From one perspective war has always been the same, technology may improve or philosophies may change, but wars are started by those in power and fought by the poor. The results now may be somewhat different from 1775, post-Revolutionary war time with rebellions like Shay’s Rebellion, but the various reasons for the poor to join the military have stayed relatively the same. In 1775, Revolutionary leaders quickly found that in order to win the war they would need to accept soldiers other than white property owners, so they turned to white poor and middle class. The only problem now for the leaders was convincing the people that their cause was worth fighting for, and to persuade them they promised the poor the opportunity to rise in both rank, and social statues. Next, they offered them pay, and once they had increased their rank and the war was over they may be able to obtain superior jobs them before. Howard Zinn says “In fact, the military became a place of promise for the poor, who might rise in rank, acquire some money, and change their social status.”(1) Finally, they offered them adventure and self fulfillment of service. …show more content…
Low ranking soldiers were starving and during the winter they were freezing. Only higher ranking soldiers were paid regularly, and after the war they also received half pay for life, while others were forced to pay taxes they couldn’t afford. This resulted in Shay’s Rebellion. Zinn quotes Plough Jogger who supported the rebellion “‘I have been greatly abused, have been obligated to do more than my part in the war; been loaded with class rates, town rates, province rates…’"(7) The men that served in the war were then forced to give money, property, and possessions to the same men who wouldn’t pay them. When they spoke their minds and retaliated, the government punished them without addressing their
This was because of a distrust in the poor by the leaders of the war. Although, eventually there was “recruiting of the less respectable whites” out of desperation and in return the poor whites were promised a chance to “rise in rank, acquire some money, change their social status” (Zinn 78). However, even though both the respectable men and the poor whites were doing the same job in the military, it became clear that “the prominent and substantial citizens of the town [Peterborough] had served only briefly in the war” (Zinn 79). This occurred in multiple towns in America whilst the poorer men such as William Scott fought in several battles throughout his life. This shows how the poor were the ones mostly fighting in the war in comparison to the
The topic of revolution is extremely subjective. What may appear as an insurrection to some might not be as extreme to others. When talking about the American Revolutionary War, however, the answer is clear. While the War certainly brought about change within the United States, it wasn’t necessarily very revolutionary. The most important aspects of the colonies, such as ideas about government, various types of societal equality, slavery and freed blacks, and the rights of women remained for the most part, unaffected.
The cause and effects of the American Revolution (1775-1783) are quite controversial among students and historians alike. One opinion believes that the American Revolution was a conservative movement, meaning that the revolution sought to preserve original American values while trying to eliminate some negative aspects of the New World, such as its ruler, Great Britain. While Americans achieved independence from England in the end, America’s initial traits were not preserved, but rather altered. The Revolution drastically changed political and social features of the United States but the economy was hardly affected.
The american revolution was not revolutionary. The impact of the war was not the cause of change for some of the categories, but was further down the line during other times. the revolution was not revolutionary because it inflicted moderate change in the political and social categories and inflicted no change in the aspects of Slavery
1st, Resolved, That whoever shall aid, or abet, or in any manner assist in the introduction of tea, from any place whatsoever, into this colony, while it is subject, by a British act to parliament, to the payment of a duty, for the purpose of raising a revenue in American, he shall be deemed an enemy to the liberties of America.
The Revolutionary War, America’s conflict with Great Britain, the most powerful country in the world at the time, resulted in the independence of the United States of America. Through a war that lasted just over eight years, a relatively small country, which was actually a largely oversized settlement connected by roads, villages, towns, and cities before they won the war, was able to defeat the British with the help of France along the way. The war was caused by the rebellious reactions of the colonists to the taxes and acts that King George III had put into place to pay for the cost of the French and Indian War. The colonists were angered because of the taxes they were forced to pay for a war that was not theirs. The Revolutionary War proved
The revolutionary war led to a new nation in America. The war started with the battle of Lexington and concord on April 19th, 1775. in less than 10 years conflict was brewing between the American colonies and great britian. Great Britian tried several solutions involving passing laws to try and keep the colonies in line. Americans are use to having this privilege of control over the local government. The people of the American colonies didn't agree with the new laws being passed against them and protested the illegal taxation. Britians Parliament found that Massachusetts was rebelling and at the center of the protest leading to British troops sent out to take care of the rebellious group. This led to a war a little after this and the American Colonies were
Many claim the American revolution to be conservative; however, evidence suggests otherwise. Throughout the Eighteenth Century, short term and long term changes occurred within Colonial America. Some of the rapid changes include, and are not limited to, the change of government, the mobility of social status to even the poor, and how mercantilism rapidly changed into capitalism.
After a victorious win against the French in the long exhausting Seven Years War, the British were quickly faced with another challenged, war debts. Unable to paid off the debts, England decided to raise taxes on their closest allies, the colonists. To this, it ended salutary neglect as Britain rose taxes on stamps, teas, and anything else that was legal by the king. As the years passes, the colonists slowly became intolerant and agreed to join forces with one another against the British, thus began the american revolution. Moreover, in Yorktown, the final battle of the American Revolution, the colonists won as they proudly claim their victory prize, freedom. After the separation with Britain, some of their steps that led to independence was
During the 1770’s the Revolutionary War began and it was between the Patriots and Great Britain (Redcoats). Great Britain treated the Americans unfairly and the Americans has no representation. Although, it was undecided who shot the first shot at the battle of Lexington and Concord it is agreeable that Great Britain was at fault for starting the Revolutionary War.
"...one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." - United States Pledge of Allegiance. Many historians debate whether the American Revolution was revolutionary or not. The War of Independence is an impact because it made an effect on America by increasing women's rights, decreasing Northern slavery, and transforming the Native American's relation with the colonists.
With the end of the French and Indian War came an influx of new taxes on the British American colonies. Beginning with the Proclamation Line of 1763, resentment of Parliament grew. Where colonists had once been proud Britons, and enjoyed “the British system of government—with its limited government and respect for the rights of the individual”, many now were frustrated and felt crushed under the boot of tyranny (Document 3). These are sentiments that drive the narrative of the Revolutionary War today; most non-historians see the war for independence as an organized rebellion of a united people against an oppressive, tyrannical government. Evidence suggests, however, that the Founding Fathers overstated the “death, desolation, and tyranny” they
The Revolutionary War was fought for around eight years. It was a war between Britain and the Patriots. To the Patriots, it was a war fought for freedom. The war demonstrated the democratic ideals of the Patriots by fighting for freedom and to be free, but those are ideas were not upheld because the Patriots owned slaves and would not let them be free. The first slaves that were brought to America came around the year of 1619.
Britain had just defeated France in the French and Indian War. The treaty that ended the war gave Britain most of France's territory in North America. That territory stretched from the Appalachian Mountains in the east to the Mississippi River and included much of Canada. Most American colonists took pride in being part of the British Empire, which was then the world's most powerful empire.
A motivating force behind the revolution was the American embrace of a political ideology called "republicanism", which was dominant in the colonies by 1775. The "country party" in Britain, whose critique of British government emphasized that corruption was to be feared, influenced American politicians. The commitment of most Americans to republican values and to their rights, helped bring about the American Revolution, as Britain was increasingly seen as hopelessly corrupt and hostile to American interests; it seemed to threaten to the established liberties that Americans enjoyed. The greatest threat to liberty was depicted as corruption. The colonists associated it with luxury and, especially, inherited aristocracy, which they condemned.