ABSTRACT
The most popular American military adventures have sprung from issues that were perceived as both absolute and moral in nature. Although there was division within the body politic, the issues of British tyranny and American independence had an absolute and moral character, as did the protection of hearth, home, and way of life for Confederates during the Civil War. The role of the political objective is absolutely critical in the conduct of war by a democracy, because it provides the rallying cry to generate and sustain the public support without which a democracy cannot long fight. The military objectives pursued by the armed forces have varied widely during the American experience, as have the strategies they adopted. The objectives in both the War of 1812 and the Mexican War were limited and circumscribed, as were the military and political objectives during the Spanish-American War.
