How "Revolutionary" was the American Revolution?.
By the middle of the 18th century there were growing difference in thought, life and interests between Britain (known as the "mother" country) and the growing colonies that would eventually form the United States. Local political institution and practice diverged significantly from English ways, while social customs, religious beliefs and economic interests added to the potential sources of conflict. The British government of the time favored a policy of mercantilism, although laws such as the Navigation Act were only loosely enforced to regulate commerce in the British interest.
This all changed abruptly in 1763. The Treaty of Paris removed a long-standing threat to the colonies (from the French) while at the same time Great Britain, under George Grenville undertook a new colonial policy intended to tighten political control over the colonies and to make them effectively pay for their defense and return income to England. While the tax levied on sugar and molasses in 1764 was smaller than the one already on the books, the promise of "stringent enforcement" was not appreciated by the colonists.
In 1765 the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which roused a violent colonial outcry. After much protest from leaders such as James Otis, Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry which included the threat of boycott and the refusal to import English Goods Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in 1766, but passed an act formally declaring its right to tax the colonists.
The right of Britain to tax the colonists became a serious issue throughout 1766-mid 1770's. Incidents such as the seizure of a ship belonging to John Hancock (1768), the Boston massacre in 1770 and the burning of the H.M.S.Gaspee in 1772 kept the flame of rebellion lit. By the time of the Boston tea Party (1773) Britain were taking stronger measures than ever to ensure that they received what they perceived to be rightfully theirs.
How exactly would one define a revolution? ... The American Revolution ended two centuries of British rule for most of the North American colonies and created the modern United States of America. ... When America beat Britain in the Revolutionary war, they became a free country. ... So, how did America win the war? ... In conclusion, I don't think the American Revolution was very revolutionary. ...
(Pole, 132) Yet, by the time the Revolutionary War was done, America had a new identity and new egalitarian values. ... Pole states that during the time of the Revolutionary War, it would have been foolish to believe that any event, no matter how significant or momentous, would have foreseen "the proclamation of the ideal of natural rights equality as the general principle of the American people. Yet that is what happened in the American Revolution." ... Certainly, the Revolutionary War had a significant effect on the rise of egalitarianism in American society. ... The American Revolution prod...
What changed and what stayed the same in the era of the American Revolution between 1775 and 1789? Just how revolutionary was it? Although the colonies of British North America, on July 4 1776 felt strongly enough about the incompetence of British rule, to declare themselves independent of such rule, and fight a war to demonstrate such sentiment, the resulting state created from their revolutionary endeavours, and indeed, the revolution itself, seemed a mere step away, politically, from that of the state they were rebelling against. ... On the eve of the revolutionary war the political situ...
As a result of the American Revolution the socio-political structure of America radically changed. ... The American Revolution proved that Enlightenment ideals were practical. ... The American Revolution challenged a firmly incorporated system of despotism and created a new government to replace it. Ironically, at the start of the revolution Americans only desired to be goverened by traditional English law. ... The American Revolution was revolutionary because it challenged and defied decorum. ...
Historians have been questioning whether the fight for American independence really was a Revolution against the British or not. Does the American Revolution have the events prior to, during, and after the Revolution, to really be called a revolution? ... This can be looked upon as a stirring of revolutionary ideas in the American people. ... The colonists wanted to start being able to have a say in their government and how they were ruled. ... Even though they failed in achieving their freedom, their revolutionary ideas were reflected in all of the American society , and the new governmental ...
INTRODUCTION This essay will be an attempt to line out the differences and similarities of the pre-revolutionary time, considering also the impact they had on each other, on the subjects of economy, revolutionary thought, social and political structure in the countries where the revolutions took place. ... When I talk about the pre-Revolutionary time that means the time before the revolutionary act. ... Partly it was the same authors who influenced not only the American revolution but also the French and the Irish. ... This is the view revolutionary people in Europe and especially France h...
The American Revolution: A Loyalist's Perspective Growing up, we are taught that the Revolutionary war was a necessary war with unmistakable objectives and was fervently fought by all Americans in an effort to rise up against the tyranny of British rule. ... In reality, the American Revolution was not supported or condoned by all American colonists, as we are sometimes led to believe. Although, there are no accurate numbers of how many American colonists remained "loyal" to the British during the American Revolution, it is indisputable that support for the war was far from univers...
The American Revolution was not primarily fought for independence. ... This pre-existence of government prevented the newly forming republic from being left open to a revolutionary dictatorship in America.2 The French Revolution did leave the country vulnerable to dictator control. ... The new government set up in Paris was weak and was overthrown within four months by counter revolution and the Revolutionary Commune was formed.3 The American and French Revolutions both resulted in Declarations of Independence and Bills of Rights. ... They were not nearly as ambitiou...
The American Revolution was not primarily fought for independence. ... This pre-existence of government prevented the newly forming republic from being left open to a revolutionary dictatorship in America.2 The French Revolution did leave the country vulnerable to dictator control. ... The new government set up in Paris was weak and was overthrown within four months by counter revolution and the Revolutionary Commune was formed.3 The American and French Revolutions both resulted in Declarations of Independence and Bills of Rights. ... They were not nearly as ambitiou...