The Salem Witch Trials Explanations of the Possessed Essay Example

The Salem Witch Trials: Explanations of the Possessed Essay It has been four centuries since the Salem Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts had occurred. This phenomenon, however, continues to serve as a poignant reflection of what the prevailing social, political and psychological ills can do to a society. It is a well-known fact that the Salem Witch Trials, primarily motivated by a strong tendency to attribute bizarre events to superstition and witchcraft, led to the demise and execution of hundreds of people believed to be witches but could have otherwise been proven innocent had the evidences been largely based on hard facts and scientific knowledge alone and not on hearsay and inadequate witness accounts from the accusers. In particular, reports of demonic possessions in women and children basically fueled the beginnings of the Salem Witch Trials. This inquiry is concerned with verifying the truth behind these supposed possessions by the devil. How valid were the accounts of the accusers about the evil possession that had befallen them? This paper attempts to emphasize through a literature review that the afflictions of the primary accusers in the Salem Witch Trials were not of demonic possession in nature as the villagers were wont to believe. Rather, the symptoms that these accusers exhibited were by-products of social, psychological and moral disturbances that were affecting them during that time. The paper begins with a brief overview of the background of the Salem Witch Trials followed by a historical account of several of the accusers focusing on the deviant behavior they manifested which rendered the Salem community to blame their behavior to witchcraft. Objections and alternative explanations on the accusers’ deviant behaviors follow. The paper concludes by emphasizing the significant factors that played the role in the Salem Witchcraft trials particularly those which directly or indirectly caused the bizarre behaviors of the primary accusers. We will write a custom essay sample on The Salem Witch Trials: Explanations of the Possessed specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Salem Witch Trials: Explanations of the Possessed specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Salem Witch Trials: Explanations of the Possessed specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Background Many historical accounts describing the beginnings of the witch hunt in Salem point to Tituba and her husband John. Both were black slaves in the household of the Reverend Samuel Parris located at Salem Village. In his work, Salem Witchcraft, Charles Upham (1867) tells of the bizarre superstitious beliefs and practices which were tribal in nature and that Tituba and her husband had supposedly introduced to the Parris household. This stirred the curiosity and imagination of a small group of girls who were motivated to meet regularly in the Parris household to learn more about the fascinating voodoo practices and superstitions that had been unheard of until the slaves came. From Upham’s speculations about Tituba and her involvement in witchcraft-like practices came a series of other accounts permanently making Tituba as one of the origins of the Salem Witch Trials (Rosenthal, 11). Erikson (as cited in Rosenthal, 11) explained how Tituba could have triggered the hysteria over wit chcraft: In early 1692, several girls from the neighborhood began to spend their afternoons in the Parris kitchen with a slave named Tituba, and it was not long before a mysterious sorority of girls, aged between nine and twenty, became regular visitors to the parsonage. We can only speculate what was going on behind the kitchen door, but we know that Tituba had been brought to Massachusetts from Barbados and enjoyed a reputation in the neighborhood for her skills in the magic arts. (Erikson cited in Rosenthal, 11-12). Strange happenings arising from these meetings allegedly began and affected the girls who were involved. Upham described them aptly as follows: â€Å"†¦(the girls) confined themselves to strange actions, exclamations, and contortions. They would creep into holes, and under benches and chairs, put themselves into odd and unnatural postures, make wild and antic gestures, and utter incoherent and unintelligible sounds. They would be seized with spasms, drop insensible to the floor, or writhe in agony, suffering dreadful tortures, and uttering loud and piercing outcries.