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The effects of colonizing the Americas
Consequences of the american revolution
Consequences of the american revolution
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It is not a secret for anyone that the commoners were dissatisfied with the results of American Revolution. The colonial elite promised better life conditions, forgiven debts, and some land. However, in reality nothing of the promised became true. The commoners were fooled and because of that some united to rebel against the colonial elite. The conditions of soldiers in colonial army were horrible. The fighters did not get the promised food and clothing while being in the fields. Additionally to that no one was paid normally. The elite paid the soldiers in colonial currency, which as we all know, was not worth any penny. By the time when the fighters returned back to their homes they were expecting to get the Promised Land. Unfortunately for the brave soldiers the members of colonial elite did not bother their “bright” minds to think about that. According to some sources some land was prepared for the soldiers but because there was no one appointed to control the distribution and some evil speculators the land was never given into the possession of fighters who sacrificed their blood for it. The main reasons for commoners to be dissatisfied with the results of American Revolution was colonial elite that fooled them, soldiers did not get anything, and not even a single promise was kept.
The first promise that was made by the colonial elite to the commoners in order to gain popular support was the promise to posses some land owned solely by you not by the government. Of course many commoners liked the opportunity to become the owners of some piece of land and they eventually singed up for military service. It was not actually smart of them. Instead of believing the elite, commoners were supposed to ask for some evidence at least w...
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...unite and fight for what they believed in. Unfortunately the government was able to put down all of the rebellions and maintain the slavery for a long time along with segregation and exploitation.
Works Cited
Banneker, Benjamin. Letter to Thomas Jefferson. Edited by Howard Zinn, and Anthony Arnove. New York, NY: Seven Stories Press, 2009.
Clarke, Joseph. Letter about the Rebellion in Springfield. Edited by Howard Zinn, and Anthony Arnove. New York, NY: Seven Stories Press, 2009.
Plumb, Joseph Martin. A Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier. Edited by Howard Zinn, and Anthony Arnove. New York, NY: Seven Stories Press, 2009.
Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove. Voices of a People’s History. New York, NY: Seven Stories Press, 2009.
Williams, Appleman William. Empire as a Way of Life. Brooklyn, NY: Ig publication,2007.
In 1791 Benjamin Banneker, the son of former slaves, astronomer, and almanac author, wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson, in a courteous but forceful manner, challenging the framer of the Declaration of Independence and secretary of state on the topics of race and freedom. He touches on the topics of the way blacks were treated and seen by the common white American citizen and how it is an injustice. In his letter, Banneker uses ethos, logos, pathos, repetition, syntax, and juxtaposition to sympathize with Jefferson about former hardships to perhaps reach common ground.
However, the author 's interpretations of Jefferson 's decisions and their connection to modern politics are intriguing, to say the least. In 1774, Jefferson penned A Summary View of the Rights of British America and, later, in 1775, drafted the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (Ellis 32-44). According to Ellis, the documents act as proof that Jefferson was insensitive to the constitutional complexities a Revolution held as his interpretation of otherwise important matters revolved around his “pattern of juvenile romanticism” (38). Evidently, the American colonies’ desire for independence from the mother country was a momentous decision that affected all thirteen colonies. However, in Ellis’ arguments, Thomas Jefferson’s writing at the time showed either his failure to acknowledge the severity of the situation or his disregard of the same. Accordingly, as written in the American Sphinx, Jefferson’s mannerisms in the first Continental Congress and Virginia evokes the picture of an adolescent instead of the thirty-year-old man he was at the time (Ellis 38). It is no wonder Ellis observes Thomas Jefferson as a founding father who was not only “wildly idealistic” but also possessed “extraordinary naivete” while advocating the notions of a Jeffersonian utopia that unrestrained
According to Carl N. Degler, the entire Revolution should be viewed as a conservative change. In “A New Kind of Revolution,” Degler talked about how the new actions taken place by the English had help structure and shape the colonial government. Not only did the colonies lack the affection of their motherland, Britain, they were also taxed unfairly. On the other hand, “The Radicalism of the American Revolution,” by Gordon S. Wood talks about how the American Revolution was a radical movement. His thesis covered how the country was transitioning from monarchy to republic, and now, democracy. The framers wanted to create a free nation where no single person rule. As well as, the people of the nation having the ultimate say so.
The aim of this letter was to challenge Jefferson on the topics of slavery and racism, highlighting the hypocrisy and hopefully inspire him to take further action. Banneker’s tone is polite, and he spends
...ned Stamp Act he stated that he, “never saw one of those Stamps” and that he was “certain I never paid a penny for one of them”. So with so much attention being paid to Thomas Paine and his “Common sense” and John Hancock’s larger than life signature, what was the reason for our revolution? While that question may never be answered, there are always the eternal words of Levi Preston, “what we meant in going in for those redcoats was this: we always had governed ourselves and we always mean to. That didn’t mean we should”
Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States: 1492-present. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. Print.
fight on their behalf. Those in the Confederacy, who were fighting to save slavery, that had more
Tindall, George, and David Shi. America: A Narrative History. Ed. 9, Vol. 1. New York: WW. Norton & Company, 2013. 185,193. Print.
Jefferson’s use of strategies and language is ineffective in making his points and persuading readers of his arguments. Using hasty generalization, begging the question, and insulting language in his analysis is a huge flaw which lessens the credibility of his argument and offenses his readers. Jefferson should use other argumentative strategies and prevent himself from using insulting language in order to convince readers of his arguments.
Jefferson, Thomas. "The Declaration of Independence." The McGraw-Hill Reader: Issues Across the Disciplines. 8th edition, Ed. Gilbert H. Muller. New York: McGraw Hill, 2003. 305-308.
Zinn, H. (1980). A people's history of the united states. (2003 ed.). New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Foner, Eric. "Chapter 9." Give Me Liberty!: An American History. Brief Third ed. Vol. One. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. N. pag. Print.
Norton, Mary Beth et al. A People and a Nation: A History of the United States. New
Revolutions are usually described as “radical” events. A “radical” event is defined as one that greatly changes the political, cultural, social, and/or economic nature of a society. I believe that the American Revolution was a radical event that dramatically changed our society. There were many impacts to the changes such as slavery, primogeniture, the Articles of Confederation, republican motherhood, and government. This was the time in life, that we as America gained our independence from Britain. The American Revolution is what shaped our world to become what it is today.
In Joseph Plumb Martin’s account of his experiences in the Revolutionary War he offers unique insight into the perspective of a regular soldier, which differs from the views of generals and leaders such as popular characters like George Washington. Martin’s narrative is an asset to historical scholarship as a primary source that gives an in-depth look at how life in the army was for many young men during the War for Independence. He described the tremendous suffering he experienced like starvation and privation. He did not shy away from describing his criticism of the government who he believes did not adequately care for the soldiers during and after the war. While he may be biased because of his personal involvement as a soldier, he seems to relate accounts that are plausible without embellishment or self-aggrandizement. Overall, “A Narrative of A Revolutionary Soldier” is a rich source of information providing an overview of military experience during the war.