Running head: TERRORISM CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY
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Terrorism and the United States: A Chronological History
Carlin Burnside
Liberty University
HLSC 510
TERRORISM CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY 2
ABSTRACT
On July 4th, 1776 the Continental Congress of the original thirteen colonies signed the
Declaration of Independence severing its ties from Great Britain. That historic event and the war
that would ensue would forever change the newly formed United States of America. Over the
next two centuries and over four decades the United States would fight on various fronts and
combat enemies both foreign and domestic. Terrorist attacks conducted by radical jihadist and
home-grown violent extremist would touch American lives both home and abroad.
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INTRODUCTION
From the founding of our great nation to the present day, the United States of America
has been and continues to be the subject terroristic attacks. These attacks stem from foreign
adversaries thousands of miles away to homegrown violent extremists in our backyards.
Terrorism is a multifaceted term with no easy definition. To this date there is no one definition
accepted by the international community that completely encompasses what terrorism truly
means. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has broken down terrorism into two different entities
to better define the subject: international terrorism and domestic terrorism. Terrorism as defined
by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (2019, para 1):
International terrorism: perpetrated by individuals and/or groups inspired by or
associated with designated foreign terrorist organizations or nations (state-
sponsored).
Domestic terrorism: perpetrated by individuals and/or groups inspired by or
associated with primarily United States based movements that espouse extremist
ideologies of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.
International terrorist includes groups such as Al Qaeda, the Islamic Resistance
Movement (HAMAS), Hezbollah, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), and the Taliban.
While domestic terrorists’ groups include the Army of God, Phineas Priesthood, the Earth
Liberation Front, Sovereign citizens, and the Animal Liberation Front. Both international and/or
domestic terrorist may operate as a single cell or lone wolf, not directly linked to a particular
terrorist organization. Some may claim responsibility to solely push their own political or
ideological agenda. According to Chermak and Gruenewald (2006) acts of terrorism are used to
achieve a single purpose or a multitude of ideas.
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Terrorist acts, such as bombings, kidnappings, assassinations, hijackings, arson, and
nuclear threats, can satisfy multiple objectives for terrorists, including the realization of
their cause, funding, strengthening morale, recruitment, revenge, liberation of comrades,
spreading fear, and publicity (p. 432).
INDEPENDENCE TO WORLD WAR I
Shortly after the American Revolutionary War, the newly formed United States of
America would be the victim and at times, the perpetrator of terrorism. Many incidents of
violence that have since been categorized as potential examples of terrorism, “from the
brutalities (on all sides) of the colonial-era Indian conflicts to the lynching and other murders
perpetrated by the Reconstruction-era Ku Klux Klan” (Gage, 2011, p.75). From the standpoint of
the Native Americans, the Colonials were responsible for disrupting their culture and way of life
and were forced to conform to a “civilized” society. While fought on many fronts, the Civil War
was wrought with treachery and assassination attempts. During the Post Civil War Era, the Ku
Klux Klan would terrorize African-Americans and anyone who sympathized with their cause or
aided in their progression. In 1871 Congress outlawed the Ku Klux Klan and labeled them as a
terrorist group (Zalman, 2019).
Assassinations and Attempts
Throughout the first two centuries the of the United States, there were numerous
assassinations and assassination attempts against key figures in the American government. In a
span of just fifty years, three presidents were assassinated, an attempt on a fourth president and a
secretary of state (Johnston, 2018). On April 14, 1865 President Abraham Lincoln was
assassinated by John Wilks Booth in Washington D.C. during a play and a failed attempt was
TERRORISM CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY 5
conducted by Lewis Powell on then Secretary of State William H. Seward. In 1886 President
James Garfield was assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau, and not more than fifteen years later
President William McKinley was shot by Leon Czolgosz. These assassinations were carried out
by various individuals to coerce the government into their point of view.
World War I
In 1914 the World War I was just beginning to gain traction in Europe. The United States
had remained neutral in the war for quite some time but was providing aid and assistance to
Great Britain. In 1915 German agents destroyed a barge carrying refined gunpowder off Harbor
Island near Seattle, Washington. In 1917 the German U-boat U-53 sank the American merchant
ship Housatonic bound for Great Britain carrying much needed supplies (Carlisle, 2007). This act
among other meddling by German forces solidified America’s call to action and join in the fight
in World War I.
POST WORLD WAR I TO WORLD WAR II
Following World War I, the United States would face a barrage of disparaging obstacles.
Race riots, bombings, and the Great Depression that would span over a decade brought misery to
Americans across the country. As our nation continued to heal after the Great Depression, the
United States would be thrust into yet another war, World War II.
Wall Street and Bath School Bombing
On September 20th, 1920, an unmanned horse-drawn wagon laden with a TNT bomb
exploded on Wall Street in New York City in front of the J. P Morgan Bank killing over 30
people and wounding approximately 143 bystanders (Infoplease, 1920). Galleanists anarchist
terrorists were suspected to be responsible for the bombing but were never convicted. The
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bombing was in protest of American capitalists and believed it would cause a revolt and stunt
American financial growth and progress.
On May 18th, 1927 Andrew Kehoe planted a series of bomb at the Bath Consolidated
School and drove a truck filled with explosives into the side of the school (Boissoneault, 2017).
He killed over 38 elementary children and six adults and injured an additional people. This is the
first recorded suicide truck bombing. It was recorded that Kehoe attacked the school in response
to increased taxes and a loss during a township clerk election.
