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American revolution causes and interpretation
American revolution causes and interpretation
Economic factors contributing to the american revolution
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The American Revolution is a very important and historic war for America’s history and independence. However while important the war when looked at today seems very odd considering America back then when against England had almost no chance of winning, and yet America still won the war. So many ask the question of whether it was luck or if it was skill that won the americans the war that allowed the birth of the united states.When it really comes down to it the American Revolution was won with the key factor of luck, and it can be seen that this is the case whether it be what happened after the Battle of Long-Island, the Battle of Trenton and the winter leading up to it, the stupidity and mistakes of General Burgoyne, the events leading up to Yorktown and then Yorktown itself, and even how the war ended, because all of these and even more had to do with luck.
The first major example of luck in the American Revolution is what happened after the Battle of Long Island. When the British had decided to take over New York and use it as a headquarters George Washington had decided that he was going to kick the British out so the city doesn’t fall into enemy hands, and the result of this is the Battle of Long Island. The battle ended and the americans lost due to being outnumbered, not getting the high-ground, and trying to fight both the British army and navy, and while so far this all seems very unlucky for the americans it is after the defeat where the major lucky break comes in. After the Americans were defeated they couldn’t really retreat because they couldn’t march and this would of been the prime time for the British to finish off the Americans, except the British were to busy laughing at the Americans as they tried to retreat a...
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...t skill during the war. To wrap it up nicely, it can be shown that skill was a an important factor in the winning of the American revolution, however luck was a more important key factor since without it the americans might of never gotten to use skill.
In conclusion, it can now be seen that the American Revolution was won with the key factor of luck. It was proven by the Americans survival after The Battle of Long Island, the winter leading up to the Battle of Trenton and even the battle itself, many mistakes made by General Burgoyne during the anaconda plan, General Cornwallis’s southern experience and march up to Virginia and eventually the siege at Yorktown, and the British simply getting tired of the war all prove the point of how important luck was. So now it should be easy for any to see how the main reason for the Americans victory was that of luck.
1776 by David McCullough is a non-fiction historical book that historically accounts an in depth view of The American Revolution. The book starts from late 1775 and spans to the end of 1776. The book includes the Battle of New York, the Battle of Brooklyn, the Battle of Boston, the Battle of Fort Washington, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the ending Battle of Trenton in 1776. David McCullough adds a sense of emotion and color to this book where it 's more than a history book that lists facts. Not only does he add a sense of enjoyment to read, 1776 provides detailed accounts of the military life during the end of 1775 to the end of 1776 and detailed accounts of the battles. The author, David McCullough, is trying to make a point that 1776 is
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
...e gun, it seemed, the greater the owner‘s pride in it.” (McCullough 33) The Continental army certainly did not look like an army yet these people were brought together in this fight for freedom and prevailed even winning the support of Americans who had no hope the British would be defeated.” Merchant Erving had sided with the Loyalists primarily because he thought the rebellion would fail. But the success of Washington‘s army at Boston had changed his mind as it had for many” (McCullough 108). The reader must comprehend the power of this accomplishment for the rag-tag army. “Especially for those who had been with Washington and who knew what a close call it was at the beginning-how often circumstance, storms, contrary winds, the oddities or strengths of individual character had made the difference- the outcome seemed little short of a miracle.” (McCullough 294).
Historians may argue that the British lost the war more than the Colonists won it. Simply looking at the statistics of the British three to one ratio over the colonists, and their overwhelming wealth and naval power, it is virtually impossible to believe that the Americans came out victorious. During this war, the newly emerging colonists proved to the rest of the world that they were becoming an upcoming world power. Although unknown at the time, Washington would prove to be a military genius. This would benefit the colonists in many ways. The colonists, although only one-third of them were pro-war, were patriots who were willing to die for their country. The colonists had more to gain from the war then the British had to lose, thus creating more of an incentive to win. The colonists also had aid from other countries such as France and created allies that would eventually be useful in other wars. The Colonists won the war more than the British lost it because of Washington's great military skills, their patriotism and motives to triumph, and aid of foreign countries.
