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The American Revolution and the significant effects
The American Revolution and the significant effects
Effects of the american revolution
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Many thought the American Revolution was radical ultimately it was conservative because nothing changed. All the political powers stayed the same, with the new form of government there was no substantial change to the economic, social, and political classes. The rich stayed rich, the poor stayed poor, the people who were in power stayed in their powerful positions and nothing changed, which means the American Revolution was conservative. The American Revolution grew from the tension between America and Britain. Americans were tired of being taxed for everything that was happening in Britain, while they were no longer living there they were being taxed without representation. The colonial legislature remained the same, many wealthy landowners who were wealthy stay wealthy, some even gained additional land, it was as if they were never affected by a Revolution. The elites are still staying as elites and there are no new people rising to power unless they had previous power. Degler states, “Under such circumstances, pecuniary motives, not democratic theories of society, determined the configuration distribution would take. And it is here that we begin to touch upon the fundamental reason why the confiscation of the royal, proprietary, and Loyalist land never assumed crucial social importance.” (Degler 127). He talks about how the confiscation of …show more content…
land never assumed crucial importance because it shows how the Confiscation Act didn’t really change much during the American Revolution while leaving the economy untouched. Along with the economy, the social classes and ways didn’t change that much.
It is insignificant, for example, that no new social class came to power through the door of the American Revolution. Degler says, “ The men who engineered the revolt were largely members of the colonial ruling class. Peyton Randolph and Patrick Henry were well-to-do members of the Virginia Assembly; Washington, reputed to be the richest man in America, was an officer in the Virginia militia.” (Degler 125) This is showing how the social classes stayed the same and didn’t change because all the wealthy and popular people stayed wealthy and
popular. The political aspects of the American Revolution were lacking change alongside with the economy and the society. During the American Revolution, the colonial officials are not changing and suffered no rejection. Delger says, “ A further and perhaps more important conclusion should be drawn from this analysis of the political careers of the signers after the Revolution. These conservative, upper-class leaders who proclaimed the Revolution suffered no repudiation in the course of the struggle…” (Degler 126) Degeler shows us how the political leaders and officials suffered no change during the American Revolution. Which is why it is considered to be conservative. It can be also argued that the American Revolution was radical. Gordon S. Wood made this argument, in his argument he advocated that there was a total social, political, and economic change in the during the American Revolution. Woods argues, “ We Americans like to think of our revolution as not being radical; indeed, most of the time we consider it downright conservative. It certainly does not appear to resemble the revolutions of other nations in which people were killed, the property was destroyed, and everything was turned upside down.” (Woods 130) He tries to make the argument that everybody thinks that it is conservative but if we look at it a different way it is more radical than conservative. His argument isn’t strong enough because he does not have great evidence proving his claim and showing how the American Revolutions is much more radical than conservative. Degler makes a better argument and shows the reader how the Revolution was conservative. Since the lack of change was so prominent the American Revolution cannot be considered radical based on the new form of government but it was conservative due to the lack of change with economic, social, and political aspects of the revolutions.
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.
The American Revolution was caused by a series of attempts from the British to tax American colonists. After a war against France, Britain ruled an enormous overseas empire. Britain however faced war debt and was in need of money to administer the overseas empire. The crown decided that since the colonists were the primary beneficiaries of this empire, it was time to have them contribute to the empire’s revenue by paying taxes.
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
In his essay “Land of Opportunity” James W. Loewen details the ignorance that most American students have towards class structure. He bemoans the fact that most textbooks completely ignore the issue of class, and when it does it is usually only mentions middle class in order to make the point that America is a “middle class country. This is particularly grievous to Loewen because he believes, “Social class is probably the single most important variable in society. From womb to tomb, it correlates with almost all other social characteristics of people that we can measure.” Loewen simply believes that social class usually determine the paths that a person will take in life. (Loewen 203)
The American Revolution is without a question one of the, if not the most, important period in the beginning of American history. Between 1765 and 1783, the colonists rejected the British monarchy and aristocracy after a series of taxes and tariffs were forced upon them, finally the colonists then ultimately overthrew their authority and founded the United States of America. Many historians and authors have debated over the exact reason and overall effects of the War for Independence, however, all agree of the significance and importance of this event. The colonies, which were created as a resource for raw materials and a means for generating profits for Parliament and the Crown, began to desire managing their own affairs and worked towards
I agreed with author Robert Eldon Robert that the American Revolution was a conservative movement. First off, Robert Eldon Brown had graduated with a PhD in history from the University of Wisconsin, and with this degree, he then became a professor at Michigan State University where he taught history. Also, another notable piece he wrote was Charles Beard and the Constitution. While reading the article “Was the American Revolution a Conservative Movement?”, the reading piece included an article written by Robert Eldon Brown, “The Nature of the American Revolution”. All in all, this written piece was about how in Brown’s professional opinion that the American Revolution was a conservative movement, and the motive for the movement was the external
The American Revolution change the North America and how it was defined. According Jeff Helgeson, “For enough people began parliament and the king were corrupt and tyramine because they were hindering with their individual properties.” Before the French and Indian war, the colonist did not have to pay any taxes. After the French and Indian wars, the British needed money
The American Revolution was a war in which the colonists achieved political independence from their former rulers Great Britain. It was "the formulation of new principles of the relation of men to government, and of the relation of colonies to mother country. It was the inauguration of effective self-government and of social and economic equality."1 The colonists, in effect, achieved full autonomy from Great Britain through the American Revolution. The colonists felt (for the betterment of all Americans) that it was their duty and responsibility to rise up against their oppressors to form their own government. John Adams even states, "[that] the real American Revolution was a radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people. Above all, [the Revolution] was in the minds and hearts of the peopl...