† (Upham, ii.7). The girls’ families and the entire community became more and more concerned and baffled as the girls’ conditions appeared to worsen. They were examined by Dr. Griggs, the village physician, who could have seen the exhibited only for the first time, and hence, without prior knowledge about this particular type of illness and without any concrete explanation to offer, the doctor diagnosed them as having been bewitched. This diagnosis, strange as it may seemed then, was readily accepted by the nurses and the townsfolk’s elderly women who were often called in on such queer and inexplicable situations to offer their opinion. Soon enough, the whole Salem community would talk about the afflictions that have befallen the girls and many would scramble to Mr. Parris’ house to get a firsthand look at the girls and their queer behavior, which elicited various reactions and emotions such as awe and compassion. The girls, sensing that they had gotten the whole town†™s attention, became encouraged to exhibit more variations of their extraordinary behavior, not only in the Parris household but also in public places where they would cry out incorrigible outcries, shrieks and throw fits, thus disturbing social functions such as prayer meetings and other congregation services (Upham, ii.7). The afflictions of these girls prompted the Salem community to hunt for the evil entities that were responsible for them, thus, the beginnings of the witch hunt were launched. Much later in history, however, many would become suspicious of the legitimacy of the evil possessions that occurred, let alone the claim that these were spells cast by the accused persons during that time. To understand more about these so-called possessions and the truth behind them, this paper discusses the afflictions that fell on two of the girls who were supposedly involved in the initial voodoo sessions and black magic practices that happened in the Parris household. Elizabeth â€Å"Betty† Parris Betty Parris was the daughter of Reverend Samuel Parris. She was nine years old when the Salem witchcraft hysteria began. She is said to have conducted secret fortunetelling experiments with her cousin, Abigail Williams. Together, they would use a â€Å"venus glass† in which an egg white was made to float on water and would ask questions about what their future in life would be or where their future-husbands would be employed. The answers would have supposedly come from figures appearing on the egg white. This little experiment was told to other girls who lived nearby the Parris household and became some sort of a small, exclusive circle of girls. Reverend John Hale (1702) mentioned in his work, A Modest Inquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft, that at one time, the glass revealed a coffin-like figure, leading to a ‘diabolical molestation’ which would eventually cause the beginnings of the witchcraft outbreak in Salem village. The early signs of Betty Parris’ afflictions manifested through increasing forgetfulness, absentmindedness and obscure preoccupations. She would be irritated whenever her father would reprimand her when her mind wandered during prayer time. She was also cited to have thrown a Bible across the room and shrieked when the ‘Our Father’ prayer was recited. After such display of behavior, Betty would cry and seemed to be guilt-stricken for her having engaged in fortunetelling, which was considered evil and sinful. The other girls’ symptoms were not much different from Betty’s. They would exhibit queer postures, mouth out garbled or rubbish speech, throw fits and would act as if they were being attacked by unseen forces as they flung their arms, necks, backs in different directions (Hale). As soon as the village physician, Dr. William Riggs, diagnosed Betty’s affliction as the work of the ‘Evil Hand’, the villagers decided to set out a witch hunt to catch whoever caused the unfortunate predicament that Betty was in. Betty was sent away in isolation to the care of Samuel Parris’ cousin, Stephen Wall. Most of Betty’s odd behavior disappeared during this time. Ann Putnam, Jr. Thomas and Ann Putnam’s eldest daughter, Ann Putnam, Jr. was 12 years old when the Salem witchcraft outbreak began. She was one of the girls who would meet at the Parris household to listen to the voodoo and supernatural tales told by Tituba, the Parris’ Indian servant. She also joined Betty Parris and the other girls in fortune telling escapades. She was the one who saw the specter that looked like a coffin from the venus glass during one of their fortune telling sessions. Ann exhibited similar strange behaviors as that of Betty after this incident happened. When Betty was sent away, Ann and Betty’s cousin, Abigail, stood in court to testify against the people whom she believed had afflicted her. The Putnam family was quite a very wealthy and