Until, Britain realized that their power towards the colonies had began to weaken, they legislated a series of acts in order to regulate read, minimize wealth and economic growth in the countries. This led to infuriating the plantation owners and many wealthy men who striver in the economy. Many revolutionary ideas came from the Enlightenment, like John Locke, Nonentities, James Otis and Thomas Gordon were seen throughout the revolution.
These were all elites and wealthy philosophers and politicians during the Enlightenment, which later influence elites and wealthy white men in Britain who couldn’t tolerate the mercantilism idea of Britain’s acts. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin were all founding fathers of our nations who owned slaves and were wealthy men in the upper class. Without these elect men our country would not be as well founded and stable than farmers revolting and starting embroideries.
Britain Just wanted to show who was boss, in which the colonies that were used to being controlled by Britain, rejected and ignored Britain’s command and acts. These new economic developments, more than any political differences between Britain and the colonies provoked the American revolution. Many historians, like Frederick Jackson Turner, Carl Becker, Charles Beard, Arthur M. Schlesinger are some of many that believe in the socio-economic reasons in which sparked this Revolution.
The revolution had started when Britain had left the American colonies alone for a little while, in which they commenced to be independent and work without the need of Britain. Their economy began to increase since they tended to import and export much more with other countries their tobacco, fur, and sugar. Plantation owners in the south had many slaves and owned a surmount of land in which made them very rich, due to cash crops like tobacco and sugar! White men from the north also had come affluent from the success in selling furs.
The American colonists (especially the wealthy merchants ) began to disagree with the the intolerable acts in which were the Molasses Act, Navigation Act, Townsend Act. They all contradicted with their rights as to housing soldiers and paying unjustifiable taxes. Many elite men like Sam Adams, James Otis who was a prestigious lawyer refused this abomination and began to revolt against their loss of money against Britain. Later, John Dickinson writes Letters From a Farmer regarding non importation and non exportation, where ironically “He was born to a moderately wealthy family in Maryland.
His father was first Judge to the Court of Pleas in Delaware. He studied law at the Temple in London, the most prestigious education that a young man could hope for. ” and not a farmer the most important documents that influenced the revolution, like the First Continental Congress, where he writes the Declaration of Resolves and Declaration of the Cause and Necessity of Taking Up Arms. A leader is needed for the war after Thomas Jefferson writes the Declaration of Independence, in which it will be George
Washington, an honorary ranked colonel , he was quite the military hero. He led the underdog army of America to victory with Battle of Trenton, in Battle of Saratoga and finally the successful Battle of Yorktown. Thanks to the help of Benjamin Franklin who was a very bright intellectual; well rounded and educated who convinced the French into allying with the colonies. Without the help of French allies, it’s not sure that America would’ve survived and become a free country. Ben Franklin the polymath of America even successfully negotiated the Treaty of Paris.
Consequently, the leadership and patriarchal society of America will be seen in the constitution when they really give freedom and rights to white men with land and forget about women and slaves. This will be later seen when Abigail Adams and Judith Murray begin to spark ideas of feminism and equality for men and women. Consecutively, the idea abolishing slavery will commence to happen during Abraham Lincoln presidency. Most of America’s success as a country is thanks to the elite men who led the people and their country to freedom and their rights!
There has been the great issue of what ignited the American Revolution, thus has led o the grand argument between historians leading to different perspectives; the political and intellectual interpretation and the social and economic interpretation in this great event. In which is most Justly explained by the socio-economic reasons of the American Revolution. Frederick Jackson Turner was one of the first progressive historians in the 20th century to discover the social and economic reasons in how our country declared independence between Britain. Arthur M.
Schlesinger (1917) argued that the economic interests of wealthy merchants activated their revolutionary impulses. Other historians during the early 20th century when the progressive reform movements began, was to investigate the social and economic factors that had been in the Revolution. Arthur M. Schlesinger argued how wealthy merchants were driven to revolt by economic pursuits which is seen in his article The Colonial Merchants and the American Revolution. Later on, in the sass’s a new type of historian “belief” had been created, the “New Left” historian in which returned to social and economic conflicts within the American society.
