<Table> <Tr> <Th> War </Th> <Th> Declaration </Th> <Th> Opponent ( s ) </Th> <Th> Date of declaration </Th> <Th colspan="2"> Votes </Th> <Th> President </Th> <Th> Result </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Senate </Th> <Th> House </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> War of 1812 </Td> <Td> Declaration of War upon the U.K. </Td> <Td> United Kingdom </Td> <Td> June 18 , 1812 </Td> <Td> 19 -- 13 </Td> <Td> 79 -- 49 </Td> <Td> James Madison </Td> <Td> Treaty of Ghent ( December 24 , 1814 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Mexican -- American War </Td> <Td> `` An Act providing for the Prosecution of the existing War between the United States and the Republic of Mexico . '' </Td> <Td> Mexico </Td> <Td> May 13 , 1846 </Td> <Td> 40 -- 2 </Td> <Td> 173 -- 14 </Td> <Td> James K. Polk </Td> <Td> Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ( February 2 , 1848 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Spanish -- American War </Td> <Td> Declaration of War upon Spain </Td> <Td> Spain </Td> <Td> April 25 , 1898 </Td> <Td> 42 -- 35 </Td> <Td> 310 -- 6 </Td> <Td> William McKinley </Td> <Td> Treaty of Paris ( December 10 , 1898 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> World War I </Td> <Td> Declaration of War upon Germany </Td> <Td> Germany </Td> <Td> April 6 , 1917 </Td> <Td> 82 -- 6 </Td> <Td> 373 -- 50 </Td> <Td> Woodrow Wilson </Td> <Td> Treaty of Berlin ( August 25 , 1921 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Declaration of War upon Austria - Hungary </Td> <Td> Austria - Hungary </Td> <Td> December 7 , 1917 </Td> <Td> 74 -- 0 </Td> <Td> 365 -- 1 </Td> <Td> 1921 U.S. -- Austrian Peace Treaty ( August 24 , 1921 ) , 1921 U.S. - Hungarian Peace Treaty ( August 29 , 1921 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> Declaration of War upon Japan </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> December 8 , 1941 </Td> <Td> 82 -- 0 </Td> <Td> 388 -- 1 </Td> <Td> Franklin D. Roosevelt </Td> <Td> V-J Day , Japanese Instrument of Surrender ( September 2 , 1945 ) , Treaty of San Francisco ( September 8 , 1951 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Declaration of War upon Germany </Td> <Td> Germany </Td> <Td> December 11 , 1941 </Td> <Td> 88 -- 0 </Td> <Td> 393 -- 0 </Td> <Td> V-E Day , German Instrument of Surrender ( May 8 , 1945 ) , Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany ( September 12 , 1990 ) , Treaty of Vienna with Austria ( May 15 , 1955 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Declaration of War upon Italy </Td> <Td> Italy </Td> <Td> 90 -- 0 </Td> <Td> 399 -- 0 </Td> <Td> Paris Peace Treaty ( February 10 , 1947 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Declaration of War upon Bulgaria </Td> <Td> Bulgaria </Td> <Td> June 5 , 1942 </Td> <Td> 73 -- 0 </Td> <Td> 357 -- 0 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Declaration of War upon Hungary </Td> <Td> Hungary </Td> <Td> 360 -- 0 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Declaration of War upon Romania </Td> <Td> Romania </Td> <Td> 361 -- 0 </Td> </Tr> </Table>
when does congress declare war for the first time
War of 1812