Module:4 The American Revolution and Class
After the Revolutionary war, America became independent from England. But is it the war that brought freedom for everybody? No. Carl Degler says (Out of Our Past): “No new social class came to power through the door of the American revolution. The men who engineered the revolt were largely members of the colonial ruling class.” According to Zinn Howard, general enthusiasm for the war was not strong when American began the war. John Adams had estimated a third opposed, a third in support, a third neutral. But many people lived in America were participated into the war. The men who first joined the colonial minitia were generally whites. Later, “Military became a place of promise for the poor, who might rise in rank, acquire some money, and change their social status.” Zinn says. Even though rich and poor people fought together, the Revolution mean to them differently.
Four years later, The U.S. Constitution was made by the convention. But the Constitution didn’t mention much about slavery. John Jay supported the Constitution after its creation but he says "It is much to be wished that slavery may be abolished. The honour of the States, as well as justice and humanity, in my opinion, loudly call upon them to emancipate these unhappy people. To contend for our own liberty, and to deny that blessing to others, involves an inconsistency not to be excused."
So what was the purpose of the Revolution? Zinn says “Now, with the British out of the way, the Americans could begin the inexorable process of pushing the Indians off their lands, killing them if they resisted.“ Francis Jennings also comments “the white Americans were fighting against British imperial control in the East, and for their own imperialism in the west.” The war was for get economically freedom for rich people. Since British army moved drew back from America, American rich people became free to make poor be obedient. For Indians, slaves, blacks, women, or other poor white people, the revolution only changed their honer, but not gave them rights.
Alexander, Hamilton. The Federalist Papers. Signet, 1999.
Zinn, Howard. A people's History of the United States. HarperCollins, 2003
"The Federalist ."
TheFederalist. 1994. 07/14/09
Mount, Steve. "Constitutional Topic:Slavery." USConstitution.net.30 Nov 2001.
My name is Amber Lautze and I would like to say that I really enjoyed reading your post. Your point about what the revolution was really about made me intrigued to read more. I would like to point out the main fact that stood out to me the most in your post, which was not only what the war was for but also what it didn’t do.
ReplyDeleteIn your last paragraph you pointed out that the war was for to get economically freedom for rich people, but as for the Indians, slaves, blacks, women, or other poor peoples the war might have changed their honor but it gave them no rights. In my blog post I wrote about what led up to the Boston tea party and I found out that during those times it was mainly the little events before hand that led up to the big events. As for the Revolutionary war, the Boston tea party was a part of one of the little events that led up to it.
Your blog was very interesting read and I enjoyed it very much, as for next time I would recommend to site all the sources you use in your blog, but other then that It was a joy to read. I understood where you were coming from when you asked the question on what was the Revolutionary war really for and that it didn’t bring freedom to everybody.