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Impact of the American Revolution
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“The Revolution was the most radical and far reaching event in American history.” This is the premise of Gordon S. Wood’s book The Radicalism of the American Revolution. Within these pages Wood attempts to prove that the American Revolution was radical because it fundamentally changed the social and political structures of colonial America, structures that had always been fused together. Accordingly, he asserts that the separation of these institutions forms the basis of his argument for radicalism. In order to establish his theories Wood divides his work into three sections, each depicting a phase through which American society moved. The first section includes his analysis of the workings of both British and American society as they functioned under a monarchical system. The American colonies, like Britain, initially operated on a system of hierarchy in which each level of society depended on the level above it. According to Wood this system affected all colonial Americans, including free white men. The upper echelons belonged to the aristocracy whose positions were granted them by birth and within this group there was a hierarchical system. The king was at the top of the hierarchy and the gentry at the bottom. Wood describes the gentlemen of the gentry as a help to the commoners. These men lent money to those of lower social standing and also purchased goods from them as well as acted as their representatives to the higher social structures. In turn the commoners paid allegiance to the gentlemen through conscription and political support. The government within the monarchical society was populated by the aristocracy. It was they who were depended upon for directing the course of governmental affairs. The controls of all co... ... middle of paper ... ...tities did not occur until after republican ideology was instituted. Civic virtue and disinterestedness were the foundations of the divisions that were finalized through revolution. Yet, the Republicans undercut their own plans for America. By using the idea of equality not as an equality of the people but as an “equality of opportunity” the Republicans opened the door for anyone with the proper education to hold office. This caused a distinct separation between members of society, one that would not last. As the people began to think and act according to their own self-interests they began to advocate for self-government. Given that they were trusted to determine the virtue of their leaders, individuals began to understand they could also determine virtue within themselves, leading them to believe that there was no reason to differentiate between and among men.
In “Becoming America: The Revolution Before 1776”, Jon Butler argues that there was massive economic and a political transformation occurred in the era of 1680 and 1770 which had been less examined to the American colonial history. In this book, Butler makes a strong argument for the early modernism of American society which helps to define the growth of American identity. The transformation improved the American socioeconomic character and demonstrated itself almost in every aspect of colonial life. I totally agree with the Jon Butler’s argument that the victories and defeats of the revolutionary war would not define America; it was the middle years of the colonial period that would. And his arguments in this book also challenge the existing history. Butler supports his argument from his own note which he collected from by researching huge amount of specialized history books.
In chapter eleven, The Age of Democratic Revolutions: The North Atlantic World “Turn Upside Down”, Wells discusses the American and French Revolutions. Both of these revolutions shook the world and turn the world around. After the Enlightenment, there were many revolutions across Europe; however, the American and French Revolution had more power in them to change the world. Because of the books, pamphlets, and sermons, the idea of rationalism moved from philosophes to many of other people. With these new ideas, the people started to believe in change which led to stress and upheaval. In America, the revolution was not like other revolutions. There was no reigns of terror, no mass deportations, or forced labor camps. However, the American
Wood’s article is about how it is radical, I believe that the American Revolution should be consider a radical movement instead of a conservative movement. Even though many people think that the reasons behind the Revolution seem to be conservative, the methods used to reach and gain their rights, as well as their independence, seem more radical then conservative. Carl N. Degler believed that the American Revolution is a conservative movement. “In the eighteenth century… support of the state (Degler, 123).” The Constitution in 1788 clearly stated that the state and church would remain separated; however, majority of the Revolution were somehow connected with religion. On the other hand, Gordon S. Wood thought the Revolution was more of a radical movement. “They made speeches… no storming of prisons (Wood, 130).” Within the first paragraph,
Wood argues that the prosperity of the revolutionaries and the destruction of paternalism in America prove the radical nature of the revolution. In most revolutions, the bulk of the revolutionary force is comprised of disenfranchised poor people, but the American Revolution was bizarrely made up mostly of well-to-do colonists who made their fortune in British America. Wood proves this fact by noting the statistical lack of mass poverty in America, as compared with other nations in the western world. Wood also argues that the American Revolution was inherently radical because it destroyed the entire system of dependency in America inherited from Great Britain’s ancient feudal tradition. From the onset, Wood claims, British America lacked the titles of nobility that Great Britain possessed. As such, there was an unprecedented amount of equality within the colonies, which many Americans enjoyed. Regardless of their social status, with enough work, an American was capable of gaining great prosperity, a feat which Wood claims was impossible in Europe. In Europe, the only way a man of no status could rise above his birth was in securing the
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
On the brink of revolution, the colonies were divided amongst themselves. Two factions with different ideologies “The Patriots” & and the “The Loyalist”, to know these factions we must first know another. Because both parties played a pivotal role in the “American Revolution”.
