Terrorism is a means to remove and change the political and social atmosphere of a nation. The Irish Republican Army's quest along with Sinn Féin to unite Northern Ireland and Ireland in one free republic. In order to understand this clash between the Irish Republican army and the English government we need to understand and explore the root causes of this political rift.

In 1801 the act of Union took effect. The Act of Union took the Irish Parliament away and put Ireland under British rule. This act angered many Irish people. The Irish stayed, but resented British rule (10:427). In 1919 the IRA was formed as an unofficial military force. The IRA was formed to gain independence for Ireland from British rule. Members of the IRA performed terrorist acts to reach the IRA's goal of freedom for Ireland from British rule (10:433).

In 1919 the...