Martial law in the United States refers to several periods in United States history wherein a region or the United States as whole are placed under the control of a military body . On a federal level , only the president has the power to impose martial law . In each state the governor has the right to impose martial law within the borders of the state . In the United States , martial law has been used in a limited number of circumstances , such as directly after a foreign attack , as in Hawaii after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor or New Orleans during the Battle of New Orleans ; after major disasters , such as the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 or the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 ; local leaders declared martial law to protect themselves from mob violence , such as Nauvoo , Illinois , during the Illinois Mormon War , or Utah during the Utah War ; or in response to chaos associated with protests and mob action , such as the 1934 West Coast waterfront strike , or mob actions against the Freedom Riders . The martial law concept in the United States is closely tied with the right of '' habeas corpus '' , which is in essence the right to a hearing on lawful imprisonment , or more broadly , the supervision of law enforcement by the judiciary . The ability to suspend '' habeas corpus '' is related to the imposition of martial law . Article 1 , Section 9 of the US Constitution states , " The Privilege of the Writ of '' Habeas Corpus '' shall not be suspended , unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it . " There have been many instances of the use of the military within the borders of the United States , such as during the Whiskey Rebellion and in the South during the Civil Rights Movement , but these acts are not tantamount to a declaration of martial law . The distinction must be made as clear as that between martial law and military justice : deployment of troops does not necessarily mean that the civil courts can not function , and that is one of the keys , as the Supreme Court noted , to martial law
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Martial law in the United States