Abstract

The purpose of this research paper is to provide a comprehensive and well-detailed analysis of terrorism history in the United States (U.S.) in chronological order since the country’s founding. The paper starts by giving an overview of the history of terrorism since its use as a form of psychological warfare against enemy combatants. America has witnessed a series of acts of terror for various reasons spanning from political to religious. These acts have been perpetuated by multiple individuals like anarchists, White supremacists, political radicals, state and non-state actors, and religious extremists, depending on the era it occurred. The history of terrorism points out paramount terror acts, tactics, terrorism types, and how the government responded to each terror act. Most importantly, the paper also explores the responsibilities of local, federal, and state agencies in combating terrorism. The paper starts with the first act of terror since the country was formed, highlighting the international threat posed by Barbary Pirates. This is followed by White Supremacist groups resisting Reconstruction ideals. Following WWI is the rise of extremist terror activities from groups like anarchists fighting against political ideologies. After the Cold War, the U.S. witnessed the emergence of international religious extremist groups like al-Qaeda, which executed a series of bombings. That being so, the paper further explores the evolving measures employed by governments to combat terrorism and the interplay between various levels of governments in fighting terrorism. In the end, this paper highlights the evolving nature of terrorism, including the measures taken to curb terrorism.

Introduction

Since time immemorial, terrorism has been a common aspect of human societies across the world. Terrorism was practiced as early as the time of the Greek scholar Xenophon, who explored the use of psychological warfare to conquer enemies. Akin to earlier societies and modern countries, this is also the case in the U.S. since its founding. The country has since witnessed a series of terror acts, both domestic and international, that have claimed the lives of numerous Americans. Throughout the centuries, these terror activities have evolved to take many forms, depending on the era. Among the perpetrators of these terror acts are religious groups, state and non-state institutions, and political groups. Ultimately, this paper seeks to chronologically explore America’s history of terrorism from its founding to the present through the lens of terrorism type, tactics, and event history and offer biblical relevance. 

From Founding-WWI

The early years that followed the founding of the U.S. were accompanied by a set of domestic terror activities. Notably, before independence, the U.S. was under the protection of the British Navy. However, after gaining self-rule, the country could not initially raise a navy to protect its ships, which attracted attacks from pirates. Evidently, “Americans were terrorized by North African pirates in the Mediterranean starting in 1785. These acts of terrors came to be known as Barbary Wars whereby the last war ended in 1816” (Office of the Historian, 2019). In terms of tactics, the pirates mainly targeted American ships and citizens to terrorize them. As a result, the U.S. was forced to respond militarily by mostly using its Navy. It was this terrorism perpetuated by Barbary pirates that prompted the re-establishment of America’s Navy. Following the Barbary terrorism were terror acts executed by the infamous “Ku Klux Klan” (Newell, 2020). This group emerged in 1865, and it included a group of obstinate White Southerners who targeted Black Americans, Republicans, and immigrants like Jews. Accordingly, “in the period of 1860 through 1920, the KKK was responsible for significantly more attacks, injuries, and deaths” (Newell, 2020). Their use of terror included arson, lynching, and intimidation with the aim of maintaining White Supremacy and, at the same time, racial segregation, particularly against Black Americans. Initially, the Klan emerged as a form of resistance against the idea of Reconstruction that sought racial equality. Given its violent acts, Congress responded by implementing policies aimed at stopping the Klan. However, “within two years of the initiation of a federal response, the third Enforcement Act, the Klan was defunded, members given clemency, and their ideological and tactical descendants were largely overlooked by federal officials in subsequent decades” (Newell, 2020). For the first time also, the era saw its first bombing in 1886 at Haymarket, where approximately seven officers were killed. The federal government offered limited support during this era, but the State and local law enforcement agencies worked together to curb the Klan and other terrorists.

Barbary Wars (Office of the Historian, 2019).

Post WWI-1989

Akin to the previous era, the aftermath of the Great War was also characterized by terrorism within the U.S. territories. Nonetheless, unlike the earlier period, terrorism in this era was executed by extremist groups like anarchists advocating for radical political ideologies. These groups wanted the dissolution of the government and capitalism and, hence, opted for violence to get what they wanted. That being so, their targets were mainly politicians, law enforcers, and judges, and their choice of violence was primarily bombs. According to the FBI, “mysterious figures placed bombs outside nine deliberately chosen residences stretching from Boston to Cleveland in 19191. Their targets included three judges, a state representative, silk manufacturers, a mayor, a catholic priest, an attorney general, and an immigration official” (FBI, 2019b). on the other hand, an outstanding terror act of this era was the devastating “1920 Wall Street bombing” (FBI, 2019a). The bombing claimed the lives of thirty Americans and left hundreds injured, whereby others succumbed to their injuries later. Accordingly, “a group calling itself the American Anarchist Fighters was responsible and demanded the release of political prisoners” (FBI, 2019a). The FBI was assigned to respond to these anarchist bombings, but, in most cases, the cases remained cold as the perpetrators remained unidentified. Similarly, post-1945 witnessed a shift into state-sponsored terrorism. Fueled by the Cold War, America itself was forced to engage in state-sponsored acts that may appear to be terrorism, such as the overthrowing of some governments that supported the Soviet Union. An example is “the 1953 overthrowing of democratically elected Iranian Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, with the help of CIA” (Lucey, 2019). Besides international terrorism, the era also witnessed the re-emergence of domestic terrorism, like the Klan during the civil rights era. Just like their predecessors, this group also used violence, murder, lynching, and bombings to fight activists and civil rights movements. Throughout this period, the country was struggling with communism and nuclear bomb threats. That being so, the nation’s response to terrorism changed drastically as key agencies like the CIA, counterintelligence, and FBI were formed to counter terrorism. Containment strategies were also implemented during this period.

