89. Temorary Reoccupation of the Phillippines 1946
90. Trieste Italy 1946
91. Palistine 1948
92. Berlin 1948
93. China 1949
94. Korean War 1950
95. Formosa (Taiwan) 1950 *U.S tries to prevent Korea from attacking Formosa
96. China, Vietnam, and Egypt 1958
97. Lebanon 1958
98. The Caribbean 1959
99. Vietnam War 1959
100. *Between 1960 and 1970 there were several incidents. The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, Invasion of the Dominican Republic in 1965, the USS Liberty incident in Israel and finally the Cambodia Campaign in 1970
101. Yom Kippur War 1973 *U.S gives weaponry to Israel
102. Evacuation from Cyprus 1974
103. Evacuation from Vietnam 1975
104. Evacuation from Cambodia 1975
105. South Vietnam 1975 *Went to protect U.S Embassy
106. Cambodia 1975
107. Lebanon 1976
108. Korea 1976
109. Zaire (Congo) 1978
110. Operation Eagle Claw, Iran 1980
111. El Salvador 1981
112. Libya 1981 *First Gulf of Sidra Incident
113. Sinai 1982
114. Lebanon 1982
115. Egypt 1983
116. Grenada 1983
117. Honduras 1983
118. Chad 1983
119. Persian Gulf 1984
120. Italy 1985
121. Libya 1986 *Action in the Gulf of Sidra, Operation El Dorado Canyon
122. Bolivia 1986
123. Persian Gulf 1987
124. Iraq and Iran 1987-88 *Operation Nimble Archer, Operation Earnest Will, Operation Praying Mantis, Operation Prime Chance, Operation Golden Pheasant
125. Libya 1989 *Second Gulf of Sidra Incident
126. Philippines 1989 *Operation Classic Resolve 1989
127. Panama 1989 *Operation Just Cause
128. Liberia 1990
129. Saudi Arabia 1990 *Defending Saudi Arabia...Defending our cheap oil...
130. Persian Gulf War 1991 *Operation Destert Shield and Operation Desert Storm
131. Iraq 1991 *President H.W. Bush (Bush Senior) puts troops in to help the Kurdish people
132. Zaire 1991 *Evacuated American Citizens to protect them from widespread looting and rioting in Kinshasa
133. Turkey 1991-96 *Operation Provide Comfort
134. Sierra Leone 1992 *Operation Silver Anvil
135. Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992 *Operation Provide Promise
136. Kuwait 1992 *To protect U.S interests
137. Iraq 1992 *No fly zones
138. Somalia 1992 *Operation Restore Hope
139. Bosnia and Herzegovina 1993
140. Macedonia 1993
141. Haiti 1994 *Operation Uphold Democracy
142. Bosnia 1995 *Operation Deliberate Force
143. Liberia 1996 *Operation Assured Response
144. Central African Republic 1996 *Operation Quick Response
145. Albania 1997 *Operation Silver Wake
146. Congo and Gabon 1997
147. Sierra Leone 1997
148. Cambodia 1997
149. Iraq 1998 *Operation Desert Fox
150. Guinea-Bissau 1998 *Operation Shepherd Venture
151. Kenya and Tanzania 1998
152. Afghanistan and Sudan 1998 *Operation Infinite Reach
153. Liberia 1998
154. East Timor 1999
155. Serbia 1999 *Operation Allied Force
156. Sierra Leone 200
157. Yemen 2000
158. East Timor 2000
159. China 2001 *Hainan Island Incident
160. Afghanistan 2001 *War in Afghanistan
161. Yemen 2002
162. Philippines 2002
163. Cote D'lvoire 2002
164. Iraq 2003 *Invasion of Iraq: War In Iraq
165. Liberia 2003 *Second Liberian Civil War
166. Haiti 2004 *Rebellion
167. War on Terrorism 2004
168. Pakistan 2004 *Drone attacks
169. Pakistan 2005 *Deployment of troops to provide humanitarian relief to far remote villages
170. Lebanon 2006
171. Somalia 2001 *Battle of Ras Kamboni
172. South Ossetia, Georgia 2008 *Humanitarian Aid

Reseach done by Teen Government using:

Wikipedia: For information on wars

Answers.com: For information on wars

Country Studies: For information on wars

usmilitary.com: For information on wars

America: A Time Line of Basic History

1776-1789: The United States becomes an independent country creating and ratifying a new constitution and federal government. Launching the war for independence. The Revolutionary War.

1789-1849
George Washington becomes the first president of the United States in 1789. Congress also adopts 10 amendments to the constitution: The Bill of Rights. Fedralists and Republicans become the first parties of the Untied States in Congress. The Louisiana purchase helps gain almost all of the Midwest from France for 15 million dollars. Then the war of 1812 brakes out against Britain which ends with the United States once again holding onto it's country. Not so long later the Federal Government deports the Southeastern Indian tribes to reservations in the west. Another policical party then appears, one for the wealthier class of Americans, called the Whigs. Everyone wants expantion of the U.S and with the help of the philosophy of Manifest Destiny, the annexation of Texas, the defeat of Mexico in war, and a compromise with Britain, the western United States was gained by 1848. However, the Annexation of Texas leads to a crisis over slavery which propels the United States into the 1850's and the Civil War.

