The American Revolution Considered As A Social Movement

4. What was the Revolutionary movement, at its core, really all about? Was it about the amount of taxation, the right of Parliament to tax, the political corruption of Britain and the virtue of America, the right of a king to govern America, or the colonies’ growing sense of national identity apart from Britain? Was the Revolution truly a radical overturning of government and society—the usual definition of a revolution—or something far more limited or even conservative in its defense of traditional rights?

No one will argue that the American Revolution was one of the most significant events in shaping American ideology. The impact on the economy, sociological and ideological make-up of America are still seen in today's society. Many great minds have passed commentary on the causes and impacts of the American Revolution such as; Bernard Bailyn, Louis Hartz, Joyce Appleby, and Gordon Wood. This research examines why these experts believed what they did about the causes of the American Revolution and how we can correlate those causes to the economic and political crisis America is now facing in the 21st century as compared to the 18th century.

Many historians throughout the history of our young nation have debated whether to characterize the American Revolution as radical or conservative, and the argument still continues to this day. Both arguments have points that are valid and convincing. The book the radicalism of the American Revolution written by Gordon wood, and the book the ideological origins of the American Revolution by Bernard bailyn are two examples of this argument. Gordon wood argues that the American Revolution was much more than a fight for American independence, but rather a radical sudden move that not only changed the political ideology of the colonies, but that also had a great social impact on how people lived and thought of themselves as members of society and where the entire way of life and society were changed

Historians have argued the American Revolution was a result of the political influence of the British, and the colonists were trying to retain their rights. On the other hand, other historians contended that the colonists were more concerned on economic issues implemented by the British government. In conducting some research, I found arguments on the causes that ranged from military, religious, political, and economic interactions between Britain and the colonies. The Revolution developed due to a mesh of complex social, political, and economic factors.

The American Revolution was created by a society of problem solvers searching for resolution. Fought by members of all social statuses, the revolution was a unifying force and a product of past actions. England’s involvement in the colonies began in the late 16th Century, attempting to create a source of raw materials to be sold cheaply back to Britain to be used to manufacture goods. Britain maintained this control, with varying intensity, until the Treaty of Paris, in 1783. Previous to the Revolution, in a period known as Salutary Neglect, the Glorious Revolution in England preoccupied England and gave the American colonies previously unknown freedoms and leniencies. After the stabilization of Great Britain, a crackdown

The period from 1765 to 1800 marks a significant era in American history characterized by profound societal transformations spurred by the American Revolution. This period involves understanding the socio-political landscape before, during, and after the revolution, as well as analyzing the various changes that occurred across different aspects of society. The American Revolution from 1765 to 1800 catalyzed profound societal transformations, establishing new political institutions, disrupting existing social and economic structures, and igniting an ongoing struggle for equality while shaping the evolving American identity. Its benefit remains subject to ongoing debates, underscoring its enduring significance in shaping the trajectory of American

The American Revolution paved the way for democratic rule in nations and ignited the spreading thereof throughout the whole world. Yet events that led up the start of the revolution have been mixed in their significance by historians. Both historians, Carl Degler and T.H. Breen agree that the British mercantile system had benefited the colonists, allowing them to have comfortable lifestyles. Madaras L, SoRelle J (2011)

The American Revolution had a very intense fundamental change on American society between the years 1775 to 1800. The thirst for independence resulted in the revolution which caused many political, social, and economic changes. When the revolution began, the people were drowning in jingoism, and after the seven years of fighting for our independence, several changes had to be made. Although some political, social, and economic parts of society seem to have remained the same, America experienced drastic fundamental changes throughout these years and set the standards for even more changes to come.

During the mid 20th century most historians agreed with Daniel Boorstin when he stated that "the most obvious peculiarity of our American Revolution is that, in the modern European sense of the word, it was hardly a revolution at all"¦On the contrary, ours was one of the few conservative colonial rebellions of modern times." (Spillman, 2010) What Boorstin was referring to was the fact that there was not a great amount of overt political or social change as a result of the

The American Revolution marked a historical time for the country particularly with regards to the acquisition of freedom and the country’s independence from the British. It was also a time when America began to establish itself as a force to reckon with on a global scale, proven by their win. There were various advantages and disadvantages held by both parties during the war, particularly revolving around the competence of each army, the availability of supplies, and other important factors that will be highlighted accordingly.

All of us alive today have grown up learning about the American Revolution. Although it contains the word “revolution” in its name, there are many who don’t consider the American Revolution a real revolution. After considering the definition of a revolution – a radical change of an entire system, usually by war, resulting in a change of the way of life of the people involved – and the American society before and after the American Revolution, it is obvious that those who don’t consider the American Revolution a revolution are mistaken. Among the many aspects of colonial society affected by the American Revolution, those most greatly affected by the revolution were the attitude towards slavery, the role of women, and the role of trade.

Many revolutions have taken place throughout history, ranging from the unremarkable to the truly memorable, such as the French Revolution, the Bolshevik Revolution and the American Revolution. Through an examination of the social, cultural, economic and political causes of the American Revolution, an exploration of key arguments both for and against the American Revolution, and an analysis of the social, cultural, economic and political changes brought about by the American Revolution it can be demonstrated unequivocally that the American Revolution was indeed truly revolutionary.

It is the colonist self-motivated social and economic interests, which leads to the transformation they had been yearning for.

The American Revolution modeled the path taken by a social and economic movement in many more aspects than that of a political and intellectual movement. Even though political reasons existed for the cause the Revolution, the revolution should be considered an economic movement based on the idea of “no taxation without representation.” The colonists believed that the British rule in the colonies was extremely unfair, but these intellectual causes are greatly outnumbered by economic causes such as taxes and trade.

The American Revolution, perhaps the most significant event in the history of the United States, was indeed radical enough to be considered a true revolution. One historian stated that, “The founding generation articulated enduring political questions and provided the structures by which we still conduct our political lives” (Kerber 25) to emphasize the enormous impact that the revolutionaries had on contemporary American society. These questions and structures however do not only pertain to America’s political system and ideals; they also greatly changed American social standards and practices throughout the years directly preceding and following the revolution.