The United States has been embroiled in a constant war since the attacks of September 11, 2001. The country’s longest war in its history only ended last year with the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan after more than 20 years . The United States has also engaged in direct military activities in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Central African countries and others.

From a historical perspective, these recent conflicts do not match the historical significance of the most famous battles in American military history. Not since the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, which killed 7,000 US Marines and wounded 20,000 in 37 days, has there been a battle with so much at stake. (These are the deadliest battles in US history.)

To determine the most famous battles in American warfare history, 24/7 Wall St. examined historical sources like the American Battlefield Trust and Encyclopedia Britannica. Five battles from the Revolutionary War, Civil War and World Wars have been selected based on their scope and strategic importance to all of the wars. The fights are listed in chronological order.

The military engagements that helped define America began with the six-year American Revolution that pushed British and Continental armies to the brink. The most famous battles that gave birth to the United States involved some of the most well-known historical figures in US history: patriot goldsmith Paul Revere, hero-turned-traitor Benedict Arnold and, of course, George Washington. .

Less than a century later, America has turned its guns on itself, costing the lives of 620,000 soldiers while freeing 3.9 million enslaved African Americans. A number of battles in this conflict contributed to the preservation of the Republic.

Although the most famous battles of World War I did not involve American troops, a few key battles (along with the constant German attacks on American merchant shipping) encouraged President Woodrow Wilson and Congress to declare the war on the German Empire in 1917, delivering American troops to bloodstained European soil to help the Allies defeat the Kaiserreich.

Then came World War II, and with it the greatest moment in America’s military history with stunning but costly victories on two world fronts. (These are the 18 greatest battles of World War II.)

Here are the most famous battles of the Revolution, Civil War, World War I and World War II