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Transformation of the american revolution
Transformation of the american revolution
Transformation of the american revolution
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Alfred F. Young’s The Shoemaker and the Tea Party illustrates the life of George Robert Twelves Hewes, a lowly shoemaker in Boston, and his transformation into a citizen active in the revolutionary events of his time. Young uses Hewes’ transformation to illustrate what liberty and freedom meant for the ordinary Bostonian during the revolutionary period, and emphasizes how the definition of freedom was an enigma even as the colonial rebels fought for their liberation from England. As the events of the revolution went underway, it brought an opportunity for everyone affected by and participating in these events to consider and challenge their own definitions of freedom as their new identity as Americans emerged. Hewes was directly impacted by …show more content…
the events of the Stamp Act in the 1760s, and his transformation directly links to the events resulting from the Stamp Act in Boston- the Boston Massacre, the Tea Party, and the tarring and feathering of John Malcom. Just as everyone else Hewes’ definition of freedom was changed through his experiences of these events, and comparing Hewes’ definition of freedom to others at that period shows how freedom means different things to different people. Young’s depiction of Hewes’ during this period emphasizes this idea of the emergence of new ideas of freedom, and Hewes’ transformation reflects the overall transition of many colonialists to become active in defining and protecting their own versions of freedom. An underlying theme of freedom that Hewes and other Bostonians shared during pre-revolution, Stamp Act events was the idea that all citizens have inherent rights and these rights are meant to be protected by the government.
As Hewes was “moved to act by personal experience that he shared with… other plebian Bostonians”, the “unwarrantable sufferings” that Britain inflicted on its American citizens, so many others felt the same need to protect themselves from the British government. Hewes was moved to action and was “politicized...by things that happened to him, that he saw, or that happened to people he knew”. The politicization of Hewes as well as of many of the Boston’s lower classes indicated a growing resentment within the public about their treatment under the crown. Many citizens of Boston abhorred the British government’s violation of their colonialist rights during the time of the Stamp Act and were “excited with an inextinguishable desire to aid in chastising them.” The fact that the famously rebellious Tea Party act was a “quasi-military action, the boldest and most dangerous in Boston up to that time” exemplifies the frustrations of Bostonians and their need to fight for their rights through massive demonstrations to get the attention of Britain. This feeling obligation of many Bostonians to fight to protect themselves from the British government suggests that there was an underlying idea among Americans that freedom meant that all humans have inherent rights and these rights need to be protected by their
government. Although Hewes’ believed that freedom meant that your rights should be protected, it is also evident that he held the belief that freedom meant equality and the importance of all persons. For Hewes, the events resulting from the Stamp Act were not only about promoting the rights of Americans under the crown, but also proposed the “idea that any poor man might be as good as any rich man”, essentially an idea that released his limitations due to deference. The revolution not only transformed Hewes into a political man, but also transformed his idea of freedom in relation to his rank. During the Tea Party, when he broke open the chest of tea with John Hancock, one of the most prominent men at that time, it made him realize that no man was better than he and that he had the freedom to try to be whoever he wanted to be. As Hewes “brought Hancock down to his own level”, the two men were made equals and in turn that led Hewes to pursue a life free from deference, becoming a defiant person “who would not take his hat off for any man”. During his life Hewes was able to go from being “a nobody.. [to] bec[oming] a somebody in the Revolution and, for a moment near the end of his life, a hero.” Hewes’ main focus on the ‘freedom of opportunity’ that arose before him differentiated his definition of freedom from other Bostonians during that time who focused on the greater rights of citizens under a government. In contrast to Hewes’ ideas of the freedom of opportunity, for many Bostonians the events that resulted from the Stamp Act were about the greater rights of citizens under a government. ‘No taxation without representation’ was the mantra that reverberated throughout Boston, and the idea of freedom that stemmed from these events was the belief that if the people do not have a say in government then they live under tyranny. A year before the Tea Party, The Rights of the Colonists, drafted by Samuel Adams, outlined the rights many Bostonians held to be their key to their freedom under the crown. Among the many rights the Bostonians considered to be true, the most important and overarching truth they believed to be inherent to all human beings were “ first, a right to life; second, to liberty; [and] third, to property.” As Bostonians felt that these rights were imposed on by the British government, they found it necessary to demonstrate civil disobedience through events like the Tea Party. For the colonists, freedom under rule meant that the government would execute its fundamental goal of the “protection, and defense of those very rights… life, liberty, and property.” In addition to the general rights inherent to all people, Bostonians also held the rights to citizens under government to a high regard. Bostonians thought it was necessary that they had the same “privileges of subjects born in Great Britain or within the Realm”, and this meant that the government needed consent of the people “in person or by his representative” to impose any type of law, especially taxes in regard to the Stamp Act. For the average Bostonian living during the 1760s, their definition of freedom focused on the rights that all humans, especially citizens, inherently have and the need for these rights to be protected. To define freedom still remains an arduous task to this day. Freedom has meant and will mean many different things to different people, even if these people are living under the same circumstances as demonstrated with George Hewes and other Bostonians of his time. It is clear that there are rights that many people remain to be self-evident and true, and that the protection of these rights guarantees freedom, but there is no general consensus on what these rights are. However, it is clear that if your self-determined rights are not protected by government then you live in tyranny. We can use events from the past to make the definition of freedom less ambiguous, but truly we will never be able to concretely define freedom.
