The United States has been attacked several times throughout its history including attacks on its states and territories, embassies and consulates, and on its military. Attacks against the United States include invasions, military offensives, raids, bombardment and airstrikes on its military, terrorist bombings and shootings, and any other deliberate act of violence against the United States government or military.

Between 1900 and 1945 the United States was attacked numerous times during World War I and World War II, six times along the Mexico–United States border from various conflicts in Mexico, and once each in Nicaragua, Iran, and in the Ethiopian Empire.

Mexican Border War / Bandit War (November 1910–June 1919)

First Battle of Agua Prieta

The First Battle of Agua Prieta was fought on August 13–14, 1911, between the supporters of Francisco Madero and federal troops of Porfirio Díaz during the Mexican Revolution at the Mexico–United States border town of Agua Prieta, Mexico. During the course of the battle, U.S. troops stationed in the Douglas, Arizona right across border were fired upon by federal troops under Díaz. As a result of being attacked, the Americans responded by intervening in the battle, which allowed the rebels to briefly take control of the town. One American was killed and 13 other Americans were injured during the battle's spill-over into Douglas.

Ojo de Agua Raid

Battle of Nogales

Raid on Glenn Springs

Occupation of Nicaragua (August 1912–1916)

The Battle of Masaya on September 19, 1912, was an engagement during the first U.S. occupation of Nicaragua, fought between U.S. Marines and sailors, led by General Smedley Butler and Nicaraguan rebels, led by Benjamín Zeledón. The United States government sent an expedition of 400 U.S. Marines and sailors, plus "a pair of Colts and 3-inch guns", to seize the city of Granada, Nicaragua from rebel forces. Traveling by train, Butler's forces reached the outskirts of Masaya, where they were threatened by rebels atop the hills of Coyotepe and Barranca. The Americans negotiated with Zeledón for safe passage past the two imposing hills. On September 19, the Americans continued their journey into the city of Masaya, with Butler, "legs dangling," sitting at the front of the train on a flatcar placed in front of the engine. The train had nearly gotten through the town, when, at Nindiri Station, the Americans were confronted by two mounted Nicaraguans. These two men, possibly drunk, opened fire with pistols, striking Corporal J. J. Bourne, who was next to Butler, in the finger. Butler had the train stopped, so a corpsman could be summoned to aid Bourne. Before long, snipers in the houses on both sides of the railroad track and 150 "armed horsemen" began shooting at the American forces. The American forces then returned fire. The most intense period of fighting lasted five minutes, "then [the firing] gradually died out." During the battle, six Americans were wounded and three others were captured by the rebels.

World War I (April 1915–November 1918)

Bombing of the SS Cushing

On April 29, 1915, the SS Cushing, an American commercial steamship belonging to Standard Oil, was attacked by naval aviators of the German Empire. At the time of the attack, the Cushing was carrying a shipment of petroleum from New York City to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. German naval bombers dropped three bombs at the Cushing, with one hitting the ship causing damage. This was the first time the United States was attacked during World War I.

Sinking of the SS Gulflight

The sinking of the SS Gulflight occurred on May 1, 1915, during World War I. The Gulflight, an American oil tanker owned by the Gulf Refining Company, left Port Arthur, Texas on April 10 carrying a cargo of gasoline in the ship's tanks and barrels of lubricating oil to Rouen, France.Newspaper report including personal account of the first officer At a point west of the Bishop Rock lighthouse, Isles of Scilly, at 11 a.m. on 1 May, Gulflight was challenged by two British patrol vessels, HMS Iago and HMS Filey, which queried her destination. The patrol ships had been searching for a submarine which had been sinking ships in the area over the last couple of days. The patrol vessels were not satisfied with Gulflights papers and suspected her of refuelling the U-boat, so ordered the tanker to accompany them into port. The patrol ships took up station one on either side of Gulflight, Iago close on the starboard side and Filey further ahead on the port. At 12:50 p.m., on May 1, 1915, while off the Isles of Scilly in the North Atlantic, the German U-boat U-30 fired a torpedo at the Gulflight, which was flying an American flag. The torpedo struck Gulflight, causing it to sink. The crew abandoned ship, and were taken on board by the patrol ship Iago which turned towards St Mary's island. While abandoning the ship, two crew members died while jumping into the water. At about 2:30 a.m., Captain Gunter from Gulflight was taken ill and died around 3:40 a.m. from a heart attack.

Sinking of the RMS Lusitania

The sinking of the RMS Lusitania occurred on May 7, 1915, during World War I, when the , a British ocean liner was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-20 off the southern coast of Ireland near the Old Head of Kinsale. The Lusitania, operated by the Cunard Line, was on a transatlantic voyage from New York City to Liverpool, carrying 1,959 passengers and crew, including men, women, and children from various countries. The ship was struck by a single torpedo on its starboard side, causing a secondary explosion believed to be from munitions stored in the cargo hold. This devastating blast caused the Lusitania to sink in just 18 minutes, plunging the majority of the vessel beneath the waves before many lifeboats could be launched. Of the 1,959 people on board, 1,198 died, including 128 Americans.