1920 Wall Street Bombing Image (FBI, 2019a).

From 1990 onward

With the downfall of the Soviet Union, terrorism also evolved to take a new shape and became global. The terror acts from 1990 included state-sponsored extremist groups and also transnational networks. Fundamentally, the main type of terrorism of this period was international threats perpetuated by groups like religious extremists. For instance, the World Trade Center (WTC) was bombed in 1993 by a Muslim militant. “This was the first indication for the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) that terrorism was evolving into a transnational phenomenon” (Bureau of Diplomatic Security, 2019). Another terror attack that followed this bombing was the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, which was a domestic attack by anti-government radicals. Nearly two hundred people died from the Oklahoma bombing, while the WTC claimed six lives and thousands of injuries (FBI, 2020). Various agencies like the FBI, local police departments, and DSS were involved in the investigation into these attacks. The bombings of this age marked the evolving nature of terror acts on American soil. Nevertheless, it was not until the infamous 9/11 that the country reformed its approach to terrorism. “The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, killed nearly three thousand people, and in many ways had more of a lasting impact than any other single-day atrocity by non-state actors in modern history” (Phillips, 2021). Apparently, the 9/11 terror was a coordinated attack by Al-Qaeda under Osama Laden. Following this devastating terror act was also a “2001 domestic terrorism executed off by Bruce Ivins in the form of letters laced with anthrax which promoted seven deaths” (Gostin & Nuzzo, 2021). For the first first time, the country responded swiftly by declaring war on Terrorism. Consequently, military campaigns were launched in Middle Eastern countries, particularly Iraq and Afghanistan, with the objective of eradicating terrorist networks.

Damages from 1993 WTC bombing (Bureau of Diplomatic Security, 2019).

The American government also responded by establishing the Homeland Security Department and fusion centers, in addition to passing the Patriot Act. To a greater extent, federal, state, and local agencies, including fusion centers, worked together closely to combat terrorism. Generally, the country resorted to establishing a strong national security defense, international allies, and more intelligence gathering. The goal became preventing attacks before they occurred; hence, measures like thorough airport security checks and surveillance were implemented. Unfortunately, despite the government taking extreme measures to fight terrorism following 9/11, acts of terror are still witnessed throughout the country. However, in this case, they are mostly executed by domestic groups like white nationalists and anti-government radicals with the help of technology and social media. Examples of recent attacks include “the 2017 ‘Unite the Right’ rally held in Charlotteville. Violence erupted between counter-protesters and protesters, which included White Supremacists, Neo-Nazis and members of far-right extremist groups” (Tien et al., 2020). Recently, rising threats include the recent attack on America’s capital in 2021, following the defeat of Donald Trump.

1995 Oklahoma City bombing (FBI, 2020).

With the ever-rising threat of terrorism, various law enforcement agencies have adopted a multi-pronged approach in coordinating together to counter terror activities. Clearly, local agencies gather intelligence, pick out potential threats, and create mutual trust with the locals. On the other hand, State agencies provide the necessary resources, coordinate terror response, and support local law enforcers. The federal government has extensive resources that allow it to oversee intelligence gathering, secure borders, and facilitate international partnerships. Regarding biblical relevance, the scripture offers a different perspective through the lens of peace and reconciliation. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called Children of God” (Mathew 5:9, New International Version). In as much as there are numerous acts of terror in the bible, the scripture also points out the essence of peace through diplomacy. It calls for individuals to avoid violence and embrace a transformed world full of love, peace, and redemption. Thus, in pursuit of counter-terrorism, the American government needs to comprehend complex ethical concerns in its fight for democracy and respect for human dignity.

Conclusion

To sum up, it is evident that America has a long history of terrorism that has killed thousands of Americans since the nation’s inception. From the above discussion, it is obvious that the nation experienced terrorism as early as 1785 from Barbary pirates. At this time, the nation’s Navy was still vulnerable, given that the country had recently parted ways with the monarchy. Ever since then, it is apparent that the country has continued to witness various acts of terror executed by various groups like anarchists, religious extremists, and political radicals. These acts also have proven to take many forms over the years in that earlier acts of terror were domestic, while those of post-1990 were mostly international. Of all the terrorism subjected to the country, 9/11 stands out as it claimed over three thousand American lives and was a turning point for the country in terms of responding to terrorism. It was through this terror act that the nation established key counter-terrorism agencies like Homeland Security. Similarly, more coordination and collaboration from various law enforcement agencies of all levels was strengthened in an effort to combat terrorism.