If one were to examine, African American history, one would be surprised to find a long history of militant armed struggle. Slave rebellions, urban "guerilla" activities in the 1960s, rural defense leagues, were all part of a tapestry of black militancy. An icon of black armed struggle, the Black Liberation Army, was a linchpin in understanding the development of the armed rebellion phenomenon in the late 1960s through early 1980s. Composed largely of former Black Panthers (BPP), the Black Liberation Army's program was one of armed struggle and its stated goal was to take up arms for the liberation and self-determination of black people in the United States.