The Insurrection Act of 1807 has been used dozens of times since the early 19th century, most recently in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots after the Rodney King verdict. It has never actually been invoked in the 21st century, although there has been public debate about using it in recent years.

What the Insurrection Act is

The Insurrection Act of 1807 is a federal law that allows the president to deploy the U.S. military and federalize the National Guard on domestic soil to suppress insurrection, rebellion, or serious civil disorder. It serves as a key statutory exception to the Posse Comitatus Act, which otherwise restricts the military from performing domestic law‑enforcement roles.

Early and 19th‑century uses

In the 19th century, the Act was invoked in a range of domestic crises, from slave rebellions to labor unrest. Notable early uses include Andrew Jackson’s response to Nat Turner’s 1831 slave rebellion in Virginia and various deployments related to labor disputes and frontier violence.

Key episodes:

  • 1831: Used in response to Nat Turner’s slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia.
  • 1870s: Used several times by Ulysses S. Grant during Reconstruction to combat Ku Klux Klan and white supremacist violence in Southern states.
  • Late 1800s: Invoked in large railroad and labor strikes, such as the 1877 railroad strikes and the Pullman Strike of 1894.

These uses show how the Act often functioned as a federal backstop when local authorities were unwilling or unable to protect federal law or constitutional rights.

Civil War and civil rights era

The Civil War and the civil‑rights era reshaped how the Insurrection Act fit into federal–state power struggles.

  • Civil War context: Abraham Lincoln broadened the statutory authority during the early war period so that federal forces could operate in rebellious states without state consent. Even when not formally “invoked” in the modern sense, this legal framework underpinned Union troop deployments into Confederate territory.
  • 1950s–1960s desegregation: Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy used the Act to enforce school desegregation orders in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama when state officials resisted federal court rulings.
  • Late 1960s unrest: Lyndon B. Johnson relied on the Act to respond to major urban riots, including unrest in Detroit in 1967 and widespread riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.

These episodes are often cited in modern debates as examples of using the Act to protect civil rights against defiant state or local authorities.

20th‑century late uses and last invocation

By the late 20th century, Invocations became rarer and tended to focus on severe urban unrest, prison uprisings, or post‑disaster breakdowns in order.

Some key 20th‑century invocations:

  • 1943: Franklin D. Roosevelt invoked it during the Detroit race riot.
  • 1957–1965: Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson used it to enforce civil‑rights orders and protect marchers during the Selma to Montgomery campaign.
  • 1987: Ronald Reagan used it to respond to a major prison riot involving Cuban detainees in Atlanta.
  • 1989: George H. W. Bush invoked it to restore order in the U.S. Virgin Islands after Hurricane Hugo led to looting and breakdowns in law enforcement.
  • 1992: George H. W. Bush again invoked it during the Los Angeles riots that erupted after the acquittal of officers in the beating of Rodney King; this is the last time the Act was actually used.

Since 1992, presidents have discussed but not executed formal Insurrection Act invocations, particularly around large protests and election‑related tensions, making the law a recurring flashpoint in modern political debate.

Mini FAQ for “when was the Insurrection Act used?”

  • How many times has it been used?
    • It has been invoked roughly 30 times in U.S. history by about 15 presidents, plus one improper invocation by an Army general in 1932.
  • What was the first notable use?
    • One widely cited early use is Andrew Jackson’s invocation during Nat Turner’s 1831 rebellion; the statutory framework itself dates from 1807 under Thomas Jefferson.
  • When was it last used?
    • It was last invoked in May 1992 for the Los Angeles riots, with federal troops deployed alongside federalized National Guard units.
  • Is it still in effect today?
    • Yes, the Act remains in force, and its text has been modified over time, including during the Civil War, to clarify and expand when federal troops can be used without state consent.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.