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American Revolution Dbq

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Essay Question: “To what extent did the American Revolution fundamentally change American society? In your answer be sure to address the political, social, and economic effects of the revolution in the period from 1770 to 1795.

The American Revolution gave way to new political and social reforms as well as a change in economic standpoints due to the freedom away from Great Britain in which Americans have strive for throughout the war. During the Revolutionary War, Americans sought betterment towards their society. Though every effect of the war can directly be linked to a change in societal standards and expectations, the various effects can be separated into the different political changes, social customs, and economic standpoints of the …show more content…

For example, in Galloway’s Plan of Union in 1774, he demanded a change in legislative methods in regards to the election of members. He states that members for the Grand Council shall be elected every three years, and those individuals of the Grand Council would have power to select a Speaker, and that a President General will utilize advice and consent of the Grand Council to hold and exercise all legislative rights and powers. Most importantly, Galloway demands that all bills shall be prepared by the Grand Council and approved by the President General without the influence of British Parliament (Document D). Patrick Henry gives a similar vibe of independence from the British when he gave his famous Give Me Liberty speech, displaying the power of Americans to create their own fates apart of the British rule prior to the end of the American Revolution (Document F). After the American Revolution, the United States sees itself creating its own policies to better its own society. The Proclamation Line of 1763 displays the power of the British against American citizens (Document H) to protect British assets against Indians and to prevent individuals from blaming the British government of a lack of protection, however, after the American Revolution, Americans began to disregard the Proclamation Line of 1763 and began to expand to the West, …show more content…

During the Boston Tea Party, Great Britain taxed American citizens due to large expenses of an unnecessary war (Document B). Though taxes are justified, the method in which the policy was enforced was not necessarily friendly to the American citizens. The British Parliament met together and decided to tax Americans, thus coining the phrase, taxation without representation. American citizens were disappointed to be taxed without a say in the processes. In addition to tea taxes, Americans were also taxed on sugar (Sugar Acts) and any official documents (Stamp Act), thus creating a huge burden on the economics of the American people. Thus, the American Revolution changed American society by easing the burden on American economics and allowing American individuals to represent themselves when addressing issues and creating policies to tax others. Furthermore, when the United States had freedom to trade with other nations, its economic began to prosper due to the increase in land and in raw materials, in which the nation could trade to the rest of the world without the control of the British (Document

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