These divisive effects of the pre-Revolutionary War time period first become evident when Daniel West witnesses certain events go by and starts to question his own loyalty to the British King. Daniel is a young, fourteen year-old, colonist with a father who happens to be a doctor, a sister and a brother, and best friend, Beckett Foote. He has to deal with many worrying events and the conflict between the Tories and the Whigs. They were two groups that caused Salem and its people to split under the escalating violence. The Whigs stood for the American side, however, the Tories were the patriots loyal to the King. Though Daniel and his family were loyal Tories, but he did not take part in any events that occurred where violence was involved. At that time, 1774, Salem was home to a sickness and it caused additional unrest with the current situation between the two groups. It was only a year before the great Revolutionary War would begin. Daniel watches as events that lead to the war take place and starts to question his place with the loyalists. The mischief of The Liberty Boys harassing Tories, adults avoiding their neighbors, the danger of fire in a town, the tricks that Sam Adams plays to work around the British governor and the redcoats, and more force Daniel to make his decisions. The Liberty Boys are a young, rowdy group of trouble makers. Throughout the story, a message is conveyed, simply a touch of danger can change one’s life. Salem was in a time of turmoil; the conflicting groups made it worse.
At the beginning of the war, everything was in array and no one could agree on anything, disorganization and uncertainty overwhelmed everyone. Organizations that were meant to be unifying factors for the colonists, like the Continental Congress, were little more than debating clubs that had to work for weeks before they could come to a decision. As time went on and the Tea Act was put into place the rage of the people made them grow closer. By the eve of the American Revolution, Parliament’s aggression towards the colonists had drawn a distinction between the colonist’s political, economic, and social ideas and those of the British. Colonists had embraced a new identity that helped fuel their resistance against Britain (American Identity and
Rice does a stupendous job of briefly and easily reinterpreting and breaking down a time of revolution, rebellion, and transformation within colonial America. Though short and sweeping, his intriguing work should not go unnoticed for he recreates a crucial event in history into something much more exciting than ever before for his audience. Rice ties this rebellion to other revolutions that would follow such as the Glorious Revolution in Maryland arguing that there is a link between this revolt in 1676 and the many others than would eventually follow. Rice’s narrative is one that is extremely unique. His ability to affectively grasp his readers attention on subjects of history such as Bacon’s Rebellion, that have been previously over looked due to their blandness, is truly remarkable. Despite his inability to give an in-depth analysis on each event that occurred, making the subject interesting and reasonable to read and understand is more important for the success of the narrative. Though some claims within the book could probably use further elaboration for his audience, James D. Rice’s Tales from a Revolution is a well-written book that is able to convey in a concise manner, accurate information regarding an extremely important event in history for a wide array of audiences using what can be considered a new-age style of
Gary B. Nash argues that the American Revolution portrayed “radicalism” in the sense on how the American colonies and its protesters wanted to accommodate their own government. Generally what Gary B. Nash is trying to inform the reader is to discuss the different conditions made by the real people who were actually fighting for their freedom. In his argument he makes it clear that throughout the revolution people showed “radicalism” in the result of extreme riots against the Stamp Act merchants, but as well against the British policies that were implemented. He discusses the urgency of the Americans when it came to declaring their issues against the British on how many slaves became militants and went up against their masters in the fight for a proclamation to free themselves from slavery. But he slowly emerges into the argument on how colonists felt under the
The beginning influential essay examines the Revolution through the experiences and recollections of Hewes who, in the 1830s, had two biographies written about him as Americans were trying to re-appropriate and reinterpret the era to reflect their own perspectives. Hewes never becomes rich but he was still known as a humble man. One of Hewes earliest memories, that Young mentions, is a meeting with John Hancock, one of the wealthiest men in Boston. Hewes became a shoemaker which was, in Young’s assessment, among the lowliest and least respected occupation. For Hewes, the American Revolution became about social equality, where a poor cobbler was as important as a wealthy merchant to the body politic. This is represented when Hewes recounts that even the wealth John Hancock was throwing crates into the water next to him. Young gives Hewes a partial justification in believing this by stating “American Revolution was not a plebian revolution” there was nevertheless “a powerful plebian current within it”
Throughout The Shoemaker and the Tea Party, Alfred Young clearly walks us through the ordinary life of George Robert Twelves Hewes. Some main topics discussed are: average people in historical events, how groups of people view the past, and how memories are shaped over time. Hewes is not the only person discussed in the story, yet this book is essentially a biography of his life. Young touches all of the topics through talking about the different times in Hewes’ life. Ultimately, within this essay, I will demonstrate the understanding of The Shoemaker and the Tea Party, and effectively discuss the main topics during the course of this story.