influential family then and this was evident by the fact that most of the afflicted and the accusers were associated with them. In addition, Thomas Putnam was the chief complainant in the village and therefore exercised full authority over Ann and Abigail’s testimonies in the court. Ann’s mother, Ann Putnam, Sr. would also stand in court as co-accuser and also exhibited some symptoms of possession. Ann Putnam, Jr. was the only one of the afflicted girls in Salem who made a public apology in the year 1706 for having made false accusations during the Salem Witch trials. This retraction strengthened the already suspicious nature of the so-called evil possessions displayed by the afflicted girls. Mercy Lewis Mercy Lewis was the 17-year-old servant of the Putnam household and belonged to the core group of girls who accused a number of people of afflicting them with witchcraft. She had been an orphan most of her life and was brought to the care of Reverend George Burroughs before being sent to the Putnams. Together with Ann Putnam, Jr. and the other afflicted girls, Mercy displayed the symptoms of bizarre behavior and spoke incomprehensible language indicating that she was possessed by an evil spirit. Mercy ended up accusing even her former guardian, Reverend Burroughs and several other persons such as Giles Corey, Mary Lacey, and John Willard, among others (Upham). Analyses of the Afflictions Could it really be possible that the girls involved in the Salem Witch trials were actually possessed by demons controlled by the so-called witches? This question had prompted many researchers and scholars to probe more deeply into the Salem Witch trial phenomenon.   While the bizarre behaviors were already themselves questionable at that time, the admission of Ann Putnam years after the trials have occurred strongly suggested that the afflictions were fraudulent in nature, if not abnormal in the psychological view point. Many theorists have proposed that the Salem Witch Trials could have been a product of a mental condition now known as hysteria – a state wherein a person exhibits extraordinary and seemingly uncontrollable behavior and physical symptoms such as seizures, paralysis, and contortions as part of his/her emotional reaction to a traumatic or shocking event in the past (Clare Webster). One of the first proponents of this theory was Dr. Charcot Breuer, a neurologist who was known for treating patients exhibiting behaviors characteristic of hysteria. Dr. Breuer and his students, one of which was the famous Sigmund Freud, attributed the possessions that occurred during the Salem witch hunt period as symptoms of hysteria such as: â€Å"†¦sight disorders, trances; visions of ghosts, beasts, or skeletons; hearing disorders; conversation with imagined people; anorexia; temporary paralysis of limbs; convulsions ;imagined injuries sometimes accompanied by swelling and redness; the feeling of choking or having a lump in the throat; inability to speak; frantic movement, uncontrollable weeping, laughing, or screaming; unclear, spiteful, or frightened speeches; and post convulsion calm and good health† (Wilson, 68). Thus, the inexplicable and mysterious behaviors of the afflicted girls can now be explained without involving supernatural notions of witchcraft. Freud claims that hysteria experienced by the girls was a result of trauma and emotional distress, but from what? Historians’ analysis of the general state of Salem village vis-à  -vis the whole town of Salem may shed some light on this issue. At the time when Samuel Parris became the village preacher, Salem had been undergoing some major changes in its political and social structures. Many people in the town of Salem, to which Salem Village was part of, were becoming wealthy merchants, giving rise to an elite group of prominent people who were no longer interested in assuming office in the towns leadership. Two families, the Porters and the Putnams emerged as competing forces in search for the control of Salem village, which had remained rural in its ways compared to the urbanized Salem town. Most people in Salem village, many of them farmers, resented the changes that were happening in Salem town. They wanted to preserve what they had during that time but at the same time were envious of the progress that the townsfolk were enjoying. Thus, Salem was said to be divided into two – those in favor of the social and political changes in the town and the villagers who would rather remain the same than explore unfamiliar territories. Those who were opposed were also the ones who took control of the witch trials. In essence, the refusal of the villagers to succumb to town control and change their orthodox ways were manifested in their hysteria over witchcraft. In other words, they attributed the conflicts that existed in their society to superstition and witchcraft (Cowing). Many other speculations followed after the hysteria explanation of the so-called possessions. Linnda Caporael, in her article Ergotism: The Satan Loosed in Salem? Published in the magazine Science (1972) proposed that Betty Parris’ affliction could have been brought about by â€Å"ergot poisoning† or â€Å"convulsive ergotism†. This was in turned caused by ingesting foods containing rye where the fungus Ergot could naturally be found especially during damp and humid weather.   