History Forum / General / General Topics / February 2006

The US has gained innumerable Military BAses in Germany, France,JApan, England. The ones
in Germany are quite active. The Hospitals there handle all Iraqi casualoties and wounds
before they are shipped here. I think we have the pipeline in the MidEast pretty much
sewed up with bases up and down the length.We are not really looking for wide expanses for
sod busters anymore. Strategic locations on valued property, thats the ticket. Dont you
think the Germans could use that land for themselves? They have a crowded country.
Especially now since we have forced them to allow all of these VietNamers and other trash
in. Its funny, but how come there are more Asian refugees in Germany than in Japan? The
Japs take none. They do not want any races except Japanese making babies on Nippon. Its a
shame we cant do that.

In 1912, the 48 "lower" US states expanded for the last
time, as the Gadsden Purchase extended Arizona and
New Mexico a few miles southward.  This controversial
settlement of the Mexican-American War a half-century
earlier was finalized when the Arizona Territory became
the state of Arizona on February 14th, 1912.  

In 1959, the US admitted Hawaii and Alaska to statehood.  

As far as "gained property" by occupation, we've given
almost all of it back.  

At the start of the 20th Century, we had "gained" Cuba, the
Philippines and much of the Caribbean from the Spanish-
American War.  We gave it all to independence movements,
save Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.  

From WWI, we "gained" portions of Europe by virtue of
occupation, but with the Treaty Of Versailles we gave it
all back.  

In WWII, we "gained" Japan, Micronesia and Melanesia
in the East, and in the West: half of mainland Europe and
parts of North Africa.  We gave it all back, save some bases
in Germany, Okinawa, Oceania and the UK.  

During various Asian wars, we "gained" 99% of Korea (then
lost half to China), got 90% of Vietnam (then lost half to Russia
and gave up on the other half), and held parts of Cambodia,
Laos and Thailand briefly.  Everything we conquered, we gave
back.  

More recently, we have "gained" Afghanistan and Iraq,
and now we certainly want to give them back too (LOL!).  

So the simple answer is that 1912 was the last time the
USA expanded into new territory, and 1959 was the last
time we expanded the republic.  

The complicated answer is that 99.99% of the millions
of acres the US has "gained" by conquest in the last
100+/- years has been given away to native peoples.  

The list of countries we "owned" is large:

Panama, Grenada, Cuba, Haiti, Dominica, Virgin Islands,
Puerto Rico, Liberia, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Italy, France
(twice), Germany (twice), Netherlands, Belgium, Lichtenstein,
Luxembourg, Monaco, Denmark, Norway, Greenland, San
Marino, Croatia, Bosnia, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait, Afghanistan,
Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Micronesia,
Melanesia, Oceania, Samoa, Okinawa, Taiwan, Phillippines,
Matsu, Hawaii, Alaska, et cetera.  

All have been given back, except Hawaii and Alaska,
Samoa, VI, and Puerto Rico.  And we left some bases
in other places to make sure we wouldn't have to fight
wars there again.  

Of the ones we still own, Puerto Rico has to make a
choice that it has been reticent to make: statehood,
independence or protectorate?  

SL