...itish government. In Boston, the site of a bloody confrontation between British redcoats and Americans citizens less than 10 years before, emotions ran high. Boston was a center of agitation and finally on the night of December 16,1773, the course of world history was changed. A revolutionary event was on the horizon. As once patriot mournfully observed, “Our cause is righteous and I have no doubt of final success. But I see our generation, and perhaps out whole land, drown in blood.” (Liberty, 2) The rest is history.
The setting is eighteenth century Boston, Massachusetts. The population in Boston between 1760’s and 1790’s ranged from sixteen thousand to eighteen thousand . Some of the major building that are well known for the time period are Old State House; originally called Town House, this building is very historic the Boston Massacre of 1770 took place in front of this building, also the Declaration of Independence was first read off the balcony. Also Boston has the Old South Meeting House; which in that time was the largest meeting space, this was where the “convocation met before the Boston Tea Party, and this is community commemorated the Boston Massacre” . Another building is the Old North Church, the first stone was laid in April of 1723 taking twenty-two years to complete, this is the oldest church is Boston today. This church’s steeple was immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his poem “The midnight ride of Paul Revere” . The geography in Boston is that it was a coastal region with poor soil, this was not a farming community, and most people that lived in Boston were people that practice a trade or a craft. The climate in Boston ca...
For my whole life, I have lived in Boston. In 1773, me and some others went on to the British’s ship to protest. We threw 342 chests of tea into the Ocean. This had caused the Boston Tea Party. As I am serving in the war, young women at home are crushing on British soldiers, only for their handsomeness and red fancy coats. At one point Washington’s position was uncertain. Valley Forge was located about 18
The Sons of Liberty was a group of men fighting for their independence. They were fighting before the continental congress or the beginning of the Revolutionary War. They were called out as being disobedient. They were believed to be political radicals at the time; doing what they felt was right for their town and their colonies. The Sons of Liberty were everyday men that expanded from New England all the way down the thirteen colonies. However, the high activity political gang started to appear with aggressiveness in Boston, Massachusetts. This paper will demonstrate the origins of the Sons of Liberty in Boston, their manifest, leading actions, and development within their first year.
“Is there a single trait of resemblance between those few towns and a great and growing people spread over a vast quarter of the globe, separated by a mighty ocean?” This question posed by Edmund Burke was in the hearts of nearly every colonist before the colonies gained their independence from Britain. The colonists’ heritage was largely British, as was their outlook on a great array of subjects; however, the position and prejudices they held concerning their independence were comprised entirely from American ingenuity. This identity crisis of these “British Americans” played an enormous role in the colonists’ battle for independence, and paved the road to revolution.
In the minds of most Americans, the name of Paul Revere forever conjures up the image of the lone patriotic rider shrouded in the darkness of the New England night. His mission: to inform the countryside that the Regulars are coming. On this night, the fate of the natural rights of all men in the new world seemed to rest on his shoulders. As terrifically romantic as this thought may be, it is far from the truth. Revere's midnight ride was anything but the heroics of just one man; rather, it can be much better summarized as the collective effort and doings of all New England Whigs. (ANB)
In the article The Shoemaker and the Revolution written by Alfred F. Young, the transition from ordinary citizen to an assertive patriot is clearly articulated. This article focuses on one man specifically, George Robert Twelve Hewes, an apprenticing shoemaker who was personally affected by events in the revolution. The changes in Hewe’s occurred because of the Boston Massacre of 1770, The Boston Tea Party of 1773, and the tarring and feathering of John Malcolm in 1774.
Most people have heard of The Boston tea party. When American patriots dressed as Mohawk Indians boarded the British ships in the Boston harbor and dumped all of the tea into the ocean. But what most people fail to realize is the great importance behind this protest. To fully understand a topic of history one must first acknowledge the actions behind it. The French and Indian war, the Stamp Act, the Townshend Revenue Act, as well as the Tea Act are all important catalysts of the legendary Boston tea party. Which is why we will discuss these topics before examining the events of the Boston tea party.
In the 1760s, Boston was full of disorder. With each new British law came protest from American colonists. The people of Boston believed that Britain did not have the right to tax them because they did not elect their representatives in Parliament. Only the Massachusetts Assembly, whose members were elected every year, had the right to tax its citizens. The Stamp Act of 1765 and the Townshend Acts of 1767 led to boycotts and unrest, steered by a group known as the Sons of Liberty. As a result, the British government sent troops to Boston to keep order. Instead of staying in a fort on an island in the Boston harbor, the British troops stayed on the commons and were living in buildings in the middle of town. The British troops’ presence in Boston was not welcome and Bostonians viewed them as a threat. Because they did not like the English army in their city, fights between the American colonists and the British troops were common.