Rye bread was a staple food for many people during the 17th century since it was cheaper than wheat bread. Thus, the Salem villagers could have consumed much rye bread infected by ergot during that time.   It was said that ergotism was more common in children and small women and that the symptoms matched those of Betty Parris’ afflictions – wild and violent fits, vomiting, hallucinations, crawling sensation on the skin and extreme itching (Carporael). Rosenthal (1993) believes that the actions exhibited by the afflicted were carefully calculated and planned to support the accusations. He also cites the unreliability and questionable validity of statements made by children. He argues that children can be made to fabricate statements or they may do so themselves. In the case of Ann Putnam testifying against John Willard, Rosenthal turns to child abuse as one of the most probable reasons behind her incessant accusations. Ann Putnam told of her sister’s apparition asking for vengeance against John Willard who allegedly whipped her to death. Rosenthal believes that Ann could have just disguised this family problem in the form of her accusations against a suspected specter. Ann’s sister, however, could have died in the arms of their own mother and as this family secret got to be revealed to the public, the Putnams sought refuge by turning the people’s attention to unexplainable phenomena attributed to witchcraft. Boyer and Nissenbaum (1974) offer a different perspective on the Putnam accusations. They argue that the Putnams were a family consumed by their desire to amass wealth and power over society but this desire has also caused much internal conflict as the doctrines of Puritanism at that time condemned greed and covetousness. This â€Å"psychic ambivalence† as they call it, was a prevalent sentiment in a weak society where values and relationships were characterized by instability and much conflict. Thus, the Putnams experienced much guilt over their penchant for acquiring wealth and to act as some sort of defense, they frantically condemned other people for all sorts of witchcraft crimes against their daughter Ann Putnam, Jr. Another interpretation comes from Carol Karlsen, author of the book Devil in the Shape of a Woman (1998) wherein she refers to the afflictions as manifestations of the girls’ personal insecurities regarding their social and economic status in life. This point is evident in the case of Mercy Lewis, who, as an orphaned child in her early years, suffered pain and trauma of not having a normal family situation. This could have fueled her personal insecurities especially concerning the aspect of finding a husband to marry her. It could be recalled that the afflicted girls engaged in fortune telling sessions to ask about what their marriage prospects would be like (Hale, 1702). Thus, beset by emotional hang-ups and uncertainties, Mercy Lewis could have been empowered and was able to reap a great sense of self-confidence and belongingness to society with her accusations (Boyer and Nissenbaum). Conclusion The Salem Witch Trials can be considered as one of the most unfortunate events in American social history because many innocent people were sent to their deaths on the accounts of supposedly afflicted persons who blamed them of witchcraft for lack of any plausible explanation they can provide for their unusual behavior. This paper gave a brief overview about the false and fraudulent accusations that were made against the suspected witches during that time. Apparently, the Salem society was just too weak at that time to be able to make wise and fact-based judgments about the accused. This weakness in turn manifested as social ills that permeated the personal lives of the afflicted girls mentioned in this discussion, which propelled them to become hysterical over witchcraft and unseen ‘evil forces’ and act in bizarre but disastrous manners that caused the demise of a hundred others who were never really proven to be engaged in witchcraft or supernatural activities at all.

