American Independence: Evolution or Revolution?
American Independence was more of an evolution than a revolution. This statement however only covers part of American Independence, and not the full extent. While the Revolutionary War was certainly more evolutionary in terms of developing modern philosophy, government and liberty, it was still revolutionary because they threw off the old government and implemented a new, better system. The evolutionary aspect of the Revolution was the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, both of which were new ideas at the time. The revolution was the actual war, the physical act of rising up against an oppressor, England, in favor of independence and creating a new country.
The Declaration
…show more content…
“It transformed a royal society, in which the colonists were subjects of the Crown, into a republic, in which they were citizens and participants in the political process” ("Digital History"). In this quote from Digital History, it shows that no one expected the Americans to win, and when they did they transformed the old monarchial system into a new republic, one that the world had never seen before. The aforementioned quote also shows the effect that patriotism and nationalism has on people. They were able to come together against a common enemy, fight that enemy and rise up from the ashes and give birth to a new, strong nation. The signing of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, as well as winning the war itself had shown other nations that it was possible to throw off old regimes, ones that no longer worked for the people. This effect was particularly profound on the French. French soldiers returned from America to France to see a monarchy, much like Britain, that did not favor anyone who was not part of the upper class ("Impact of Revolution on Other Nations"). This was one of the causes of the French Revolution in 1788-1789. This shows how the eyes of the world were on the United States after the revolution, and this was a change for the
In the late 1770s the Thirteen Colonies of Britain wanted to separate and form their own nation. On July 4, 1776 they signed a declaration this was the Declaration of Independence declaring these colonies a new independent nation. When the shot was fired at Lexington it was heard around the world which started the American Revolution. Although some critics argue that the revolution had meager affects, the war actually revolutionized The United States of America which is evident by the greater equality for the social classes, the increase in equality for the minorities, and the creation of a republic.
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION’S EFFECT ON AMERICAN SOCIETY Zachary Zion AP US History Mr. Stream October 10, 2016 The American Revolution was very influential in shaping the new society that came as a result of its success. America’s Revolution fundamentally changed American society most noticeably by replacing an authoritarian government with one that acknowledged individual rights for the first time in history. This is proven by the laws and ordinances written to protect the individual rights of Americans, the different movements intended to limit the power of government, and America’s retaliation to the multiple rights violations from Britain. The Revolutionary War was fought in retaliation to a series
In that case, the American Revolution was very revolutionary because there were political, social, and economic changes. Wealthy people lost their money, there was a new government, it made citizens question slavery, and certainly more freedom for the Americans. The American Revolution resulted in the establishment of an independent nation; British colonists became American citizens. That was a vast change in U.S history.
A revolution is a large-scale rebellion with the intent to change or get rid of the current political system. The American Revolution was a fight to be free from British rule. People were tired of being controlled. The colonists of America wanted to create their own government where they could get what they left Europe for. While some may argue that the American Revolution did not change life for minorities, the American Revolution changed the political, economic, and social atmosphere and set the stage for future change.
1. Patrick Henry proclaimed that he was not a Virginian, but rather an American. What unified the colonists and what divided them at the time of the revolution. - The colonists were unified because they did not want to continue under the rule of Britain.
I believe that the American Revolution was revolutionary because there were many events, impacts, and effects after the war was over. When something is “Revolutionary” it means that it causes a dramatic or drastic change. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was written all because the people needed to be heard, from document 2. What if the King listened, would there still have been a war? I do not believe so because so much time was spent trying to get the people
DBQ Essay The American Revolution was a rebellion from citizens in Britain that was inspired from many events, including the creation of the United States of America. A revolution is a forcible overthrow of a government to acquire a new system. The American Revolution was sparked from a variety of occurrences ranging from speeches to letters to documents, therefore causing the revolution to become the most significant yet. There were many influential people/concepts that added ignition to the revolution, including Abigail Adams, Leon F. Litwack, and the article from Northwest Ordinance.
A revolution is the bringing of a new start. Like many other revolutions throughout the years, the American Revolution is the perfect example of this. The effects of a revolution not only on the people but on society as well, can be detrimental. Many of these effects included closing the Boston harbor, passing the Intolerable Act, British government refused to address American complaints, and the colonists felt the British government was increasingly corrupt and autocratic empire in which their traditional liberties were threatened. During the American Revolution boycotts were a key example of the effects a revolution can have on its government.
However, resulting in a war from a dispute did not bring satisfaction to anybody. Instead, The Revolutionary War was “not revolutionary” because it did not significantly change the lives of British citizens, African Americans or women during and after the war. Others may think the Revolutionary War was revolutionary is because the government was primarily well established by the citizens. For example, in an excerpt from The American Revolution Considered as a Social Movement, it states that this was the first time that the government was powered by citizens.
During the 1700s America and it’s 13 colonies made a bold decision to revolt from Great Britain and become their own independent nation. This started a revolution that would forever change the way Americans would live. The War of Independence or better known as the American Revolution, consisted of the 13 colonies of America trying to gain independence from Great Britain and on July 4th 1776, America finally decided to declare their independence. Many say the revolution paved the way for many other great changes to take place, while others believed not a lot was impacted due to the revolution. This raises the question, “How Revolutionary was the American Revolution?”
With the help of France, the Americans finally won their independence from Great Britain. In a picture, it shows the American Revolution when “France sent an estimated 12,000 soldiers and 32,000 sailors to the American war effort” (Document 4). By participating in the American Revolution, France was impacted by Enlightenment ideas because it illustrated how the men in America had much better rights and were treated fairly. In addition, the Revolution was possibly started by just 1 signed piece of paper. While discussing what caused the Revolution, Sir John Dalberg-Acton believed that “the spark that changed the thought into action was supplied by the Declaration of American Independence…”
Unit 2: Absolutism and Revolution Portfolio In this unit, you examined the American and French Revolutions. The American Revolution, sparked by conflict over British rule and influenced by Enlightenment ideas, broke colonial ties with a monarchy and yielded a new nation. The French Revolution, inspired by the American Revolution as well as the Enlightenment, freed French citizens from an absolute monarchy and secured equality before the law for all male citizens.
The American and French Revolution both had similar stages that a revolution consists of having a normal stage, widespread dissatisfaction, and the transfer of power and effect. The Americans and French both had a normal stage in which they were ruled by and monarchs were chosen in a traditional way. They both had a time when both sides oppressed the French and British government. Lastly, both parties got power in the end from whom they wanted to be free from. All revolutions have many stages which they go through, these three stages are the main bits of a
The American Revolution was a successful revolt of the colonies and their mother country in a fight for their independence. It was successful, because the new independent country known as the United States of America was formed, and can still be seen today. However, the revolution goes very in depth on how it happened. The revolution was a very tough and long war between Great Britain, the mother country, and their colonies. This war led the colonies to gain their independence from Great Britain and form, what we know today as the United States of America.
The American Revolution (1700-1790) was a historical event in time, where the Thirteen Colonies that became the United States of America, gained independence from the British Empire. Many historians would agree that the Revolution was caused by events and the growing differences between the colonists and England. The cause of the American Revolution could be summarized in the saying ‘liberty vs. tyranny’. The American Revolution was a struggle by liberty-loving Americans to free themselves from a dictatorial British rule. In this period, the Colonies protested against the British Empire and entered into the American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence.