In which war did America experience a direct military attack upon its own territory?

Answer 1

Taking the chronology to begin with the 1783 recognition of US independence by Great Britain (and excluding attacks made by neighbouring Native nations that were not in support of the military actions of a foreign state).

War of 1812 (1812-1815)

After declaring war on Britain, America invades Canada and is repulsed, in retaliatation Britain invades America and captures Detroit (1812).

Also in the American War of 1812 (the title used by Britain to distinguish it from war its with France), British forces, based in Bermuda, carried out raids and occupied coastal islands and ports on the Atlantic Seaboard throughout the war.

After British victory over France, part of Wellington's Light Division was despatched aboard a Royal Naval task force to reinforce the Bermuda based units. It was envisioned that the new force would be used for diversionary raids along the Atlantic coastline, intended to draw US forces from the Canadian border. Following the burning of York, in Canada, however, Canadian Governor General Sir George Prevost asked the admirals and generals in Bermuda for a retaliatory attack. The forces in Bermuda were sent to attack the US capital, Washington DC. On the 24th August, 1914, joined with units already on US territory, including colonial contingents of the Royal Marines, which had been recruited from US slaves (who had been encouraged to come over with their families to the Crown), they defeated the defensive gunboat flotilla of Admiral Barney, and then the local militia and US Marine Corps at the Battle of Bladensburg, before marching into Washington DC. The US president and his government fled before them, and the British commanders sat down in the Presidential Mansion to eat his dinner. That night, parts of the city were burned, including the Presidential Mansion (the need to paint over the char marks has been rumoured ever since to be the origin of the term ''The White House"), the Capitol Building (with the original Library of Congress) and other sites. The US Navy set fire to the ships and materiel in the Navy Yard to prevent their capture. Subsequently, the British decided to attack several other cities in the area before returning to Bermuda. Alexandria was captured, but - unable to commit further time and resources to the capture of Fort Henry (its survival through one brilliantly lit night was commemorated in the poem and song, "The Star Spangled Banner") - they returned to Bermuda without subjecting Baltimore to the same treatment as Washington DC. Some of the forces from Bermuda, including some members of the Colonial Marines of ex-American slaves, were subsequently despatched to the West Indies, where they took part in the Louisiana Campaign, that was still raging after the war had ended.

Mexican-American War

Mexico invades Texas 1846 - Polk to congress on May 11, 1846 stated that "Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon American soil."

It should be noted that Texas had formerly been part of Mexico. If had been flooded with illegal US settlers, who had the tacit approval of the US Government, under the principle of Manifest Destiny. In order to try to control the illegal immigrants, the Mexican Government granted citizenship to those who swore allegiance. It also made attempts to stop the practice of slavery by the illegal immigrants, as this was illegal in Mexico. The immigrants ultimately rebelled against the Mexican Government in 1836, seceding Texas from Mexico as an independent territory, which ultimately joined the USA. This illegal appropriation of part of Mexico was not recognised by the Mexican Government, which continued to see Texas as part of Mexico. Consequently, only in the USA is the entry into Texas by Mexican forces seen as having been an invasion of the USA. The USA defeated Mexico, forcing it to acknowledge US sovereignty of Texas, and to cede even more territory (Upper California and New Mexico) to the USA in exchange for a cash payment to give it a veneer of legitimacy.

Mexican Revolution

March, 1916 - Following his betrayal in the Mexican Revolution by his former backer, the US Government, Mexican General Pancho Villa´s forces attack Colombus, New Mexico.

Second World War

6/7 December, 1941 - Japanese attack the US Navy's Pacific Fleet, and other military facilities, at Pearl Harbour - Hawaii (A US territory at the time, now a State).

8th December, 1942 - US Protectorate of Guam was invaded by Japan. Guam lost up to 10% of its population to Japanese atrocities before the US retook the island in the Battle of Guam, in July and August of 1944.

3rd June, 1942 to 15th August, 1943 - Aleutian Campaign. Japanese forces occupy part of the Aleutian chain of islands in Alaska (then, also, a US territory at the time). The Japanese carried out a campaign of aerial bombardment of the contiguous US States by timed release of bombs from unmanned balloons released from the Aleutians. The results of the bombardment were militarily insignificant, and the US Government suppressed news of it at the time.

Answer 2

Not counting the War of Independence, I would pick the War of 1812 as the first time America had direct attacks on it's territory. In this war the British forces invaded Maine and later Washington DC, burning parts of it to the ground. - During WW2 of course the Japanese carried out massive attacks on the Hawiian Islands, but not many people are aware that later in WW2 the Japanese actually invaded and occupied the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska. America and Canada fought a long and costly campaign in these islands to remove the Japanese forces.

Answer 3

During World War 2, America experienced a direct military attack upon it's own territory at Pearl Harbor.