The Anatomy of a Revolution
The American Revolution
1. Did the ideals of the revolution change as its leadership changed?
The ideals for the most part remained the same regardless of the leaders. The objective for the people who fought the war was to gain independence from the “British oppressor”. The objective for the people who instigated the war (the upper class) was to gain independence from taxation and gain full political power over the colonies.
2. Were the original goals of the revolution achieved? At what point? Were these achievements conserved?
Yes and no. Their objective to obtain economic, political, and social independence from its British sovereign remained steady from the beginning to the end. But, their objective did change, more so due to their lack of attention to the consequences of a revolution.
Though in the end they gained independence, they had become so absorbed in trying to be free of British economic control (i.e. The Stamp Act and Navigation Acts) that they failed to realize that Britain was their financial support. So once their freedom was won, their new focus directed towards building a stable political and economic system.
3. Which social classes gained most from the revolution? Which lost? Did the original ruling group or individuals from this group return to power?
The wealthy social class (including merchants, political leaders, and aristocrats) gained the most from the revolution. They managed to manipulate the lower class into believing that by “fighting the British tyranny” they would gain the wealth and freedom they yearned for. In the end they merely acted as soldier puppets to fight the aristocrats’ war. In the end, the lower class did gain the basic rights on men, but their new leaders were not as desirable as hoped. America was a plutocracy (a government run by wealthy people), not to mention 69% of those who signed the Declaration of Independence had held offices in the British government. This ruling group of individuals tried to heal the useless economy by brutally punishing the middle and lower class that were in debt and raising taxation. The government no longer became that which protected the middle and lower class, but one that protected the wealthy for the wealthy.
4. How was the old political, social, and economic order of society changed as a result of the revolution?
In my last question I answered the condition of the lower, middle, and upper class after the revolution. In the end, there was no real change of the classes with the exception of the abrupt rise of the wealthy in a plutocracy and the sudden oppression of the lower class. As for a political change, it was plutocratic but at the same time it was a constitutional republic, which is a branch of democracy. As for the economy, it was a great mess. There was sky‐rocketing inflation, debt in the lower, middle, and upper classes, and a period of depression for America.
Anatomy of a Revolution
Name of Revolution: American Revolution Years: 1775-1783
Incubation –
Ideas with real examples
of why people might rebel
or revolt. Short-term and
long-term causes, usually
social, political, economic,
or cultural in nature.
- Enlightenment ideals were shared in America through people like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine (who wrote Common Sense), these ideals encouraged colonists to support the movement for independence by telling them that the monarchy of Britain was encroaching on the rights they had as Americans
- Incredulous taxes established by Britain on the colonists such as the Sugar Act (taxing foreign refined sugar and increasing taxes on coffee, indigo, and certain wines), the Stamp Act (requiring all documents to have a purchased seal on them), and the Townshend Acts (placing taxes on glass, lead, paints, and paper)
- These taxes were established by a Parliament with no members representing the colonists, therefore the “taxation without representation” idea was a problem for the colonists
- In 1774 any ability the colonies had to rule themselves was virtually taken away by the Government Act
Symptoms –
How did people protest or act on the ideas/problems that they experienced? Must be observable.
- Some examples;
- The Sons of Liberty formed as an underground organization against the Stamp Act, they used violence and intimidation to force British stamp agents to resign
- The Boston Tea Party (colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor) is an example of a protest against the taxes on tea, which eventually led to a boycott against English imports to Boston
- Mass meetings were held in important cities like Boston, New York, and Philadelphia discussing the opposition to taxes and the monopoly of the East India Company
- In 1774 the First Continental Congress meets and announces its opposition to the different Acts established by the British, this lead to a full boycott of British imports, a change in exports to Britain, and discontinuing the slave trade
Crisis – Events
that make up the actual
revolution. Describe actions
taken to force change in
society
- The infamous “shot heard around the world” beginning the Battle at Lexington is what many people believe technically began the actual revolution
- More American soldiers than ever are mobilized and are sent to fight in the multiple battles of the revolution
- The Second Continental Congress meets and officially declares the colonies in a state of defense
- All British imports were stopped by King George III
- A Declaration of Independence formally stating that America was declaring independence from Britain was written and signed by members of the Continental Congress
- America adopted the Articles of Confederation as the government with Congress being the only authority
- In order to increase the chances of actually gaining independence, America gets France involved and recruits them as an ally against the British
- The Battle of Bunker Hill, Battle at Charleston, Battle of Valcour Bay, Battle of White Plains, Battle at Trenton, Battle of Bennington, Battle of Brandywine Creek, Battle of Saratoga, Battle of Monmouth, Battle of Springfield, and the Battle of Guilford Courthouse are a few of the many battles that make up the Revolutionary War
- The Treaty of Paris is the official ending to the Revolutionary War
Convalescence –
Healing process, must change
the social, political, economic,
or cultural factors that
aggravated the situation
in the first place
- American merchants had to find new trading partners, so they went to China
- A post-war economic depression took place with a shortage of currency, high taxes, foreclosures, and bankruptcies
- As a result Congress adopts a monetary system based off of Spain’s
- A government separated into three branches (executive, legislative, and judicial) is formed to prevent a single ruler from taking power
- The Bill of Rights is established to guarantee certain freedoms for the people
- After controversies over the new form of government a compromise is reached so amendments will be included guaranteeing rights
- Many Acts are passed in order to run a successful government and make the people happy
Primary Sources
Otis, James. ""The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved"" 1764. < http://teaching
americanhistory.org/library/index.asp?documentprint=267>
Paine, Thomas. ""Common Sense"" 1776. < http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/milesto
nes/commonsense/>
Pitt, William. Speech on the Stamp Act. 1766. < http://www.patriotresource.com/amerrev/do
cuments/stampact/pitt.html>
The Declaration of Independence. 1776. < http://www.patriotresource.com/amerrev/documents
/declaration.html>
Treaty of Paris of 1783. 1783.<http://www.patriotresource.com/amerrev/documents/treaty.html>