Where intellectuals revealed the resentment of the similarities of the elite American and British expands he growing economic distress upon the colonists and the role of famous mobs. After in 1992, Gordon Wood had pointed out in The Radicalism of the American Revolution that nevertheless, the causes of this radical event, had had a colossal effect on large segments of American social and economic life; the roles of gender, and patriarchal society had been altered. (Brinkley, Alan. “Publications for the Bicentennial of the American Revolution. The Quarterly Journal of the Library of Congress 33. 3 (1976): 289-90. Changing Interpretations of the American Revolution. 2003. Web. ) he Justification of the reasons why average men and slaves Joined George Washington’s Army. Which can be Justified in a simple manner: socio-economics. The average American man and slave wanted to Join the army because the army gave them an opportunity to raise their social status and become wealthier men. This led to 100,00 slaves leaving their owners to fight for Britain. In fact, the military became a place of promise for the poor, who might rise in rank, acquire some money, change their social status. ” (Zion, Howard. “A Kind of Revolution. ” A Kind of Revolution. N. P. , n. D. Web. 07 Seep. 2014. Here is an excerpt of an average citizen who explains the reason why he chose to be in the army, “l was a Shoemaker, & got my living by my Labor. When this Rebellion came on, I saw some of my Neighbors got into Commission, who were no better than myself. I was very ambitious, & did not like to see those Men above me.
T was asked to enlist, as a private Soldier I offered to enlist upon having a Lieutenants Commission; which was granted. I imagined my self now in a way of Promotion: if I was killed in Battle, there would be an end of me, but if any Captain was killed, I should rise in Rank, & should still have a Chance to rise Geiger. These Sir! Were the only Motives of my entering into the Service; for as to the Dispute between Great Britain & the Colonies, I know nothing of it. … “(Zion, Howard. “A Kind of Revolution. ” A Kind of Revolution. N. P. , n. D. Web. 07 Seep. 2014. In fact, many slaves became soldiers for Britain than the US, since the offer that Lord Denture had made guaranteed slaves would gain freedom and money if they Joined the British army. This led to 100,00 slaves leaving their owners to fight for Britain. The inspirational motivation of the American Revolution was due to the ideas of any Enlightenment philosophers; John Locke, was one of the biggest influences throughout the revolution. In fact, he was also a wealthy physician who was born from an affluent family; he created the belief of natural rights which is life, liberty and property.
Rousseau was also a prosperous writer, composer, and philosopher who believed that the government was there to support the general will. These men were all seen as important men of a high class during the time, therefore showing that our elite men had gotten ideas from other elite men from the Enlightenment. This is evident to Thomas Jefferson writing the Declaration Of Independence and basically “Copying and pasting” John Locked ideas of Two Treatises of one Government to this historical document.
The “Revolutionary’ historians believed that the revolution was caused by the lower class, like farmers and their political issues with the dispute of land; that it wouldn’t have happened without “the people”. That it was destined to happen with or without the elite class, which is somewhat wrong because the conflict between the farmers and their land was going to lead to a revolt, but most likely, in not an orderly assign. Which would’ve led to a mobcap of angry farmers. Therefore, our country wouldn’t have had the ideals of government they have now.
If the power was given to the common American citizen, this would have led to chaos. If it wasn’t for amazing leaders like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Otis, Benjamin Franklin and James Madison, there wouldn’t have been the development of a democratic political and social reasons would use the constitution to support their argument. However, the constitution clearly states “We hold these truths to be self evident that al men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights and that among them are life, liberty pursuit of happiness… . Where the founding fathers made that phrase was or the intended audience of only only white, wealthy men. It’s meant to show equality throughout all of America, however it shows the neglect of women and slaves and how microscopic their say was in America. Our country is still based on the fundamentals of our founding fathers who were high class men. It’s even shown in our government right now; on how much an average citizen’s vote counts during election.
It’s not much at all, since the people Just give a say on ‘popular vote’ and since a normal person usually isn’t worried or interested in the actual political depth of an election. That’s the reason why we have representatives and senators who are usually people of a high, educated position that truly vote where which we actually base the election on their votes. Our society has been controlled by intellectually elite men and women, without intellectually elite people in charge, our society wouldn’t have as much control and would lead to a disaster.