Free Essays on Pluralism

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Why I want to study fashion design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why I want to study fashion design - Essay Example Even as a child, I remember inventing clothes for my dolls and enjoying the activity and the imagination it entailed. Though these dolls already had nice outfits, however, I wanted to give them a personal touch of my own. My parents were amazed and thrilled by my creativity and effort to transform these dolls. From just one original outfit I would make several variations. Seeing my interest, as well as my knack for it, they decided to give me a ‘My size Barbie’ and a sewing machine as a Christmas present. That was the starting point; upon entering my teens, I started designing my own clothes along with those of my friends and relatives. I also started attending modeling classes. As I moved on to my college years I decided to pursue a career in Architecture. Putting my dreams of becoming a fashion designer aside, I decided to work in an Architecture firm for a while, thinking of later working in the family Architecture firm as well. However, I did not give up my passion f or fashion, whenever I had free time I kept creating my own designs and drawings of garments. I also had the habit of cutting out designs from magazines – designs I thought were interesting and which I could use as a foundation for further creativity perhaps. A few years later, I decided to move to the United States to get a masters degree in Architecture. After I was done with my masters, I went back to the wonderful world of fashion by getting into modeling school for the second time. This time, I was convinced that I should get back into fashion designing and not give up on my childhood dream. My family and friends not only supported my decision but have been a major motivating force. What is more, even acquaintances and other people have been really appreciative of my creative designs. Their praise has been a constant source of encouragement for me to take up fashion designing on a professional level. The support and praise I receive really helps me by backing up my decis ion to be a creative fashion designer. It feels good when I create, not only because I like it, but also because my designs are liked by people. I have therefore decided to go for a professional degree in fashion designing so that I could also learn about other aspects of the industry. I believe that a degree from Miami International University of Art and Design would help me to grow not only as a person but also as a professional who would be able to meet the challenges of the contemporary world. I have a multi-cultural background, and am greatly influenced by it. It shows in my work too as my passion for ethnic designs and use of fusion is my strongest point. As a child I was much enamored with the fashion magazines that showcased the clothes of leading fashion designers of Milan and Paris. However, as I grew up, I realized that while I am fascinated with the contemporary fashion designers, I am equally captivated by the variety found in ethnic designs. Culture has, therefore, bee n a very vital part of my creativity, which, I believe, needs to be used for exploiting my potential as a designer. In the present environment of globalization, a professional degree in fashion designing would equip me with more options to capably exploit the present opportunities, as well as help me gain a competitive advantage within the fashion industry. The Art Institute is renowned for offering a highly personalized degree. At the same time, it promotes a wide scope of personal development through cross-cultural interaction and community development. Indeed, it offers the best of both worlds: excellent academic programs and opportunities of personal development, both of which are essential for professional success in today’

Nursing Reflection Essay Skills Assessment

Nursing Reflection Essay Skills Assessment According to the New Collins International Dictionary of the English language, a reflection is to reflect or to be in the state of reflection. (Collins Brash, 1983) In this essay, I aim to give a brief description of the skills assessment that I underwent, the thoughts and feelings it provoked, the evaluation and analysis of it ,conclusion and lastly my action plan. REFLECTION OF THE SKILLS ASSESSMENT 2.1 Description As part of the Fundamentals of Nursing (FON) skills assessment, I had to attend a test on week seven. Wound dressing and vital signs were the two subjects of this assessment. I had to draw lots to choose which room and subject I got and then proceed to sit outside the room to read the case scenario within the allocated five minutes. Once the case scenario of taking vital signs was clear to me, I was allowed to enter the evaluation room to perform the necessary procedure on the patient within twenty minutes. During the course of the procedure, all the vital signs such as pulse rate, respiration rate, blood pressure and temperature were recorded on a clinical chart. The entire procedure was then assessed and graded by an assessor, who was observing my nursing skills. 