ABSTRACT
Historians have long noted that the term terrorism, which was first popularized during the French Revolution, had, at first, a positive connotation. Terrorism was adopted by the French as a means of establishing order during a transitional period of upheaval and turmoil during the uprisings of 1789. Thus, the so-called 'reign of terror' was widely viewed as an instrument of governance used by the Jacobins in order to consolidate their power and, accordingly, terrorism became closely associated with ideals of virtue and democracy. Granted, Americans had confronted terrorism on a number of occasions throughout the 20th century, but the attacks on New York City and Washington, DC, created unprecedented death and destruction. In essence, most Americans were left with the impression that terrorism is the antithesis of freedom, that terrorism is imported into this country from elsewhere, and that an aggressive military campaign is capable of eradicating terrorism. Schmid's study reveals quite starkly the problems associated with defining terrorism.
