The First Terrorist Attack on US Soil – Not What You Are Thinking

America’s First Terrorist Attack

One of the themes in my newsletters is the importance of history.  The most obvious reason to keep an accurate record is to prevent history from repeating itself but the other reason is to avert politicians or leaders from distorting the truth and using it to their advantage. Sometimes events happen that are not in the best interest of political leaders. This is why events such as September 11th 2001, the Oklahoma City bombing, and Pearl Harbor cannot fade in vain. The event I will be analyzing is the Black Tom Explosion of 1916. This is a forgotten piece of history and for good reason. The Black Tom Explosion was the first recorded terrorist attack on American soil.

To set the context for this event, America had not yet entered into World War I. In fact, Woodrow Wilson had been campaigning for reelection and one of his promises was to stay out of the war. Unbeknownst to the American public, the US was supplying arms to the allied forces. It was inevitable for the US not to eventually enter into the war but Wilson was waiting until after the election before his announcement. The Germans found out about the arms supply and decided to carry out acts of espionage to prevent future sales of ammunitions to their adversaries. The Germans figured if they could stop the sale of arms by committing acts of terrorism they could help their cause without the US entering into the war. Beginning in 1914, some 50 acts of sabotage were carried out by German undercover agents. One in particular was the Black Tom explosion.

The phrase “Black Tom” referred to an island in New York Harbor adjacent to Liberty Island. On July 30th 1916, two German undercover agents tiptoed into an ammunitions depot. They bribed the guards and lit several fires within the walls of the depot.  At 2:08 a.m., the first explosion rocked New York Harbor. Debris from the explosion traveled in all different directions, some lodging in the Statue of Liberty and some in the clock tower of the Jersey Journal building over a mile away, ceasing the clock at 2:12 a.m. The explosion was comparable to an earthquake gauging between 5.0 and 5.5 on the Richter scale. The explosion was so intense residents in Philadelphia nearly 100 miles away felt the blast. Because of the Black Tom explosion, the torch on the Statue of Liberty has been permanently damaged and for that reason has been closed ever since. Seven people were killed in the explosions. The property damage was estimated of $1.5 billion dollars (2011 dollars). The causality rate was minimal due to the fact that the explosions took place at night when the majority of people were asleep.

Fearing that the Black Tom explosion would prematurely hurdle the US into war, the Wilson administration attempted to down play the events. Media coverage was negligible and even the memorial was minuscule. Wilson never gave an official response to the Black Tom tragedy. They even went as far as to say it was an industrial accident. According to a Wilson biographer, Wilson was well aware of these attacks. But because of his platform he did not respond to any additional security measures or use intelligence to thwart off any German attacks.   If you veer off the path at Liberty Park you will find this plaque.

This plaque is all that remains of the first terrorist attack on American soil. 95 years later this event has been nearly diminished to dust. This is why it is so important to remember and keep the facts straight. However, the story is not over yet.

Fast-forward, 26 years after the Black Tom explosion to 1942. America was just attacked by the Japanese in Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941. The fear of an internal attack from the Japanese was at an all time high. One of the United States most sinister moves was to round up Japanese Americans and place them into internment camps. Franklin D. Roosevelt justified his hideous actions by saying, “We don’t want any more Black Toms,” telling his Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloy, who executed the internment command.

Lost history can often be manipulated in ones favor if the facts are not preserved. Woodrow Wilson and his administration veered the media’s attention away from the Black Tom explosion and intentionality down played the event for reelection purposes. That was the only reason. Twenty six years later FDR used this fainted history to justify Japanese internment camps. We have to be aware that this type of manipulation constantly ensues when there is an agenda.

Have a great weekend my friends!

Brandon Saylor
-Associate