By — Judy Woodruff Judy Woodruff By — Sarah Clune Hartman Sarah Clune Hartman Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-americas-military-shaped-the-nations-history-and-evolved-over-250-years Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio Over the last 250 years, the United States military has helped shape the nation's history – from the fight for independence to its emergence as the world's leading military power. But as the military's reach has grown, fewer Americans are serving in uniform. Judy Woodruff explores what that means for the country in her series, Crossroads: America at 250. Listen to this Segment By — Judy Woodruff Judy Woodruff Judy Woodruff is a senior correspondent and the former anchor and managing editor of the PBS News Hour. She has covered politics and other news for five decades at NBC, CNN and PBS. @judywoodruff By — Sarah Clune Hartman Sarah Clune Hartman
How America's military shaped the nation's history and evolved over 250 years
In short
Across two and a half centuries, the American armed forces evolved from an initial struggle for independence into the world's preeminent military power. Yet this growing reach contrasts sharply with modern recruitment realities, as fewer citizens choose to enlist. In the PBS NewsHour series "Crossroads: America at 250," senior correspondent Judy Woodruff and Sarah Clune Hartman investigate what this declining service rate means for the nation's trajectory.
Key points
- Fewer American citizens are serving in uniform today despite the armed forces possessing…: Fewer American citizens are serving in uniform today despite the armed forces possessing an expanded global footprint.
- Judy Woodruff's series examines the broader implications that declining participation in…: Judy Woodruff's series examines the broader implications that declining participation in uniform has on the country.
- The armed services' evolution reflects shifting relationships between civilian society an…: The armed services' evolution reflects shifting relationships between civilian society and national defense over two and a half centuries.