Edmund Morgan Birth Of The Republic Analysis

In the Birth of the Republic, 1763-89, Edmund Morgan, the author, examines the basis for the colonist’s frustrations to try and form an explanation for why the American Revolution occurred. Specifically, he examines the colonist’s struggles with Parliament and the taxes that were imposed on common people and merchants. The colonists did not get angry over the fact of the British taxing them, it was on the grounds that the British were taxing them without allowing them a say in Parliament. They wanted to be seen as equals to the people back at in the Old World. If they were to live under the crown then they should be treated as those living back in Europe. “Britons were taxed only by consent; therefore Americans must be. Britons had a right to be represented in their own legislative body; therefore Americans should have such a right and their assemblies be coordinated with Parliament.” Morgan took the position that the American Revolution occurred because the colonists were searching for equal representation in Parliament, equal liberty, and the ability to

prosper equally with those in the Old World. The emphasis Morgan puts on the aspect of equality with the British lead him to make less radical points but strong claims towards the search for equality as the driving force for the American Revolution.
Prior to the passage of the Tea Act, Stamp Act, and Sugar Act, the colonists had a British identity but after the passage of the acts, that identity began to shift towards an independent American identity.

That was huge for the colonists because it united the people under a cause and helped the people come together when it was time to fight a revolution. The Sugar Act was what causes the colonists to begin to think about the idea of taxation without representation. The people would have been fine if they were only allowed some form of representation in Parliament. Morgan brings up the idea of property as the source of life and liberty. Without property, the people could be starved into submission. It was believed that whatever threatened property in turn threatened liberty. These people were not going to allow their liberty to be threatened without having a say in the government that threatens their

liberty.
Prior to diving into the arguments that Edmund Morgan gives in the book it is important to analyze the bias that was present. There are a couple of quotes that illustrate his support to the colonists. Those sent from Britain to enforce the Navigation Acts in Boston are referred to as “a rapacious band of bureaucrats who brought to their task an irrepressible greed and a vindictive malice.” Although Morgan says that even if the officers were saints, they still would have been unpopular, it still shows the bias that Morgan had towards the colonists. In other places Morgan refers to Parliament in a negative light, which just further shows his bias towards the colonists. This is a crucial part in the analysis of the book because the information is going to be slanted towards supporting the colonists over the British. The Bibliographical Essay is insufficient because he does not have to attribute the sources to any one thing. He is able to stretch and mold the sources in his favor to show his bias. Although he uses his bias during times of his essay, the use of passed laws are sufficient to support his idea of the colonists search for equality.
This monograph deserves some attention but less so than other readings. It seemed to produce very little brand new knowledge. It seemed to repeat what all-early American history books already teach. There is some valuable information that produced a spark of interest. One of these pieces of information was how Morgan said that the ideas of colonists were not political doctrines but grew out of the needs and experiences of the colonists. It was also interesting to see how Morgan doesn’t say, like a lot of historians, that the taxes were the root cause of the war, but the lack of equality with the ones in the Old World.