2.2 Thoughts and Feelings I felt really nervous and anxious before the skills assessment as I was seated outside the assessment room. When the time came for me to read and digest the background information, I felt overwhelmed as at that point in time, remembering the information on the sheet provided was just exhausting. As I was about to enter the room and the previous student came out crying, I felt even more nervous as that gave me an intuition that the assessment might be a challenging one . Despite that, I mustered all my confidence and proceeded with the nursing procedure when my turn came. I carried out the procedure in a calm and smooth manner. After my task was complete, I felt satisfied with my performance and happy with myself for having prepared well for the assessment before-hand as it turned out to be a good experience. 2.3 Evaluation On the whole, the skills assessment was a memorable experience for me as I felt that I had carried out the nursing procedure efficiently, keeping in mind all the protocols that had to be followed. Also, the six domains namely critical thinking, communication, technical skills, management of care, safe practice and professional and ethical practice were carried out to my ability in many instances. Then again, I could have done better in certain areas. For instance under the critical thinking component, I could have planned my working area carefully. Instead, I was immediately involved in attending to the patient and completing the procedure within the time limit which should not have been the case. As a result I had to move around quite a bit which could have been minimized with careful area planning. On the part of communication, I tried my level best to re-assure the patient and addressed his anxiety to a large extent. This skill I believe I portrayed well. In terms of technical skills, I was unsure about my readings for the systolic and diastolic blood pressures and I had to repeat the procedure twice in order to double check my first reading. Even then, I experienced some level of uncertainty with the readings. Thus, I have to improve my skills in this domain to become a better healthcare professional. To add on, I managed the patients care relatively well as I made it a point to ensure that he was feeling comfortable throughout the procedure. Keeping in mind the importance of understanding the emotions of the patient (Matsumoto Hwang, 2011), I took note of the changes in his facial expressions to make sure he was receiving good care and was not in any kind of stress. To ensure safe practice I had carried out good hand hygiene however ,I almost had forgotten to clean the ear plugs of the stethoscope, thereby downplaying on safe clinical practice on protecting myself. Furthermore, I had also plotted the readings on the wrong column which was an unacceptable mistake. Lastly, on the part of professionalism and ethical practice, I believe I had done a commendable job. I kept the patient informed on the risks he was taking by undergoing the cataract surgery. Also, I kept the staff nurse informed of his concerns and his rash that he had developed. Apart from these, all the procedures during the assessment were within the terms of ethical practice. 2.4 Analysis For in-depth examination, I have analyzed my skills in each of the above mentioned six domains. Critical thinking is defined as the disciplined, intellectual process of applying skillful reasoning as a guide to belief or action (Paul, 1990). In nursing, critical thinking for clinical decision-making is the potential to think in a organized and sensible manner with the readiness to question and think carefully about the reasoning process used to ensure safe nursing practice and good care. (Heaslip, 1993) In the nursing profession, it is important to plan carefully to save valuable time while attending to the patient. During my practical assessment, I could have placed the hand sanitizer on the same table as I had placed the other medical requisites on. This would have prevented me from constantly shifting to the table close by to perform my hand rubs, saving time. As mentioned by Mr. Tan during lab sessions, area planning is very important. Nurses also need to apply their intellectual skills for sound reasoning. (Heaslip, 1993) Having noticed rashes on one of the patients arm, I chose to take blood pressure from the arm with no rashes as placing the non-sterile cuff on the affected hand could have worsened the rash. As for communication skills, I believe I played a good role as a nurse by clearly explaining the risks involved in the cataract surgery to the patient. As pointed out by Crow et. al, it is paramount for a patient to be aware of his/her medical condition and develop a better understanding of the procedures involved. (Crow, et al., 1999) To add on, I informed him of his various readings to ensure his awareness of his medical status. In terms of technical skills, I could not distinctively identify the Korotkoff sounds hence had to repeat the blood pressure measurement. When I re-took the blood pressure however, I found it hard to release the pressure as I had turned the valve a little too much making it too tight to be released. It is mandatory for nurses to be fluent in the procedures. (Rennie, 2009) Hence, I should keep in mind not to turn the valve too much to allow easy release of the valve in future. During the procedure, I constantly made an effort to