Terrorism: The Basis Of The American Revolution

Although most people today view terrorism as a type of warfare that developed relatively recently based on this generation’s experiences with the World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and the federal building bombing two years later, modern terrorism has its roots in events that took place hundreds of years ago. Beginning with the Enlightenment in the eighteenth century, ordinary citizens began to demand social changes that would lead to the state’s protection of all people, not just the nobility. The increased demand for democracy produced tension between the ruling class and the governed, which led in some cases to violence. The American Revolution began in 1775 and ended in 1783. It was within that time that American colonist believed they were being denied certain rights and protection by the British government. This evolved into the people’s desire to have democratic rights and freedoms. This …show more content…
In a sense, the French declared class warfare with France due to the inadequate representation of the French ruling class. The French Revolution continued on for twenty one years and included mass killings of those who supported upper-class way of life. According to Edward Burke, a known British political philosopher of the eighteenth century, the word terrorism was used to describe the violence used during the French Revolution.
A more recent, but notable perspective of terrorism was during the revolution in Russia. The Russian Revolution involved the breakdown of an empire under Tsar Nicholas II and the rise of Marx socialism under Lenin and his Bolsheviks. It ignited the creation of a new era in Russia that had effects on countries around the world. Events such as this alarmed Americans. This resulted in US leaders to repress radicals and violate American’s civil liberties. This overreaction would cause ongoing acts of violence and revolutionary