1849-1865
Turbulent years lead up to the American Civil War, many economic and national changes take place. By 1861 Eleven States declared secession from the United States. In the burtal war that followed 700,000 American soliders on both sides are killed and nearly all of the South is desimated, all railways destroyed, most factories, plantations, and stores are in ruins. The Union is restored but the South is impoverished and in tatters.

1865-1918
Reconstruction of the South, the Gilded Age, the rise of Industrialization and Progressivism, and A few more wars all take place between this time period. Rapid economic growth for the North and the West occurs however the South still has little economic stability and is impoverished from so many Northern taxes. The Reconstruction fails at helping the people the war was fought to free. Ex-Slaves still have little to no rights, and are almost to poor to be considered free. They are prevented from the polls by segregation and racial violence and the Jim Crow laws make them second class citizens. The Third and Fourth party systems that come and go are mostly Republican, except for two Democratic presidents. The Progressive Era became a turning point in the U.S. Many different reforms happend, on all levels of society, in politics and labor. A huge immigration from Europe occures, 27.5 million new arrivals come between 1865-1918. These new immigrants help creat a labor base for the expansion in industry and agriculture. By 1900 the US is considered a global power, with many inventors and inventions to her name. *Telegraph, electricity, and complex railway systems* More military confilicts come and go. The U.S easily defeats Spain in 1898 in the Spanish-American War, and creates a small Imperialistic empire for the U.S. We gain Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Phillipines, and some smaller islands from Spain in the Treaty of Paris. Then in 1917 the United States enters World War One on the side of the allied forces.

1918-1945
Post-World War One, the Great Depression, and World War II.
The U.S enjoys a bubble of prosperity money wise through the 1920's. In 1929 the financial bubble of prosperity popped. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 sent the U.S into the Great Depression. The recovery from the Great Depression would take years and would sometimes slip. The Isolationist sentiment of America had faded and was replaced by the Imperialisty and Social Darwinism form of thought. Then in the 1940's the Attack on Pearl Harbor, by Imperial Japan, sent the U.S into World War Two and by 1945 all enemy forces had surrendered to allied forces.

1945-1964
The Cold War, End of Segregation, and the Red Scare of Communism
The race to beat the Soviet Union by creating the more powerful nuclear weapon begins and brings about the Red Scare. The fear of Communism is spread through the U.S and Congress brings back House on Unamerican Activities Committe (HUAC). The trials done by HUAC now are seen as unfair and seen as a way to get back at people. Probably the greatest example is the Hollywood Ten. *Screenwriters/Actors who were all called out to be communists. Arthor Miller was one of the ten and later wrote "The Crucible" an analogy of the how unfair the HUAC trials were and comparing them to the mass witch trials and killings in Salem. During this time period segregation is coming to a close with the civil rights movement taking off. African American's are no longer suppressed under American law. The Democrats take control of Congress for awhile, however; President Kennedy is assassinated in 1963.

1964-1980
African American Civil Rights movement finally climaxes. The Vietnam War escalates and comes to a bitter close. Then the a continuation of the Cold War with the Soviet Union come back and the Space Race is off and running. The economy was well until the 1970's and then faltered when oil prices soared. By 1980, with the seizure of the American Embassy in Iran, there was a sense of national malaise and President Ronald Reagan then stepped into office.

1980-1991
The collapse of the Soviet Union, Iran hostage crisis and mounting domestic opposition. Reagan introduces policies aimed at stimulating the American economy after two recessions back to back in 1981 and in 1982. President George H.W Bush come to office and the largest scandal in this time frame was the Iran-Contra affair. Weapons from the U.S had been sold to Iran and the proceeds were used by the CIA to aid Contras in Nicaragua.

1991-Present day
The hightened military involvement in the Middle East soars and in 1991 the Gulf War against Iraq takes place, when Iraq tries to invade Kuwait. *A country of whom we get very nice cheep oil from* The U.S expels Iraq from Kuwait and Bill Clinton is elected to the presidency in 1992. Then in 2000 George W. Bush is elected to the presidency just like his father before him. In 2001, 9/11, the United States is attacked by terrorists fromt the group Al Queda. President Bush declares a War on Terror; first invading Afghanistan and then Iraq. Scandles and lack of public popularity lose the republicans their majority in congress and the democrats take over both houses and President Barack Obama is elected as the first African American President. He enacts the Economic Stimulus Packages to help the failing economy, Health Care Reform and as he begins his third year in office, he is going after unemployment, federal spending, and hopes of bipartismship that have been ignored by both parties.