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Impact of the american revolution on women
Political and social changes experienced by women after the American Revolution
Societal Impacts of the American Revolution
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Nikiya Alfred
APUSH
Mr. Brady
AB5
11 October 2017
American Revolution Impact on America
The conclusion of the American Revolution caused social and political change for America, but varied little change for economics. When the revolution ended, America wanted to change the political aspects and make them different than Britain's old government system. Because Americans were full of poor people and slaves, it was very difficult for them to construct a government. One of the reasons is lack of education. Social changes took a long time to occur, but women started to gain independence, which leads to gender equality. Slaves were set free but still experienced racism. Due to the war, there was a lot of debt, which took a tremendous amount of
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time to pay off, and some people went to seek economic opportunity for themselves. Generally, the impact of the American Revolution caused social and political change but less economical change. When it came to America’s economic state, there wasn’t much change from the economic lifestyle prior to the American Revolution. In Abigail Adams’s letter to Thomas Jefferson, she states that “ Some of them were crying out for a paper currency, some for an equal distribution of property” (Document G). Adams is saying that there isn’t much change of the economic lifestyle. Many people are still poor, while the wealthy still have more money. Along the idea of working hard for income, many poor people still had to work extremely hard to survive. In “Medal of the Philadelphia Society for the Promotion of Agriculture” (Document F), the picture is showing a wealthy white woman standing on her land, but she has a less fortunate person working in her field. The idea of slavery and unequal distribution of finances is still essential in this time era. Before the American Revolution, poor white people and slaves worked for wealthy white people to survive. After the American Revolution, the concept is still happening. Politically, America’s goal was to have a totally different government system than Britain. The Articles of Confederation was America’s first constitution but got ratified because there were lots of changes that were needed, which didn’t turn out so well. For instance, the government had weak law enforcers and still was in a lot of debt, due to the American Revolution. James Madison’s in “The Federalists” , states that “you must first enable the government to control the governed and in the next place oblige it to control itself” ( Document I). Based on this analogy, Madison is suggesting that the government needs to control itself, by enforcing the laws. Going back to Abigail Adams’s letter to Thomas Jefferson, she states, “Ignorant, restless desperados, without conscience or principles, have led a deluded multitude to follow their standard, under pretense of grievance “( Document G). In her letter, she’s talking about certain areas are having mini-rebellions and protests because of the inequality treatment. Moreover, this is showing that the new government is not taking action and being firm enough to stop these events. Finally, the improvements in the social structure in America changed tremendously.
However, rich white men remained as the superior figure. Women and slaves went through miraculous changes over time. The time was difficult for women because they still faced the issue of gender inequality. For example, they were rejected to be involved in politics and the war for independence. This is displayed in art piece titled by the New-York Historical Society called “Woodcut of Patriot woman” (Document A). Many women took either their husband’s place in the war, or they fought by their husband’s side. Some women realized that if they could fight a war, then they had the courage to start their own life and not live a controlled life by their husbands. Another example of gender inequality was shown in Molly Wallace’s, valedictory addresses, Young Lady’ Academy of Philadelphia”. She states, “No one will pretend to deny, that we should be taught to read in the best manner” (Document J). During this time, women weren’t allowed to read because men felt that they would come up with new ideas, which eventually can lead to women overpowering men. On the other hand, social life for slaves varied. In “An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the Unites States Northwest of the River Ohio”, it states that “There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory” (Document H). Based on this document, slavery was illegal in the Northwest of the River Ohio. This …show more content…
evidence advocates that change did happen after the American Revolution. In conclusion, the economic factor was a unprosperous change after the American Revolution happen.
Americans had to pay huge amounts of debt and eventually had to borrow money from the continental congress to help pay it off. When it came to the social changes, there was a lot of change that occurred, which overtime shaped a new America. This doesn’t mean that things have necessarily “changed” for the better. Gender equality is still happening in the terms of payroll and leadership roles. Women earn 23 less cents than men. There are more male political figures then there are women. Gender equality is causing movements like feminism where women come together to discuss the issues of gender bias. Besides the issue of gender inequality, slavery doesn’t happen anymore. However, oppression towards African Americans and Latinos is a huge social justice movement. Police brutality, stop and frisking, and racial slurs have caused movements like the Dreamer’s act, Black Lives Matter, the NFL protests, etc. The impact of the American Revolution may have set the boundaries of new laws, but the conflicts of unpatriotism is still shown today. Finally, the politically aspects are kind of different. Americans have worked hard to make a new and better government for the people of this country. Conversely, wealthy white males are still the dominant figure in political stances. We have had 45 presidents that are all white, but out of that 45, one African American man was elected to be the
44th president of the U.S.A, which is Barack Obama. Out of all 9 of the Supreme Court Judges, Judge Clarence Thomas is the only black judge. After the American Revolution ended, social and political changes happened but not economics.
