Why did we need a revolution? In a manner that is clear and very comprehensive, Gordon S. Wood explains this to us in his book, The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787. Furthermore, he goes into detail on how the thirteen colonies came together to create one of the most durable systems of government ever created, and how we got the political system we currently live under.
According to a Brown University profile on Gordon S. Wood, where he is currently the Alva O. Way University Professor Emeritus, he has been the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize in History and has received numerous other accolades throughout his scholarly career, including 2011’s National Humanities Medal presented to him by President Barack Obama. He is now considered
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Gordon Wood achieved great success among his peers with the publication of his book, The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787, for which he was awarded the Bancroft Prize, as well as the John H. Dunning Prize, both in 1970. In it, Dr. Wood breaks down the process of how American political thought developed from early protests against British measures in the construction of the world's first federal republic. He does so by giving us in detail using a number of different sources, historical information on the reasoning behind the revolution. Dr. Wood walks us through how our government started with a monarchical society which was hierarchical, and later transformed, and emerged as a more recognizable modern society, in where a more commercially oriented and capitalistic government came to light. Wood writes, “[Americans] learned how to define the rights of nature, how to search into, to distinguish, and to comprehend, the principles of physical, moral, religious, and civil liberty, how, in short, to discover and resist the forces of tyranny before they could be applied. [..][T]he present is an age of philosophy, and America the empire of reason.” This early reasoning guided them in developing a government that was not only more democratic but ensure separation of powers and proper legal review. The key concepts and ideas that were developed during these dramatic years, shaped our system of …show more content…
Howe, Jr. is correct, Dr. Wood does provide a deeper and accurate understanding of the principles embodied in the U.S. constitution, the nature of American politics, and the structure of American government – both state and federal – and most importantly, the relationship between the two. Furthermore, he lays down the groundwork on the real meaning of how our government came to be and who it was meant to serve, and what the American Revolution meant for our political system. The American Revolution was one of the most important events in American history. It not only created the U.S. Government and our Institutions, most importantly, it created our ideals and everything we believe as Americans. Again, the revolution WAS transformative. Dr. Wood explains to us how we started with a monarchical society, and very different from what we know now. This society was transformed by the revolution, which helped it modernize our society, placing more importance on equality and a democratic system. To be clear, one must recognize that equality and democratic freedoms have since evolved tenfold since the 18th century in respects to i.e., voting and human rights. However, at that time, the American Revolution helped the United States become one of the most democratic nations in the world, all occurring in a short period of
In the Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis he writes about major events in history that define who America is and how we came to be. Ellis writes about all of the challenges and hardships that the Founding Fathers faced while settling the new government in America. He focuses mostly on main characters in who played a prominent role including, George Washington, James Madison, Aaron Burr, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and John Adams. This novel focus on the primary aspects in deciding the new American government and the struggles that the founding Fathers ran into to.
In The Original Compromise by David Robertson, a republican form of government is defined as a government “whose authority is based on the consent of the people themselves” (6). Under a republican government, the people are said to have authority with the government in place to help protect their individual rights such as life, liberty and property. This authority can be either exercised directly, or through elected representatives chosen by the citizens. A republican government differs from other forms such as a monarchy and pure democracy based on where sovereignty lies and how it is exercised. In a monarchy for example, power is held by a specific family ruling from generation to generation, with a sole ruler of that state or nation.
William Novak presents an argument on how the history of American government has been told upside-down for many years now. Novak depicts a mighty American state, capable of a great deal and responsible for some of the most important narratives in American history. However, there were many people, of whom had great interest in the founding fathers, were irritated by Novak’s argument. The main group of people being referred to here were people from the Tea Party political movement.
After a fiercely fought revolution, the newly independent American nation struggled to establish a concrete government amidst an influx of opposing ideologies. Loosely tied together by the Articles of Confederation, the thirteen sovereign states were far from united. As growing schisms in American society became apparent, an array of esteemed, prominent American men united in 1787 to form the basis of the United States government: the Constitution. Among the most eminent members of this convention were Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson. These men, held to an almost godly stature, defined the future of the nation; but were their intentions as honest as they seemed?