The American revolution was a reaction to unfavorable tax policies from the King of England. When the King of England began to infringe on the colonists’ liberties, leaders inspired by the enlightenment grouped together to defend the rights of the American colonies. As Thomas Jefferson writes in the Declaration of Independence, “History of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries ad usurpations,
Revolution is briefly described as an attempt to overthrow a government to start a new one. The American Revolution took place between 1775 and 1783 and was a fight for American Independence from England. In 1764, the first of many “Intolerable Acts” were passed. The British Parliament began to excise tax on the American colonies without representation, sparking the great conflict. The British were continuing to incorporate new ways to make more money. England was the most powerful country at the time with an intimidating military, so this wasn’t a hard task to complete. The American Revolution was very Revolutionary because, it jump started the abolition of slavery, it brought about many political and social advances, and served as a stepping stone towards a democracy and a strong centralized government.
..., certain women were able to participate in politics and government issues like never before. People of color were given freedom and able to form communities that likely would not have existed if not for the principles of the Revolution. The inherent rights and responsibilities of all men, women, coloreds, and whites were eventually recognized and respected, and the Revolution served as a starting point. Zagarri states, “The Revolution established universal ideals as the benchmark by which American society would subsequently judge the fairness and equity of its policies.” These established ideals and this story of extreme change in the way people viewed freedom is nothing short of radical. The successful way in which the Revolution surpassed European political and social traditions can only be described as radical. The American Revolution, therefore, was radical.
The most fundamental reason for the American Revolution was the colonist’s outrage over taxation which led to a tax revolt launched by people who were tired of the burden of paying unfair taxes. The king placed taxes known as Townsend Acts, on the colonist’s tea, paper, paint, lead, glass, and many other items that were used daily and the colonists were against this taxing. The purpose of the Townsend Acts was to help pay the cost of government in America. Lawyer James Otis and other colonist rebels referred to King George as a tyrant. As stated by James Otis in The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved (1763), . . . “The very act of taxing exercised over those who are not represented appears to me to be depriving them of one of their most essential rights as freemen, and if continued seems to be in effect and entire
Any historical event with-world changing consequences will always have two sides to the story. What most Americans refer to today as the American Revolution is no different. As Americans, most of us view eighteenth-century England as a tyrannical power across the ocean, and see men like George Washington as heroes who fought against the oppressor. If history and wars were that simple, everyone would understand them, and the need for wars would be diminished. The truth is, England was not the least bit tyrannical to the colonies. Actually, the rebels had no idea, nor any intention of establishing a new and separate government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." They only meant to make a statement and attempt to avoid every tax that Parliament could dream up in the process. Across the Atlantic Ocean in England's Parliament, some men such as William Pitt and Edmund Burke understood opposition to taxes by the American colonists. After all, the colonies had been all but ignored by England since they were established in the early part of the seventeenth century up until the Seven Years War (1756 - 1763). Other men such as George Grenville and Charles Townshend did not understand at all the protests against any taxes implemented by Parliament . These men felt that was not only the right of Parliament to demand taxes, but also their duty to raise money for the Crown. Parliament had the power to demand a tax of every British citizen in the empire, and these men had developed their own ideas about how those taxes would be implemented.
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.
Social and economic class is something we as Americans like to push into the back of our minds. Sometimes recognizing our class either socially or economically can almost be crippling. When individuals recognize class, limitations and judgment confront us. Instead, we should know it is important to recognize our class, but not let it define and limit us. In the essay, “Class in America”, Gregory Mantsios, founder and director of the Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education at the School of Professional Studies, brings to light the fact that Americans don’t talk about class and class mobility. He describes the classes in extremes, mainly focusing on the very sharp divide between the extremely wealthy and extremely poor. In contrast, George