From the time period 1775-1800, the American Revolution would impact the United States in political, social and economic ways.
During the War for American Independence, 78 men were commissioned as general officers into the Continental Army by the Continental Congress. Many of these generals commanded troops with differing levels of competence and success. George Washington is typically seen as most important general, however throughout the war a number of his subordinates were able to distinguish themselves amongst their peers. One such general was Nathanael Greene. At the end of the Revolutionary War, Greene would become Washington’s most important subordinate, as demonstrated by Edward Lengel’s assessment of Greene as “the youngest and most capable of Washington’s generals.” Washington and Greene developed a strong, positive and close relationship between themselves. Greene began his life in the military after having been raised a Quaker. With limited access to literature and knowledge in his younger years, Greene became an avid reader which equipped him with the knowledge necessary to excel as a general during the war. Through his devoted study of military operations, firsthand experience and natural abilities as a soldier, Greene became an excellent military commander. He would become known for his successful southern campaign, during which, he loosened British control of the South and helped lead the war to its climax at Yorktown. Throughout the war, he was involved in a number high profile battles where he built a reputation of being an elite strategist who also understood unconventional warfare, logistics, and the importance of military-civil affairs and had a natural political/social acumen. The thesis of this paper is that Greene’s proven reputation of being a soldier, strategist and statesman would cause him to become the second greates...
A great big societal impact of the Revolution was slavery. The Revolution opened up the idea of equality in America. Slavery started to die down after the Revolution, and whites were beginning to accept the fact of equality within the country. The North was very big on anti-slavery, and the South was beginning to free some of their slaves. The free black population grew rapidly within the United States. African Americans established many institutions in resemblance of their pride they had for their freedom. Although the Revolution abled slaves to get freed from their masters, there were also some negative consequences of slaves gaining freedom that affected the country. Some people had their doubts about slavery, especially farmers in the south. They did not want to be left without workers to work in their fields, and they did not want their crops to die out. Slavery was the number one changes made by the Revolution that opened up the eyes of many people.
The American Revolution was based on replacing the English Monarch structure with republicanism and democracy. The social and political change, lead to the removal of britsh ideology in the new world. “The destruction of a british monument which is presumingly the King is destroyed by colonists after the war to celebrate their independence and start as their own country, The United States of America.” (Document A) This was a change to the architecture and art surrounding cities that used to be british colonies. Another change that was made is that in 1790 the metric system was rejected primarily because Americans did not want anything to do with their British ancestors. “The American government took possessions such as land from loyalist that supported Great Britain during the revolution. This was considered a redistribution of their wealth as it was given to the non wealthy farmers, trades people, local gentry and the church before given to the upper class.” (Document E) The American people did not want anything to do with Great Britain after the Revolution. They wanted to prove themselves as a nation. The nation went from a place ruled by tyranny to a republic where people had a voice and no one person shall have too much power. We distanced ourselves further and further from the way of the British and created America, a place filled with freedoms and change. Before the Revolution many white men could not vote, slavery in the north was abolished after the revolution and women got an education. The revolution was revolutionary it changed the status quo, it opened up doors for change that may have never been opened if we had stayed with the British. It paved the way for slavery to be abolished in all of the U.S., for all persons to be able to vote, and for democracy to be instilled not only in the U.S. but in other countries all around
At the time of the American Revolution, no one could have predicted how successful the thirteen colonies would become. Not only did the colonies defeat anarchy, unite, and grow into the United States known today, but something more was achieved. Those early states created a free country filled with many cultures and peoples, brought together by a shared love for freedom. It was a new concept, yet it was mostly welcomed. The American Revolution changed American society economically, but was even more greatly altered politically and socially, as can be seen through numerous documents from those times.