Millions of people died during the revolutionary war. After the U.S won they created a national government called the Articles of Confederation. The government was a government where the federal government didn’t have much power. People like Ben Franklin and James Madison realized it wasn’t working and they created a new government called the Constitution. The replacement of the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution was necessary for the U.S to thrive and survive.
The American Revolution was a tremendous point in history. For a young colony to rebel against its mothering country was uncommon. America’s liberation from the Crown’s rule gave many other nations the incentive to escape their own bonds. Most Americans now, only recognise the brutality as the reason to how the rebels had won.
The 1790s marked a time of rebirth for the American government. With first President George Washington at its helm, the decade brought into effect the many facets of the recently ratified Constitution as well as the institution of federal laws, banking policies, and taxes. As the country sought to establish itself as an organized world power, turmoil was ensuing in Europe with the eruption of the French Revolution, presenting the nascent United States with its first foreign dilemma. Within the borders, however, a much larger problem was brewing. Nearly every piece of legislation tested the balance between centralized government and individual freedom.
The American Revolution is arguably the turning point of American history as it resulted in somewhat of a significant, positive change in politics, economics, and society as a whole. However, from 1775 to 1800, the effects of the revolution on the American society were subtle as most principles glorified by revolutionists contradicted the examples set forth by colonial reality. Perhaps most alike to revolutionary beliefs was the American economy and how it participated in free trade or encouraged the independence of hard labor. Politically, the states did apply Enlightenment and republican ideas as promised, but more often than not, the benefits of such ideas were limited to rich, land-owning, protestant, white men. This glorification of
The American Revolution was unlike any other out of any of the Revolutions; it allowed its colonies overseas. An important reason for the Revolution was the need and desire for even more than they had. Like any other Revolution, the American Revolution started with small, unimportant demands which eventually grew out of control. Richard Price quoted “the American Revolution the most important event in the history of the world since the birth of Christ.” With that being said the American Revolution was not a very good social revolution like the ones that occurred in France, Russia or China.
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?”
There were many disagreements and because of those, many events were the cause of the American Revolution. These events included bloodshed by others, peoples rights weren’t enforced, individuals didn’t receive freedom, and our country was just not yet whole. Despite of the causes of why the road to Revolution took place there were effects afterwards. When American Revolution was over with the The Declaration of Independence came into place, treaties were signed, and the Bill of Rights. Now these effects/events were amazing, it helped our country tremendously.
The Constitution—the foundation of the American government—has been quintessential for the lives of the American people for over 200 years. Without this document America today would not have basic human rights, such as those stated in the Bill of Rights, which includes freedom of speech and religion. To some, the Constitution was an embodiment of the American Revolution, yet others believe that it was a betrayal of the Revolution. I personally believe that the Constitution did betray the Revolution because it did not live up to the ideals of the Revolution, and the views of the Anti-Federalists most closely embodied the “Spirit of ‘76.” During the midst of the American Revolution, authors and politicians of important documents, pamphlets, and slogans spread the basis for Revolutionary ideals and defined what is known as the “Spirit of ‘76”.
As a result of their revolution, the Americans got their independence from Britain and introduced enlightenment ideas into their government. The American government after the revolution was much different than the government before the revolution. Before the revolution the American people were not represented in government and had no say. After the revolution the American people became the government. People elected other people that they trusted to go represent them in government.
“If all men were angels, then no government would be necessary” - James Madison (Federalist Papers 51.) Thomas Jefferson was an integral founding father in setting up the long term success of the United States, an undeniably skilled pen man, and the young nation’s third president and, the first Democratic-Republican to take office. The election of Jefferson is acknowledged to be a revolution in its own right as Jefferson’s ideals and voter base were very different from the Federalists he won the office from. Celebrated at the time and today as a voice of the common man heard in office. The beliefs of Jeffersonian Democracy were built on a design that served the purpose of taking away power from the government.
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.