# U.S. Congress Has only Declared War Four Times? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 15, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-congress-has-only-declared-war-four-times/161610 "2003-03-15T16:22:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-congress-has-only-declared-war-four-times/161610/1 "2003-03-15T16:22:58Z")
I was reading earlier this week (in Newsweek, I think) that the U.S. Congress has only formally declared war on four occasions: War of 1812, Spanish-American War, WWI, and WWII. Does anyone know if this is correct? if so, given the amount of times the U.S. has been involved in miltary action over the past two centuries, doesn’t it indicate that the debates we’ve had from time to time on the Board about “needing a declaration of war” is rather academic? ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-congress-has-only-declared-war-four-times/161610/2 "2003-03-15T16:34:44Z")
From what I can gather, it’s 5 times. The four you mention plus the Mexican War (1846-1848). ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-congress-has-only-declared-war-four-times/161610/3 "2003-03-15T16:47:25Z")
A minor quibble, which doesn’t affect the main issue of how many wards Congress has declared: the United States’ entry as a belligerent into World War II involved two declarations of war, one against [Japan](http://www.ushda.org/warjapan.shtml) on 8 December 1941, and a second declaration of war against [Germany](http://www.ushda.org/wargermn.shtml) on 11 December. President Roosevelt had asked for a declaration against both Germany and Italty, but Congress declared war only against Germany. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-congress-has-only-declared-war-four-times/161610/4 "2003-03-15T16:48:15Z")
In doing some searching, technically we’ve done it 11 seperate times, according to [this .pdf document on the subject.](http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/DeclarationofWar.PDF) It comes from a search at [http://www.house.gov/](http://www.house.gov/). Basically, it states we formally declared war: Great Britain June 18, 1812 Mexico May 13, 1846 Spain April 25, 1898 World War I – Germany April 6, 1917 World War I – Austria-Hungary December 7, 1917 World War II – Japan December 8, 1941 World War II – Germany December 11, 1941 World War II – Italy December 11, 1941 World War II – Bulgaria June 5, 1942 World War II – Hungary June 5, 1942 World War II – Rumania June 5, 1942 So basically, 11 times for 5 reasons. ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-congress-has-only-declared-war-four-times/161610/5 "2003-03-15T16:50:28Z")
Sorry, _wars_, not _wards_. ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-congress-has-only-declared-war-four-times/161610/6 "2003-03-15T16:54:20Z")
Thanks, **Chandeleur**. I missed the other declarations that you identified, particularly the one against [Italy](http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/wwii/dec/dec04.htm#italy) in World War II, when I searched. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-congress-has-only-declared-war-four-times/161610/7 "2003-03-15T20:38:53Z")
In addition to the 11 listed by **Chandeleur** , there probably was one more. On either 2 or 3 Mar 1815, there may have been a declaration of war against Algiers. The last time I researched this, I wasn’t able to find the text of the resolution that Congress passed, so I couldn’t tell for sure. Descriptions usually refer to it as more of an ultimatum than an actual declaration of war. ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-congress-has-only-declared-war-four-times/161610/8 "2003-03-15T20:53:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dtilque \* > \*\*In addition to the 11 listed by **Chandeleur** , there probably was one more. On either 2 or 3 Mar 1815, there may have been a declaration of war against Algiers. The last time I researched this, I wasn’t able to find the text of the resolution that Congress passed, so I couldn’t tell for sure. Descriptions usually refer to it as more of an ultimatum than an actual declaration of war. \*\* Not a declaration of war. The act was An Act for the Protection of the Commerce of the United States Against the Algerine Cruisers, 3 Stat. 230 (Mar. 3, 1815), passed in the 13th Congress’s closing hours. You can find the text online at [this site](http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage). ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-congress-has-only-declared-war-four-times/161610/9 "2003-03-15T21:00:10Z")
Sorry, but the link that I posted for the Statutes at Large is evidently broken. Try this [link](http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwsl.html) and click “Browse Statutes at Large.” ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-congress-has-only-declared-war-four-times/161610/10 "2003-03-15T22:07:16Z")
OK, thanks **brianmelendez**. I found the text. While that act does not formally declare war, it seems to be a de facto declaration. And in fact uses the phrase “state of war” at one point. [This link](http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=003/llsl003.db&recNum=271) will get an image of the page with the text of the act. ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-congress-has-only-declared-war-four-times/161610/11 "2003-03-15T22:27:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dtilque \* > **While that act does not formally declare war, it seems to be a de facto declaration. And in fact uses the phrase “state of war” at one point.** If you define a “declaration of war” in a way broad enough that it includes [An Act for the Protection of the Commerce of the United States Against the Algerine Cruisers](http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=003/llsl003.db&recNum=271), then doesn’t such a broad definition also sweep in the [Gulf of Tonkin resolution](http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/tonkin-g.htm#joint)? And the [Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002](http://www.c-span.org/resources/pdf/hjres114.pdf)? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-congress-has-only-declared-war-four-times/161610/12 "2003-03-15T22:53:56Z")
Not to mention the original Gulf War of 199(1?). There was also a vote in Congress that passed, authorizing the use of force for Round 1. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-congress-has-only-declared-war-four-times/161610/13 "2003-03-15T23:24:10Z")
From the aboved .pdf, there is listed “Congressionally Authorized Military Engagements”. > [@](#): > > In several instances in both the 19th and 20th Centuries the U.S. engaged in extended military engagements that while not formally declared wars, were authorized by Congress in some form short of a formal declaration of war. In some instances action was prompted by attacks on U.S. interests. > > Undeclared Naval War with France 1798-1800 > First Barbary War (Against Barbary Pirates) 1801-1805 > Second Barbary War (Against Barbary Pirates) 1815 > Africa (Raid of Slave Traffic) 1820-1823 > Paraguay (Seek Redress for an Attack on a Naval Vessel) 1859 > Lebanon (Protect Government Against an Insurrection) 1958 > Vietnam War 1964-1973 > Lebanon (Restoration of Lebanese Government) 1982 > Gulf War 1991