ensure that the patient was feeling comfortable by questioning him frequently instead of just carrying out the nursing procedure silently. Reference to Bensing, reveals that it is important for nurses to communicate at an emotional level so that the patient feels cared for and also helps disclose his concerns which he might otherwise not reveal. (Bensing, 1991). Also, I addressed the presence of the rash on his left arm and questioned him on how it originated instead of only taking note of his vital signs. These actions I hope would have sent across the message to the patient that I cared for him well. In terms of ensuring safe practice, I kept the staff nurse informed about the rash the patient had developed on his arm and what medication he had previously consumed which might have led to the allergy. However, I had not plotted the readings taken on the correct column onto the clinical chart. I was unaware of this mistake until I read the remarks on the assessment sheet. Therefore, I have to strictly avoid such a mistake in the future as it may lead to further misinterpretations. My professionalism and ethical practice was portrayed rather well as I maintained a steady and confident poise which I trust would have also allowed the patient to place his trust in me to carry out the nursing procedure safely and effectively. Butts has given a detailed description of the ethics that needs to be followed in the nursing profession (Butts). Not only that, I ensured that the patient was aware of the side effects and risks involved in the surgery so as to maintain ethical practice. 2.5 Conclusion All in all, this reflection has helped me better identify my mistakes in this skills assessment and how I can further improve myself in the near future. Not only that, it has also aided me in the pursuit of realizing the importance of the six different domains that we were assessed on. This assessment was also a good platform for us to reflect upon ourselves and further improve our nursing competencies bringing our skills to a whole new level. At the end of the day, such assessments are the ones that mould us into trustworthy and reliable healthcare professionals. 2.6 Action Plan In similar situations in the future, first and foremost, I would quickly run through area planning in my mind so as to maintain minimal movement to save time when I am carrying out my nursing procedure. Then, when I am taking the patients blood pressure, I will remind myself not to turn the valve too hard so that it will be easier to release the pressure from the cuff when I am recording the blood pressure readings. Most importantly, I would ensure that I record my findings accurately onto the clinical chart. I hope all these precautions will help me carry out my duty as a nurse efficiently in years to come.

The Ira

The Irish Republican Army or IRA is Northern Ireland’s most notorious terrorist organization. Like many other groups, the IRA is a militant nationalist group with Marxist tendencies. They use violent attacks such as bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, extortion, and robberies that they used . to send their message. The ultimate goal of the IRA is to use militant behavior to make British rule in Northern Ireland obsolete, thus letting Northern Ireland become an independent republic, instead of two separate countries with different governments.The IRA was founded in 1919 as a successor to the Irish Volunteers, a militant nationalist organization that was founded in 1913. One of the alias’s for the group is Direct Action Against Drugs, or DADD. The IRA operates independently of any political control or party, and† in some periods actually took the upper hand in the independence movement. †(Britannica) Unlike some terrorist groups, the IRA does not carry out attacks on countries that are not in close vicinity of Northern Ireland. The majority of their operations are based out if Great Britain, and Ireland.Some of their most favored targets were senior British Government officials, British military and police in Northern Ireland, and Northern Irish Loyalist paramilitary groups. By attacking these individuals they hoped to demoralize Great Britain to the point of turning Ireland over to the people. The IRA did not want to overthrow the government and run it themselves, they simply wanted to see a change in the government so that it would benefit the people of Northern Ireland. The IRA is organized into small, tightly knit cells under the leadership of the Army Council.While they only have a few hundred members, they have thousands of sympathizers who contribute by donating money, supplies, shelter, and even weapons. â€Å"The IRA Is suspected of receiving funds, arms, and other terrorist-related materiel from sympathizers in the United S tates. †(Britannica) the IRA also received a large amount of support at one point from the PLO, a â€Å"freedom fighter† group from Libya. Not only do they receive aid from other terrorist groups with similar agendas, but in 2002 three suspected IRA members were arrested in Colombia on charges of assisting the FARC to improve its explosives capabilities.The IRA was in their prime during the late 1950’s and 1960’s, though they did play a big part in the Irish Civil war of 1922. As a result of this war, the IRA became more closely