The American defeat of the British during the Revolutionary War was a direct result of George Washington's incredible leadership and generalship which epitomized the greatness of Sun Tzu's "Art of War"
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
In the second half of the eighteenth century, the British were faced with rebelling colonies. Finally realizing that they had to fight to keep their colonial possessions, the British sent troops to America. Once the battles began in America, the British were not impressed with the colonial military, but the weak militias soon proved to be effective. With foreign aid from France, American devotion, and the lack of British vigor, the Americans soon discovered the open doors of independence. In my opinion, the American advantages and the British disadvantages proved to be the downfall of the English in the American Revolution.
The Americans had an advantage over the British for a simple reason: they were fighting for something they wanted, rather than the British fighting to “play defense” and prevent American independence. Americans colonists wanted to become an independant nation, have a new system of self governance, claim equal rights for all citizens, and rid themselves from tyranny. The Patriots who fought in the Revolution were primarily fighting for independence from Britain, and it was that similar goal that boosted morale. As stated in the Declaration of Independence American colonists were subject to a “long train of abuses and usurpations” and it was also argued that the British tyranny forced colonists to “alter their former system of government”. Therefore, the Patriots were fighting for a cause that affected their everyday lives which inspired them even more to defeat Britain. The British was fed up with the casualties and heavy taxes to pay for the war they were fighting without cause, while the Americans would have done anything to defeat the British. The American colonists and their want to defeat the British for the rights they deserved was a crucial factor to American victory during the revolutionary
The Revolutionary War was a war between the Thirteen Colonies and Great Britain from 1775-1783 during the American Revolution. The American colonists fought the British in hope of freedom and separation from Great Britain. “This was the completion stage of the political American Revolution whereas the colonists had denied the rights of the Parliament of Great Britain in governing them without any representation,” ("American Revolutionary War."). The Revolutionary War consisted of many different bloody battles on American soil. The war resulted in an American victory because of many historical reasons. The factors that contributed to an American victory of the Revolutionary War are British debt, distance between America and Great Britain, war tactics, French involvement, and important battles.
I feel that the Americans have a major disadvantage in this Revolutionary War. They don’t have too many resources because of the small amount of people supporting them. For now, the Americans must with the war with what they’ve
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.
The American Revolution was sparked by a myriad of causes. These causes in themselves could not have sparked such a massive rebellion in the nation, but as the problems of the colonies cumulated, their collective impact spilt over and the American Revolution ensued. Many say that this war could have been easily avoided and was poorly handled by both sides, British and American; but as one will see, the frame of thought of the colonists was poorly suited to accept British measures which sought to “overstep” it’s power in the Americas. Because of this mindset, colonists developed a deep resentment of British rule and policies; and as events culminated, there was no means to avoid revolution and no way to turn back.
The American Revolution: the war for our independence. This revolution opened the door to our liberty, freedom, and basically what America is now. Most Americans have heard the stories of famous battles, important people (George Washington for instance), and everything in between. However, this was only for our side of the American Revolution and a small fraction of people have been told of Britain’s campaign of the revolution. The only thing people have been told was the Britain lost the war. What of Britain’s triumphs, strategies, and everything that happened in the span of a few years? Not many people know it, but the British struck a major blow against the Patriots in the last few years of the war. Even though the United States won the American Revolution, Britain struck a major blow against the colonists when the British successfully and brutally took the town of Charleston, South Carolina.
...in later years. Pontiac’s rebellion also caused Britain to be short of cash after having to pay for two consecutive battles. The British looked to the colonies for money without giving the colonies any say in the matter. This lead to the famous phrase, “no taxation without representation.” Another thing that happened during the French and Indian war was a much underpublicized meeting between the colonists. This was the first meeting the colonists ever had by their own accord. The meeting was called by Benjamin Franklin and was known as The Albany Plan of Union. Although the meeting got very little accomplished it still has to be considered a success because it showed that there were colonists willing to have independence. The over taxation and the fact the colonists got to see someone stand up to the British were the major events that lead to the American Revolution.
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.