On January 6, 2021, the United States was under attack. Not by foreign terrorists, but domestic terrorists. The world shook and stopped to watch as the United States of America was burning in flames...not literally, but figuratively. Not since 1814, during The War of 1812, has the Capitol ever been attacked. In 1814, British Troops, set fire to the U.S. Capitol, the president’s mansion, and other local landmarks. What occurred on January 6th was an attempted Coup D’etat. A coup d’etat, or coup, is the removal of an existing government from power, usually through violent means. This type of attack is illegal and an unconstitutional seizure of power by a political faction, the military, or a dictator. Whether this is to be acknowledged or not, that is exactly what occurred. This is the concise history of coup d’etats and how the United States has a long, complicated history of coups.