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
Much like World War I, the United States had initially remained out of World War II. It
had been almost twenty years since World War I had ended, however, fate would not let America
remain untouched by the atrocities occurring in Europe and Southeast Asia. On December 7th,
1941, Japan launched a surprise attack against Pearl Harbor, HI. Over 2400 servicemembers and
civilians were killed, and another 1178 were injured in the bombing (Rosenberg, 2019). The
following day America officially declared war on Japan, Germany and its allies. Four years later,
the United States would land a devastating blow to Japan. On August 6th , 1945 the United States
dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in retaliation for the bombing of Pearl Harbor and a
second on August 9th, 1945 on Nagasaki (Bousquet, 2006).
1950 TO 9/11
After World War II, the United States’ victory across the globe would and peace would be
short lived. Over the next several decades America would continue to fight in numerous wars
while combating its own tribulations. America would contend with race riots, violent protests,
and bombings across the nation. Chermak and Gruenewald stated “For groups and individuals
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who think that their concerns are being ignored, terrorism becomes a persuasive vehicle of
communication” (p.432).
Bombings
Between 1978 and 1995 America was tormented by Ted Kacynski, a nature-centered
anarchist, also known as the Unabomber. Over two decades Kacynski sent bombs through the
mail to protest technological progress resulting in the deaths of three individuals and injuring 23
more (Resnick, 2013). Along with Kacynski’s attacks, the 90’s were littered with bombings.
In 1993 the World Trade Center was attacked by an al Qaeda member, Ramzi Yousef,
with a truck bomb resulting in the death of six people and injuring another 1,042 (Johnston,
2018). In 1995 Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nicolas exploded a car bomb outside of the Alfred P.
Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City killing over 168 and injuring over 600 additional
people (Zalman, 2019). The bombing prompted Congress to act and reassess the protective
measures around government and federal buildings. Congress also passed the Antiterrorism and
Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. The following year, Eric Rudolph would plant pipe bombs
at the summer Olympic in Atlanta, Georgia, killing two people and injuring over 100 people
(Resknick, 2013). Rudolph’s motive was to embarrass the United States for its passing of
abortion on demand.
Four years later and across the globe, terror would strike American servicemembers. On
October 12th, 2000, two members of al Qaeda steered a small craft laden with explosives into the
side of the USS Cole. The result was catastrophic. Seventeen servicemembers lost their lives that
day and another thirty-nine were injured (Pratt, 2011). Al Qaeda claimed responsibly and hailed
it as a victory against the United States.
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September 11th, 2001
The attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon will forever live in infamy in
American history. On September 11th, 2001, members of al Qaeda hijacked four U.S. commercial
airplanes and crashed two planes into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and one
crashed in Pennsylvania presumably heading for Washington D.C. (FairUS, 2019). This was one
of the deadliest terror attacks on U.S. soil in American history. Nearly 3000 people lost their
lives on that tragic day and another 6000 were injured (Resnick, 2013). In less than one year, al
Qaeda had planned and executed two disastrous attacks against the United States and its citizens.
POST 9/11 TO PRESENT
Post 9/11 the United States would continue to face numerous adversities both home and
abroad. Between 2002 and 2017 countless bombings, shootings, and attacks against the United
States troops, consulates, and citizens would endured (Infoplease, 2019). Start (2019) estimated
that between 1995 and 2017 there were over 694 attacks in the United States and over 3516
deaths in the United States, not counting the death toll abroad.
Mass Shootings
The 21st century has been littered with mass shootings. In a 2015 report conduct by
Gillin, Greenberg, Jacobson, and Valverde (2017), 66 mass shootings had occurred from 1999 to
2013. In 2002 John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd killed ten people and injured another three
firing from a modified car trunk in the Washington D.C. beltway area (Resnick, 2013). In 2009
Army psychiatrist that had become radicalized, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, opened fire on Fort
Hood in Texas killing 13 people and wounding 30 more (Fair US, 2019).
Boston Marathon Bombing
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On April 15th, 2013 two Kyrgyz-American brothers, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev,
detonated two improvised homemade bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon (Fair
US, 2019). The bombs killed three people and injured several hundred more. During the manhunt
for the brothers a MIT officer was killed, and two other officers were wounded. The brothers
were believed to be al Qaeda sympathizers.
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE
Our forefathers founded our country with a deep-rooted faith in God. Though are faith
has been tried time and time again throughout the centuries, America continues to persevere and
overcome. Romans 5 speaks truth to our perseverance.
Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.
And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, by we also glory in our
sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance,
character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love
has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
(Romans 5:2-5, New International Version).
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REFERENCES
Boissoneault, L. (2017). The 1927 bombing that remains america’s deadlist school massacre.
Retrieved from https://smithsonianmag.com
Bousquet, A. (2006). Time Zero: Hiroshima, September 11 and Apocalyptic Revelations in
Historical Consciousness. Millennium, 34(3), 739–764.
https://doi.org/10.1177/03058298060340031301
Carlisle, R. (2007). The attacks on u.s. shipping that precipitated American entry into world war
i. Northern Mariner, 17(3), 41-66. Retrieved from: https://www.cnrs-
scrn.org/northern_mariner/vol17/tnm_17_3_41-66.pdf
Chermak, S. M., & Gruenewald, J. (2006). The media's coverage of domestic terrorism.Justice
Quarterly, 23(4), 428. doi:10.1080/07418820600985305
Fair US. (2019). Chronology of terror. Retrieved from: https://www.fairus.org/issue/publications-
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https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/terrorism
Gage, B. (2011). Terrorism and the american experience: A state of the field. The Journal of
American History, 98(1), 73-94. doi:10.1093/jahist/jar106
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Gillin, J., Greenberg, J., Jacobson, L. & Valverde, M. (2017). The facts on mass shootings in the
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against-americans
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.pdf
Pratt, A. N. (2011). Terrorism's evolution: yesterday, today, and forever. Connections: The
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