America was first settled by the europeans, Spanish, and the french. They all settled for land and power, and battled for land in the North American continent, dividing the Continent into 3different territories. The europeans were the first to have bring slaves to the Americas. Europeans began to settle in the new world and gain dominance over the 13 original British colonies. These states were divided by the reason they were settled. New England- Connecticut, new Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island was settled for Religious freedom. The middle states- Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania and New jersey were settled for trade. The southern states -Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina was settled for farming,The French and Indian war pushed more division in the states because after the British had
On April 19, 1775, the British marched into Lexington, ordering the Patriots to disperse as an undetermined gun fired “the shot heard around the world”. Only one British soldier was wounded, but the American Revolution had begun. On August 23, 1775, King George declared the American colonies in “open and avowed rebellion” and that “they must submit or triumph.” He viewed the rebellion as traitorous and urged Parliament to move quickly to end the revolt. He signed The Proclamation of Rebellion, giving Parliament the authority to dispatch troops against his own subjects, something the colonists believed impossible. Four months later Parliament declared the colonies beyond protection. Still, the King urged the colonists to understand “that
The American Revolution marked the divorce of the British Empire and its one of the most valued colonies. Behind the independence that America had fought so hard for, there emerged a diverging society that was eager to embrace new doctrines. The ideals in the revolution that motivated the people to fight for freedom continued to influence American society well beyond the colonial period. For example, the ideas borrowed from John Locke about the natural rights of man was extended in an unsuccessful effort to include women and slaves. The creation of state governments and the search for a national government were the first steps that Americans took to experiment with their own system. Expansion, postwar depression as well as the new distribution of land were all evidence that pointed to the gradual maturing of the economic system. Although America was fast on its way to becoming a strong and powerful nation, the underlying issues brought about by the Revolution remained an important part in the social, political and economical developments that in some instances contradicted revolutionary principles in the period from 1775-1800.
Before the American revolution began, people were unhappy about how Great Britain, has acted towards them, and a lot spoke out such as Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry. These men were influential orators or writers in the 1700s. These writers opened the people’s eyes to how Britain was treating them, inspiring people to have a revolution. They made the war a necessity for the colonists to have. Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry made the American Revolution morally justifiable because the colonists were being unfairly treated, they tried everything in their power to make peace, and they were constantly being ignored by Great Britain; a war was the last resort.
The American Revolution began in 1765 and was one of the most pivotal events in American history. As many know, the Revolutionary War that followed ten years after the revolution began with the “shot heard round the world”. The first battle of the Revolutionary War took place in the towns of Lexington and Concord, with over 200 British casualties. The events of the American Revolution were gradually building toward those first shots. There were a plethora of causes that spurred the war into motion, and there is no single answer to what caused the American Revolution, but two major factors were Britain’s constrictive economic policies and trouble in the city of Boston.
The late eighteenth century experienced anti-colonial revolutions that lead to the abolition of slavery. The Haitian revolution was a successful anti-colonial and anti-slavery insurrection. The revolution although the revolution challenged the long held beliefs concerning the black communities and enslaved African Americans, Laurent Dubois looks at other factors other than race in the revolution. In his view, the revolution created a society of all colors where everyone was granted freedom and the right to become a citizen. He also believed that complicated political and ideological sources united the revolutionists. This, however, opposes the point of previous scholars that race united them. Latin America and the Caribbean had the same historical
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress” - Frederick Douglass. In history struggle often looks like a revolution. A revolution is often pictured as violent, aggressive and uncivilized, but there's so much more, revolutions allow us to take power over the injustices in our society. Moreover, the French and Mexican Revolutions are great examples of what revolutions allow us to succeed. The French Revolution was a period of time where the people overthrew the absolute monarchy, took over the government and the third estate (lower class) rose to power by gaining civil and social rights. Furthermore, the Mexican Revolution was similar in one way or another. During the Mexican Revolution, the people wanted to overthrow the government dictatorship
The American Revolution was tensions between Great Britain's 13 colonies and the colonial government. What caused the beginning of the revolutionary war? Skirmishes between the troops and colonial militiamen in Lexington and Concord was what started the armed conflict, later following the rebels striving for their independence during the summer. During about this time in 1775 Patrick Henry had delivered the famous Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death speech. The speech delivered a proposal to organize a volunteer company of cavalry or infantry in every Virginia county(Wirth). Henry addressed himself to the Convention's president, Peyton Randolph of Williamsburg. Henry's words were not written down, but no one who heard them forgot their effectiveness,
(Your topic is not your title – be creative and make a statement! I suggest writing your title last.)
The American Revolution gained momentum throughout the Colonies due to popular belief that Great Britain was a tyranny. Because of this, a revolution was founded on the idea of freedom. The founders envisioned a country where their “Constitutional and political freedoms” (“Road to Revolution”, 25:10) would not be threatened. Which they believed where endangered by British Parliament. Giving the revolution a conservative label. Conservative, meaning they were not an oppressed population revolting against a higher power, but common people concerned over their Liberty’s. But considering this took place in the middle of the 18th Century, America indeed was doing things radical, compared to the rest of the world. Abolishing an anarchy and moving to a system that had checks and balances. Likewise, the slave population in America were attempting to gain their freedom as well. Slaves, like America, were equally justified to claim their right to freedom.