When one explains his or her ingenious yet, enterprising interpretation, one views the nature of history from a single standpoint: motivation. In The American Revolution: A History, Gordon Wood, the author, explains the complexities and motivations of the people who partook in the American Revolution, and he shows the significance of numerous themes, that emerge during the American Revolution, such as democracy, discontent, tyranny, and independence. Wood’s interpretation, throughout his literary work, shows that the true nature of the American Revolution leads to the development of United State’s current government: a federal republic. Wood, the author, views the treatment of the American Revolution in the early twentieth century as scholastic yet, innovative and views the American Revolution’s true nature as
On the eve of the American Revolution, colonists have signified and ensured their newly discovered identity by coming together to rid the American colonies of the British monarchical influence. Throught means of newly developed legislatures, both passive and aggressive protests, and formation of propaganda were the American colonists able to engrave their identity on the future of America forever.
Gordon S. Wood, in The Radicalism of the American Revolution, discusses what it means to be truly revolutionary. In this work, Wood shares his thoughts on the Revolutionary War and whether or not it was a movement radical enough to be considered an honest revolution. Wood discusses the reasoning behind the views of those in favor of the war being considered radical, as well as the views of those who believe the American Revolution to be unfortunately misnamed. He claims that “the Revolution was the most radical and most far- reaching event in American history.” Wood’s work is a valuable source for those studying the revolution because it redefines what it means to be radical, but the piece is also limited by the lack of primary information
“If we measure the radicalism of revolutions by the degree of social misery or economic deprivation suffered, or by the number of people killed or manor houses burned, then this conventional emphasis on the conservatism of the American Revolution becomes true enough. B...
During the American revolution, the revolution itself was radical for the merchants and other groups of people. Radical means that there is social, economic and political change. The American revolution gave new economic significant to groups of people such as thee merchants. The revolution was radical because many merchants economic opputonity before the French and Indian War the merchant were benefiting and after they having to deal with new taxation. Also after the revolution the merchant group face a time of economic problems until the US constitution was enacted. The revolution was radical for the merchant economically and politically.
The American Revolution has too often been dominated by the narrative of the founding fathers and has since been remembered as a “glorified cause.” However, the American Revolution was not a unified war but a civil war with many internal disputes that wreaked havoc and chaos throughout America. In his book, The Unknown American Resvolution, Gary B. Nash attempts to unveil the chaos that the American Revolution really was through the eyes of the people not in power, including women, African American slaves, and Native Americans. In his book, Gary B. Nash emphasizes their significance in history to recount the tale of the American Revolution not through the eyes of the privileged elite but through the eyes of the people who sacrificed and struggled the most, but were left forgotten, in their endeavors to reinvent America.
“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.
The start of the American Revolution, described by Edmund Morgan as, “the shot heard around the world,” was the “Americans’ search for principles” (Bender 63). Although the world’s colonies did not necessarily seek independence much like the Americans, the world’s colonies were nonetheless tired of the “administrative tyranny” being carried out by their colonizers (Bender 75). The American Revolution set a new standard in the colonies, proclaiming that the “rights of Englishmen” should and must be the “rights of man,” which established a new set foundation for the universal rights of man (Bender 63). This revolution spread new ideas of democracy for the colonized world, reshaping people’s expectations on how they should be governed. Bender emphasizes America as challenging “the old, imperial social forms and cultural values” and embracing modern individualism” (Bender 74). Bender shapes the American Revolution as a turning point for national governments. The American Revolution commenced a new trend of pushing out the old and introducing new self-reliant systems of government for the former
In “What is an American” by Hector St John de Crevecoeur, the writer described many notable differences that he discovered when he first arrived in America. He marveled at the many differences in structure, diversity, and the overall equality of this new land. Crevecoeur’s early America was much different than the land that he once knew. America gave him a sense of freedom, hope, and possibility. He wrote letters in hope to inspire all who were looking for a change in their lives, and who would be ready to contribute to the advancement of such a great land. America was more united, with every man working for themselves. There were no monarchies with Kings and Lords who contained all wealth while others suffered. Every