As a result of the American Revolution the socio-political structure of America radically changed. During the time of rebellion, America achieved a higher plane of social and political life than had ever been seen before. Furthermore, political thought was the most formulated ever in American history. Dissent from entrenched ideologies and the undermining of ancien régimes established the time period as truly revolutionary. Position was designated according to merit and one's achievements instead of the customary oligarchic practices. Justifiable disobedience was recognized to dissolve the relationship America had with its tyrannous 'mother country.' Implementing Enlightenment ideas, equality was affirmed to all men and a hierarchical society was deemed amoral. The Revolutionary War symbolized ideological change in America, where self-government replaced monarchism, while democracy and capitalism triumphed over Imperialistic totalitarianism.
Americans rejected the idea of gentility and executed a system of position by merit, as expressed in 1770, "'merit only in the candidate' should count- not birth, or wealth, or loyalty to the great; but merit only." During the French Revolution, Napoleon engineered an identical technique after disenfranchising the aristocracy. Also, the Jamestown colony, originally settled by men of noble positions, quickly failed until it was reorganized and colonists discarded social positions and acted together. The wilderness environment of the American frontier alienated people from traditional European etiquette. .
The American Revolution proved that Enlightenment ideals were practical. America became the first country to revolt employing John Locke's concept of rebellion upon breach of contract. In addition, it (Locke as well) repudiated Jonathan Boucher's accepted assertion that "Man differs from man in everything that can be supposed to lead to supremacy and subjection.
