Which presidents invoked the insurrection act.
Executive summary
The Insurrection Act has been used sporadically across American history—beginning in the early republic and reappearing in reconstruction, labor disputes, civil‑rights enforcement and urban unrest—with presidents from George Washington through George H.W. Bush invoking it at least once (primary tallies count roughly 30 invocations across roughly 15–17 presidents) [1] [2] [3]. Sources disagree slightly on the precise count of presidents and incidents, but agree on the major users and the law’s rarity and controversy [4] [2].
1. Early Republic and 19th‑century crisis uses
Founding‑era presidents deployed the statute to put down rebellions and enforce federal authority: George Washington and John Adams used the authority in the nation’s early unrests, and Thomas Jefferson applied it to enforce the Embargo Act [1] [5]. In the mid‑19th century the Act was central at the start of the Civil War when Abraham Lincoln federalized forces to suppress secession, and Congress amended the law during Reconstruction to empower presidents to suppress insurgent violence—Ulysses S. Grant repeatedly used that power against the Ku Klux Klan in the 1870s [1] [4].
2. Labor unrest and Gilded‑Age interventions
Through the late 1800s and early 1900s presidents invoked the statute to intervene in violent labor conflicts and civil disorder; Andrew Jackson, Rutherford B. Hayes and Grover Cleveland are among those cited in contemporary accounts for deploying federal force in domestic disturbances, usually to protect federal property or ensure law enforcement where state responses were contested [1] [6].
3. Civil‑rights era uses that reshaped the law’s image
The Insurrection Act became best‑known in the Cold War and civil‑rights era when presidents used federal troops or federalized National Guard units to enforce desegregation against resistant states: Dwight D. Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne to Little Rock, and John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson invoked federal authority multiple times in Mississippi and Alabama to enforce court orders and protect Black students and federal marshals [1] [7] [8].
4. Late 20th century—L.A. riots and the most recent invocation
The most recent widely acknowledged lawful invocation occurred in 1992 when President George H.W. Bush deployed federal forces during the Los Angeles riots after the Rodney King verdict at the request of California’s governor [7] [9] [10]. Since then presidents have threatened or sought other mechanisms to mobilize forces, but the Insurrection Act itself has not been widely used in the 21st century [11].
5. Tallying presidents and occasions — competing counts
Authoritative trackers converge on roughly 30 incidents in U.S. history but differ on the exact number of presidents who have invoked the Act: one compilation lists 15 presidents and one Army general who illegally acted, while other analyses put the number of presidents who have invoked the law at about 17 of the nation’s 45 presidents [2] [4] [3]. The Brennan Center maintains a detailed guide and timeline of the roughly 30 invocations that underpin these counts [3].
6. Contested uses, illegal actions and political threats
Not all domestic deployments involving military units have been cleanly categorized as lawful Insurrection Act invocations—analysts flag episodes portrayed as uses even when legal prerequisites weren’t met, and one Army general is recorded as having ordered action illegally in the historical tally [3] [2]. In recent years, presidential threats to invoke the statute—most prominently during large protest movements—have reignited debates about its breadth and the safeguards some reform proposals would impose, a debate tracked by the Brennan Center and multiple news outlets [1] [11] [12].
7. Bottom line and sources for a complete list
Direct answer: presidents named across the cited sources as having used the Insurrection Act include George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, Grover Cleveland, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and George H.W. Bush; comprehensive listings and the full roster of roughly 15–17 presidents and ~30 invocations are available in the Brennan Center guide and the compiled Wikipedia list [1] [5] [7] [3] [2]. Reporting limitations: sources differ on the precise presidential count and which marginal episodes qualify as formal invocations, so readers seeking the definitive roster should consult the Brennan Center’s incident‑by‑incident guide and primary proclamations linked there [3].