List of conflicts in North America


This is a list of conflicts in North America. This list includes all present-day countries starting northward first from Northern America, southward to Middle America, and eastward to the Caribbean. Conflicts are also arranged chronologically starting from the Pre-Columbian era up to the post-colonial period. This list includes any raid, strike, skirmish, siege, sacking, and/or battle that occurred on the territories of what may today be referred to as falling within any of the aforementioned modern nations; however, in which the conflict itself may have only been part of an operation of a campaign in a theater of a greater war. There may also be periods of violent, civil unrest listed; such as, shootouts, spree killings, massacres, terrorist attacks, coups, assassinations, regicides, riots, rebellions, revolutions, and civil wars. The list might also contain episodes of human sacrifice, mass suicide, and ethnic cleansing/genocide.

[Northern America]

[Bermuda]

As a British Colony Bermuda served as a staging point for Great Britain during the American Revolution and War of 1812. During the Battle of the Atlantic the island served as an allied airbase for Anti-submarine warfare submarine hunters. NATO also used Bermuda as a base during the Cold War.

[Canada]

11th century

  • 1020s Skirmishes between Norse and native peoples in the Vinland settlement

16th century

17th century

18th century

19th century

20th century

21st century

[Greenland]

[United States]

This includes all conflicts that have taken place within the modern territory of the United States.
See also

[Puerto Rico]

Puerto Rico is geographically located within the Caribbean; however, because Puerto Rico territory of the United States the island's conflicts are listed here.

Precolonial

This includes all known conflicts that occurred within the territory of the United States of America prior to European exploration.

[American Indian Wars]

This list covers all wars regarding Native Americans and First Nations within the 49 continental states of the United States and the 10 provinces and 3 territories of Canada. This includes conflicts fought between American Indian and First Nation tribes and wars against encroachment from European Colonial Powers or the United States and Canada. Generally American Indian Wars classifies all conflicts for Native Americans and First Nations between 1540 and 1924 however this list also includes 20th century incidents on Indian Reservations.

17th century

This covers all conflicts in the 1600s that occurred between rival European Colonial Powers, or between Colonists and their Colonial Administration. This section does not include conflicts regarding Native Americans.

18th century

This covers all conflicts in the 1700s that occurred between rival European Colonial Powers, or between the early United States against European Colonial Powers. Many of the wars in this period were extensions of wars from continental Europe. This section does not include conflicts regarding Native Americans.
*1754–1763 The French and Indian War
Was fought within both Canada and the United States
1775–1783 American Revolutionary War

19th century

This covers all conflicts in the 1800s that occurred between the governments of North America that took place within the modern territory of the United States of America and conflicts between North American and European states. This does not include conflicts regarding Native Americans.
*1812–1814 War of 1812
*1835–1836 Texas Revolution
*1846–1848 Mexican–American War
*1861–1865 American Civil War

20th Century

This covers all conflicts and terrorist attacks in the 1900s that occurred within the modern territory of the United States of America. This also includes attacks upon the United States from Eurasian powers.

21st century

This includes domestic conflicts and terrorist attacks that took place within the United States. Note that actions of terrorism and domestic conflict are distinguished from one another.

Middle America">Middle America (Americas)">Middle America

[Mexico]

Pre-Columbian

16th century

19th century

20th century

21st century

[Central America]

[Guatemala]

DateEventModern department
– March 1524Spanish defeat the K'iche'Retalhuleu, Suchitepéquez, Quetzaltenango, Totonicapán and El Quiché
8 February 1524Battle of Zapotitlán, Spanish victory over the K'iche'Suchitepéquez
12 February 1524First battle of Quetzaltenango results in the death of the K'iche' lord Tecun UmanQuetzaltenango
18 February 1524Second battle of QuetzaltenangoQuetzaltenango
Spanish under Pedro de Alvarado raze Q'umarkaj, capital of the K'iche'El Quiché
14 April 1524Spanish enter Iximche and ally themselves with the KaqchikelChimaltenango
18 April 1524Spanish defeat the Tz'utujil in battle on the shores of Lake AtitlánSololá
9 May 1524Pedro de Alvarado defeats the Pipil of Panacal or Panacaltepeque near IzcuintepequeEscuintla
26 May 1524Pedro de Alvarado defeats the Xinca of AtiquipaqueSanta Rosa
27 July 1524Iximche declared first colonial capital of GuatemalaChimaltenango
28 August 1524Kaqchikel abandon Iximche and break allianceChimaltenango
7 September 1524Spanish declare war on the KaqchikelChimaltenango
The Poqomam capital falls to Pedro de AlvaradoGuatemala
13 March 1525Hernán Cortés arrives at Lake Petén ItzáPetén
Zaculeu, capital of the Mam, surrenders to Gonzalo de Alvarado y Contreras after a lengthy siegeHuehuetenango
Chajoma rebel against the SpanishGuatemala
Acasaguastlán given in encomienda to Diego SalvatierraEl Progreso
Spanish captains sent by Alvarado conquer ChiquimulaChiquimula
9 February 1526Spanish deserters burn IximcheChimaltenango
Spanish abandon their capital at Tecpán GuatemalaChimaltenango
San Mateo Ixtatán given in encomienda to Gonzalo de OvalleHuehuetenango
Spanish routed at UspantánEl Quiché
Rebellion in Chiquimula put downChiquimula
9 May 1530Kaqchikel surrender to the SpanishSacatepéquez
Ixil and Uspantek surrender to the SpanishEl Quiché
Juan de León y Cardona founds San Marcos and San Pedro SacatepéquezSan Marcos
Foundation of CobánAlta Verapaz
First reductions of the Chuj and Q'anjob'alHuehuetenango
Corregimiento of San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán establishedEl Progreso, Zacapa and Baja Verapaz
Lowland Maya kill Francisco de VicoAlta Verapaz
Reduction of Topiltepeque and Lakandon Ch'olAlta Verapaz
Franciscan missionaries arrive at Nojpetén, capital of the ItzáPetén
Further missionary expeditions to NojpeténPetén
Reduction of San Mateo Ixtatán and Santa EulaliaHuehuetenango
29 January 1686Melchor Rodríguez Mazariegos leaves Huehuetenango, leading an expedition against the LacandónHuehuetenango
Franciscan friar Andrés de Avendaño attempts to convert the ItzáPetén
28 February 1695Spanish expeditions leave simultaneously from Cobán, San Mateo Ixtatán and Ocosingo against the LacandónAlta Verapaz, Huehuetenango and Chiapas
Andrés de Avendaño forced to flee NojpeténPetén
13 March 1697Nojpetén falls to the Spanish after a fierce battlePetén

[Nicaragua]

[Costa Rica]

[El Salvador]

[Honduras]

[Panama]

[Belize]

[Caribbean]

All conflicts which occurred on the islands in the Caribbean Sea are listed here. US Territories such as Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are exceptions to this rule as they included in the United States' Section.

[Dominican Republic]

[Cuba]

Saint Martin

[Tobago]

[Haiti]

[Jamaica]

[Grenada]

[Anguilla]