The German Empire had declared the waters around the British Isles a war zone and issued warnings that ships sailing through the area could be attacked. Despite these warnings, the Lusitania continued its route, relying on its speed and the belief that passenger liners would not be targeted. The incident caused a global outcry, particularly in Britain and the United States, where public opinion turned sharply against Germany. The sinking became a powerful propaganda tool for the Allies, portraying the Germans as ruthless aggressors. Although the U.S. did not immediately enter the war, the loss of American lives strained diplomatic relations and intensified calls for action. The sinking of the RMS Lusitania remains one of the deadliest maritime tragedies in history and is often cited as a key event that ultimately led the United States to declare war on Germany in April 1917, marking a turning point in World War I. The ship's sinking continues to be a subject of historical investigation, with debates about whether it was a legitimate military target due to its cargo of munitions and whether the British government used the incident to draw the United States into the war.

United States Capitol bomb attack

On July 2, 1915, Eric Muenter, a German-American political terrorist and professor at Harvard University working for the German Empire, began a campaign against the United States, by hiding a package containing three sticks of dynamite with a timing mechanism set for nearly midnight under a telephone switchboard in the Senate reception room in the United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. The bomb exploded at approximately 11:40 pm, resulting in no casualties. Muenter wrote a letter to The Washington Star under a pseudonym R. Pearce, explaining his actions, which were published after the bombing. He said he hoped the explosion would "make enough noise to be heard above the voices that clamor for war. This explosion is an exclamation point in my appeal for peace."

Black Tom explosion

On July 30, 1916, during World War I, a series of explosions destroyed over two million pounds of munitions at a depot on Black Tom Island in Jersey City, New Jersey. The attack, carried out by agents of the German Empire, targeted ammunition shipments to Allied forces in Europe. The explosion injured hundreds, killed between four and seven people, and caused an estimated $20 million in damages (equivalent to over $500 million today). The incident marked one of the largest acts of sabotage on U.S. soil.

January 1917 German Crown Council meeting

On January 9, 1917, the German Crown Council had a meeting, presided over by German Emperor Wilhelm II, which decided on the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare by the Imperial German Navy during World War I. Immediately following the announcement of unrestricted submarine warfare, which was made public on January 31, the United States public opinion was immediately in favor of joining the war against the German Empire. On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked a special joint session of the United States Congress for a declaration of war against the German Empire. Congress responded with the declaration on April 6. Between January 9–April 6, 1917, the German Empire sank ten American merchant ships.Carlisle, Rodney. "The Attacks on U. S. Shipping that Precipitated American Entry into World War I"(PDF). Northern Mariner Vol 17. p. 61.

Sinking of the SS Santa Maria On February 25, 1918, while traveling in convoy HH42, the SS Santa Maria, a tanker owned by Sun Co., Inc. was torpedoed by the German U-boat while off the coast of Lough Swilly, County Donegal, United Kingdom. The crew successfully abandoned ship and survived the attack.

Sinking of the SS Carolina

On June 2, 1918, the passenger liner SS Carolina was sunk by the German submarine U-151 while traveling from San Juan to New York. The sinking ultimately resulted in 13 deaths when a motor dory carrying survivors capsized—representing the first civilian casualties of U-boat activity on the US Atlantic seaboard. The attack represented one of six U.S. vessels that sunk on June 2, resulting in the day being deemed "Black Sunday".https://archive.org/stream/germansubmarinea00unitrich#page/38/mode/2up German Submarine Activities on the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada, Office of Naval Records and Library: Historical Section, Washington Government Printing Office, 1920. (pp. 36–38)

Attack on Orleans

On July 21, 1918, German submarine U-156 fired on a tugboat convoy 3 miles (5 km) off the coast of Orleans, Massachusetts. During the hour-long battle, the submarine damaged the tugboat Perth Amboy and sank several barges towed by it, while American Curtiss HS seaplanes unsuccessfully attempted to bomb the U-boat. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued all 32 sailors, and there were no casualties. The submarine escaped after firing 147 shells.Biggers, W. Watts (1985). "The Germans are Coming! The Germans are Coming!". Proceedings. 111 (6). United States Naval Institute: 38–43.

Some shells landed on Nauset Beach, making Orleans the only place in the contiguous United States to receive enemy fire during World War I. It was also the first time that the United States was shelled by artillery of an external power since the Siege of Fort Texas in 1846.Larzelere, Alex (2003). Coast Guard in World War One. Naval Institute Press, p. 135.

Battle of Columbus (March 1916)