related to Sinn Fein, which is the Irish Nationalist party. â€Å"In December 1969, the IRA divided into â€Å"Official† and â€Å"Provisional† wings. Although both factions were committed to a united socialist Irish republic, the Officials preferred parliamentary tactics and eschewed violence after 1972, whereas the Provisionals, or â€Å"Provos,† believed that violence— particularly terrorism—w as a necessary part of the struggle to rid Ireland of the British. (Global Security) This was a result of a Sinn Fein conference that had taken place in August.After 1970, the IRA was slowly slipping into the darkness, as they had stopped attacking as much, and was not as big of a concern anymore. Because of â€Å"Bloody Sunday’, when thirteen innocent Catholic protestors were killed by British soldiers, the IRA gained support from the Catholic Church, which gave them their reputation back for a while. Eventually though, they were back where they had left off before Bloody Sunday. The IRA reorganized in 1977 into detached cells to protect against infiltration† and their arms dealing was back in full force. It was said that â€Å"in the late 1990s that the IRA had enough weapons in its arsenal to continue its campaign for at least another decade. †(Britannica) For a long time the IRA tried to use peaceful methods to gain equal treatment for the Catholic minority in the Protestant Northern Ireland. But they were were met with resistance. The Protestants and the British government met the peaceful attempts of the IRA with violence i. e. Bloody Sunday.The IRA had no other choice but to employ violent methods to gain equality and civil rights for the Catholic Minority in Ulster. The IRA began implementing methods such as Bombings, sniper attacks, and assassinations on British citizens. (www. CFR. org) The afore mentioned Sinn Fein, which means â€Å"We Ourselves† first emerged in the early 1900s. It is the oldest political party in Ireland’s history. It was a â€Å"federation of nationalist clubs and eventually, all nationalists to the left of the Irish Parliamentary Party at Westminster came to be popularly known as Sinn Feiners. (SinnFein. org) The party, like the IRA, was based on the demand for an Irish Republic. It won the 1918 election by a landslide and set up Dail Eireann which is translated to â€Å"Assembly of Ireland. † Following three years of war, led by an underground republican government, the party split in 1922 on the issue of the Treaty which partitioned Ireland into two separate provinces. The leader of Sinn Fein left the party in 1926, causing the party to lose a lot of credibility.However, its fortunes recovered and flourished in the late 1950s and early 1960s with its new association to the IRA and their border campaign. During this time the group experienced a substantial amount of electoral success. In present day, Sinn Fein is split into two parties, Sinn Fein and Republican Sinn Fein. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) was formed in 1969 as the covert armed wing of Sinn Fein. The members of this group, called, â€Å"Provos† were formed from the Official Sinn Fein and the Official IRA.The Provisional IRA was the largest of the three republican armed resistance groups (Sinn Fein, IRA and PIRA). The policies of Sinn Fein under the new leadership of Gerry Adams led to a split in the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1997. One side accepted the new â€Å"Good Friday Agreement† and the New or Real IRA continuing armed resistance against the British. The PIRA has at this point accepted the ceasefire and is still most commonly confused with the real IRA because of their similar connections and name.The IRA and PIRA are not totally different groups, but they are actually two groups that used to function as one. It is my opinion that the split of the IRA into two factions is one of the major reasons why their goal was never accomplished. The army was in need of a way to make money and fundraise to support their cause. They became adept at raising money in Northern Ireland through â€Å"extortion, racketeering, and other illegal activities† and they policed their own neighborhoods through mock trials and beatings.As a result of this Mafia like enforcement, Sinn Fein began to play a more prominent role in trying to end the arms pr oblem that the IRA was causing. â€Å"Sinn Fein leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuiness, together with John Hume, head of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), sought ways to end the armed struggle and bring republicans into democratic politics. They were successful in doing so, and in 1994 the IRA declared a cease fire with Britain so that Sinn Fein was able to legally engage in politics with the Irish Parliament.This ceasefire was shortly ended in 1996 when a bomb that was suspected to be from the IRA killed two civilians. However it was reinstated the following year, returning things back to being civilized between the IRA and Great Britain. Technically the IRA is still a functioning terrorist group, but due to the ceasefire they have been dormant since around 2002 when the final ceasefire was laid out and agreed upon. The IRA has a very important place in Irish history, as well as the history of terrorism because of their prominence in the 1950’s and 1960â€⠄¢s.