This is a list of conflicts in North America. This list includes all present-day countries starting northward first from Northern America (Canada, Greenland, and the United States of America), southward to Middle America (Aridoamerica, Oasisamerica, and Mesoamerica in Mexico; and Central America over Panama, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua), and eastward to the Caribbean (Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Grenada, Saint Martin, the Dominican Republic, and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago). Conflicts are also arranged chronologically starting from the Pre-Columbian era (the Lithic, Archaic, Formative, Classic, Post-Classic, and Colonial periods/stages of North America and Mesoamerica;) up to the post-colonial period (–). This list includes any raid, strike, skirmish, siege, sacking, and/or battle (land, naval, and air) 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 (e.g. any and/or all border, undeclared, colonial, proxy, liberation, global, Indian wars, etc.). 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 (as well as wars of succession and/or independence). The list might also contain episodes of human sacrifice, mass suicide, and ethnic cleansing/genocide.
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.
See main article: Terrorism in Canada and Military history of Canada.
This includes all conflicts that have taken place within the modern territory of the United States.See also
Puerto Rico is geographically located within the Caribbean; however, because Puerto Rico territory of the United States the island's conflicts are listed here.
This includes all known conflicts that occurred within the territory of the United States of America prior to European exploration.
This list covers all wars regarding Native Americans and First Nations within the 49 continental states of the United States (does not include territories) 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.
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.
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.
Was fought within both Canada and the United States
1775–1783 American Revolutionary War
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.
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.
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.
| Date | Event | Modern department | |
|---|---|---|---|
| – March 1524 | Spanish defeat the K'iche' | Retalhuleu, Suchitepéquez, Quetzaltenango, Totonicapán and El Quiché | |
| Battle of Zapotitlán, Spanish victory over the K'iche' | Suchitepéquez | ||
| First battle of Quetzaltenango results in the death of the K'iche' lord Tecun Uman | Quetzaltenango | ||
| Second battle of Quetzaltenango | Quetzaltenango | ||
| Spanish under Pedro de Alvarado raze Q'umarkaj, capital of the K'iche' | El Quiché | ||
| Spanish enter Iximche and ally themselves with the Kaqchikel | Chimaltenango | ||
| Spanish defeat the Tz'utujil in battle on the shores of Lake Atitlán | Sololá | ||
| Pedro de Alvarado defeats the Pipil of Panacal or Panacaltepeque near Izcuintepeque | Escuintla | ||
| Pedro de Alvarado defeats the Xinca of Atiquipaque | Santa Rosa | ||
| Iximche declared first colonial capital of Guatemala | Chimaltenango | ||
| Kaqchikel abandon Iximche and break alliance | Chimaltenango | ||
| Spanish declare war on the Kaqchikel | Chimaltenango | ||
| The Poqomam capital falls to Pedro de Alvarado | Guatemala | ||
| Hernán Cortés arrives at Lake Petén Itzá | Petén | ||
| Zaculeu, capital of the Mam, surrenders to Gonzalo de Alvarado y Contreras after a lengthy siege | Huehuetenango | ||
| Chajoma rebel against the Spanish | Guatemala | ||
| Acasaguastlán given in encomienda to Diego Salvatierra | El Progreso | ||
| Spanish captains sent by Alvarado conquer Chiquimula | Chiquimula | ||
| Spanish deserters burn Iximche | Chimaltenango | ||
| Spanish abandon their capital at Tecpán Guatemala | Chimaltenango | ||
| San Mateo Ixtatán given in encomienda to Gonzalo de Ovalle | Huehuetenango | ||
| Spanish routed at Uspantán | El Quiché | ||
| Rebellion in Chiquimula put down | Chiquimula | ||
| Kaqchikel surrender to the Spanish | Sacatepéquez | ||
| Ixil and Uspantek surrender to the Spanish | El Quiché | ||
| Juan de León y Cardona founds San Marcos and San Pedro Sacatepéquez | San Marcos | ||
| Foundation of Cobán | Alta Verapaz | ||
| First reductions of the Chuj and Q'anjob'al | Huehuetenango | ||
| Corregimiento of San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán established | El Progreso, Zacapa and Baja Verapaz | ||
| Lowland Maya kill Francisco de Vico | Alta Verapaz | ||
| Reduction of Topiltepeque and Lakandon Ch'ol | Alta Verapaz | ||
| Franciscan missionaries arrive at Nojpetén, capital of the Itzá | Petén | ||
| Further missionary expeditions to Nojpetén | Petén | ||
| Reduction of San Mateo Ixtatán and Santa Eulalia | Huehuetenango | ||
| Melchor Rodríguez Mazariegos leaves Huehuetenango, leading an expedition against the Lacandón | Huehuetenango | ||
| Franciscan friar Andrés de Avendaño attempts to convert the Itzá | Petén | ||
| Spanish expeditions leave simultaneously from Cobán, San Mateo Ixtatán and Ocosingo against the Lacandón | Alta Verapaz, Huehuetenango and Chiapas | ||
| Andrés de Avendaño forced to flee Nojpetén | Petén | ||
| Nojpetén falls to the Spanish after a fierce battle | Petén |
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.