Was the American Revolution Really a Revolution?
Was the American Revolution really a revolution? A revolution, as defined by the Oxford English dictionary, is the overthrow of an established government or social order by those previously subject to it. Although, the colonists did overthrow the British monarch, there was not enough change in American society for it to be a revolution. After the colonists won the war with Britain, they created their own form of government. A foundation and basis for the newly formed government was the Articles of Confederation, which was largely influence from the British government. These articles temporarily provided the Americans with law and order, before they wrote the Constitution. The American Revolution caused change politically, in the government, and socially, particularly toward women and slaves, but did not have significantly change America.
The Declaration of Independence was an important influence on the Americans when they were planning a new government. Thomas Jefferson’s personal motto was “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God” (Boorstin 106). This thought can be seen when Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that “when a long train of abuses and usurpations pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government” (Declaration of Independence). The Americans had this thought in mind when they were writing the Constitution. They hoped to control both state power and government power. The end result was a government that had three branches, each limiting the other’s power. This is one of the few changes that the Americans had from the British. They also hoped to create a government connected and involved in everything it does.
There are many things that convey this thought. An article called The Revolution as a Social Movement, by J. Franklin Jameson, shows this belief. In his paper, he says that “The various fibers of a nation’s life are
The Declaration of Independence was an important influence on the Americans when they were planning a new government. Thomas Jefferson’s personal motto was “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God” (Boorstin 106). This thought can be seen when Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that “when a long train of abuses and usurpations pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government” (Declaration of Independence). The Americans had this thought in mind when they were writing the Constitution. They hoped to control both state power and government power. The end result was a government that had three branches, each limiting the other’s power. This is one of the few changes that the Americans had from the British. They also hoped to create a government connected and involved in everything it does.
There are many things that convey this thought. An article called The Revolution as a Social Movement, by J. Franklin Jameson, shows this belief. In his paper, he says that “The various fibers of a nation’s life are