Coup history of America

 The **United States** has a long tradition of peaceful transfers of power through elections, with no successful **coup d'état** at the national (federal) level in its history. A classic coup involves a small group, often military or elite insiders, illegally seizing control of the government by force or threat, bypassing constitutional processes.

### The Only Recognized Successful Coup: Wilmington Insurrection of 1898

Historians widely regard the **Wilmington insurrection** (also called the Wilmington coup or massacre) of November 10, 1898, in Wilmington, North Carolina, as the **only successful coup d'état** on American soil.

- A biracial "Fusionist" government (coalition of Republicans and Populists, including Black officeholders) had been democratically elected.

- White supremacist Democrats, fueled by a propaganda campaign stoking fears of "Negro rule," organized an armed mob.

- They burned the office of a Black-owned newspaper (*The Daily Record*), killed dozens of Black residents (estimates range from 60 to over 100, with many more fleeing), and forced the elected mayor, aldermen, and other officials to resign at gunpoint.

- The insurgents installed a new white supremacist government and consolidated power through violence and intimidation.

- This event accelerated the disenfranchisement of Black voters across the South via Jim Crow laws.

It was a localized takeover of a city government, not a national event, but it fits the definition of an armed overthrow of a legally elected authority under duress.

### Notable Attempted or Alleged Coups/Plots at the National Level

Several plots or events have been described as coup attempts or conspiracies, though none succeeded in overthrowing the federal government:

- **Newburgh Conspiracy (1783)**: Near the end of the Revolutionary War, Continental Army officers, frustrated over unpaid wages and pensions, discussed potential action against Congress. George Washington addressed the officers and defused the situation. Most historians view it as discontent rather than a full-blown coup plot.

- **Business Plot (or Wall Street Putsch, 1933–1934)**: During the Great Depression, retired Marine Major General **Smedley Butler** testified before Congress that wealthy businessmen (linked to figures associated with J.P. Morgan, DuPont, and others) approached him to lead a fascist-style veterans' organization (up to 500,000 men) in a march on Washington to overthrow or sideline President Franklin D. Roosevelt and install a dictator-like "Secretary of General Affairs," with FDR as a figurehead. The plotters were reportedly alarmed by the New Deal. A congressional committee (McCormack–Dickstein) investigated and concluded that discussions and planning occurred, though no prosecutions followed and some dismissed it as exaggerated. Butler's credibility as a decorated veteran lent weight to the claims.

Other early American events, such as the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom by American businessmen and settlers (with U.S. military involvement), involved regime change but targeted a foreign monarchy (Hawaii was independent at the time) rather than U.S. soil governance.

### January 6, 2021, Capitol Attack

The storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, which disrupted the certification of the 2020 election results, has been labeled by some as an **attempted coup** or **insurrection**. 

- A congressional investigation and various analysts described it as an effort to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.

- The nonpartisan Cline Center for Advanced Study categorized it as an "attempted coup d'état" (specifically elements of both an auto-coup involving the incumbent and a dissident coup).

- Others argue it was election-related violence or a riot rather than a coordinated military-style coup, noting the lack of sustained military or institutional backing and its ultimate failure to alter the outcome.

This remains highly debated along partisan lines, with legal consequences including prosecutions for seditious conspiracy and related charges for some participants.

### Broader Context

- The U.S. has never experienced a classic military coup at the federal level, unlike many other countries. Its constitutional system, separation of powers, civilian control of the military, and strong norm of electoral legitimacy have helped prevent this.-

 In contrast, the U.S. government has been involved in supporting or orchestrating numerous **regime changes and coups abroad** (e.g., Iran 1953, Guatemala 1954, Chile 1973), often through the CIA during the Cold War, motivated by anti-communism, economic interests, or geopolitics.

American political history includes assassinations (four presidents killed), insurrections (e.g., Whiskey Rebellion, Civil War), and intense partisan conflicts, but these have not resulted in the illegal seizure of the national executive by force. The resilience of democratic institutions has been a defining feature, though events like Wilmington and alleged plots highlight vulnerabilities tied to racial, economic, or ideological tensions.

For deeper reading, sources include historical accounts of Wilmington congressional testimony on the Business Plot, and analyses from academic centers tracking global coups.