USS Terror, a 3990-ton monitor, was built between 1874 and 1896 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and at the New York Navy Yard. Commissioned in April 1896, she spent her first two years operating off the U.S. east coast. During the Spanish-American War, Terror served actively in the West Indies area, participating in the bombardment of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on 12 May 1898.

In 1901-05, the monitor was employed as a training ship at the U.S. Naval Academy. She was laid up from 1906 until 1915, when she was struck from the Navy List and utilized as a test hulk. She was sold for scrapping in 1921.