Major Insurrections Against the United States

Throughout its history, the United States has faced numerous insurrections—armed uprisings, rebellions, or organized attempts to overthrow or defy federal or state authority. Below is a list of some of the most significant insurrections, spanning from the post-Revolutionary era to the 20th century:

18th and Early 19th Century

• Shays’ Rebellion (1786–1787)

  • Led by Daniel Shays, this Massachusetts uprising of indebted farmers protested economic injustices and attempted to seize the federal armory in Springfield. The rebellion was suppressed by state militia but highlighted weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation and spurred the drafting of the U.S. Constitution12.

• Whiskey Rebellion (1791–1794)

  • Western Pennsylvania farmers violently resisted a federal excise tax on whiskey. President George Washington led federal troops to suppress the revolt, affirming federal authority23.

• Gabriel’s Conspiracy (1800)

  • Enslaved blacksmith Gabriel Prosser planned a large slave revolt in Virginia, which was discovered and suppressed before it could be carried out4.

Slave Rebellions and Native Uprisings

• German Coast Uprising (1811)

  • The largest slave revolt in U.S. history, involving 300–500 enslaved people in Louisiana, aiming to seize New Orleans. It was quickly suppressed with brutal reprisals54.

• Denmark Vesey’s Conspiracy (1822)

  • A planned slave uprising in Charleston, South Carolina, organized by Denmark Vesey, was foiled before it began4.

• Nat Turner’s Rebellion (1831)

  • Nat Turner led a violent slave uprising in Virginia, resulting in the deaths of about 60 white people and the execution of Turner and many followers54.

• Black Seminole Slave Rebellion (1835–1838)

  • Enslaved Africans and Seminole allies fought against U.S. forces in Florida, part of the larger Second Seminole War4.

• The Dakota Uprising (1862)

  • Also known as the Sioux Uprising, Dakota (Sioux) people in Minnesota rebelled against U.S. government agents and settlers, resulting in significant casualties before being put down6.

Civil War Era and Reconstruction

• New York City Draft Riots (1863)

  • Violent protests against the Civil War draft, particularly by Irish immigrants, devolved into deadly attacks on Black residents and widespread destruction6.

• Wilmington Insurrection (1898)

  • Also called the Wilmington Coup, white supremacists violently overthrew the elected, biracial government of Wilmington, North Carolina, in a rare example of a successful coup d’état on U.S. soil31.

20th Century and Beyond

• San Juan Nationalist Revolt (1950)

  • Puerto Rican nationalists staged an armed uprising against U.S. rule in Puerto Rico, including attacks in Jayuya and Utuado. The revolt was quickly suppressed by U.S. and Puerto Rican authorities37.

• Black Power and Red Power Movements (1960s–1970s)

  • While not always strictly insurrections, some radical groups (e.g., Black Panther Party, American Indian Movement) engaged in armed occupations and confrontations with federal authorities, such as the 1973 Wounded Knee incident3.

Other Notable Insurrections and Uprisings

• Battle of Athens (1946)

  • Armed citizens in Tennessee, including WWII veterans, confronted corrupt local officials in a violent standoff, leading to election reforms3.

• Green Corn Rebellion (1917)

  • A short-lived, armed uprising by tenant farmers and Native Americans in Oklahoma against the draft during World War I

• Various Slave Ship Mutinies and Smaller Slave Revolts

  • Including the Creole Mutiny (1841), where enslaved people seized a ship and sailed to freedom in the Bahamas

​Note: This list is not exhaustive. Numerous smaller uprisings, labor strikes, and acts of resistance have occurred throughout U.S. history, many of which involved significant violence or armed confrontation with authorities