Gordon S. Wood The Radicalism Of The American Revolution Analysis

The author wrote this book to summarize the Revolution Era with a brief description of the pre-revolution; with some analytical arguments and opinions incorporated within the book. Morgan takes into prospective the actual motives behind the founding fathers' decision during the Revolution, which he claims to have been driven by their personal benefits. This shows as slavery was not eliminated even though a fundamental basis of the revolution was human equality. Morgan aimed to make an easily accessible outline of the Revolution Era, backed with several documents which critical to the outline; such as, The Constitution of the United States and the Articles of Confederation. He also devoted several pages outlining important dates mentioned throughout the book.

In Document 4 in the, “How Revolutionary Was the American Revolution” DBQ packet it shows data tables that split the wealthy, well-to-do, moderate and poor people’s economic status in the representatives in six colonies. This shows that it wasn’t a revolution after all, because it did not show how, “men are all treated equal.” It shows how people are split up and not treated the same way. This also shows that wherever you are placed on, whether its wealthy, well-to-do, moderate, or poor, you aren’t being financially equal. While the wealthy live in prosperity, the poor live in poverty without any money or little money. In addition, document 6 shows the view of a young African-American in 1819. In his speech he describes how African-Americans are treated differently and have different rules compared to the white race. In other words, while the African-Americans aren’t allowed to work among white folks, the white men can thrive without the rules and discrimination. Finance and segregation is not revolutionary at

Gordon Wood’s Radicalism of the American Revolution is a book that extensively covers the origin and ideas preceding the American Revolution. Wood’s account of the Revolution goes beyond the history and timeline of the war and offers a new encompassing look inside the social ideology and economic forces of the war. Wood explains in his book that America went through a two-stage progression to break away from the Monarchical rule of the English. He believes the pioneering revolutionaries were rooted in the belief of an American Republic. However, it was the radical acceptance of democracy that was the final step toward independence. The transformation between becoming a Republic, to ultimately becoming a democracy, is where Wood’s

In regards to the American Revolution, the point that armed rebellion became inevitable arrived when after nearly five constant years of American colonist protesting. American 's had enough and needed to take a stand for the numerous inequalities they were forced to deal with. It was foreseeable that the American Revolution took place due to the unfair taxes that the British were giving Americans. Also, England was not allowing Americans their freedom, along with violence and the political dominance by the Parliament over the colonies by announcing the Stamp Act in 1765, which happened to nearly affect all Americans tremendously.

Bailyn, Bernard. The Ideological Origins of the American Revolutions. Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1992.

Chapter 7 of Alan Taylor’s American Revolutions begins by describing the tense state of affairs between American Patriots and Native Indians in 1775. Both sides feared the other and were determined not to let their enemy defeat them. The Patriots were angry with the British for seeking alliance with the Indians, compromising their “racial solidarity”, in order to gain a military advantage. The Natives believed that American independence would be the catalyst for their downfall into slavery and landlessness. The author moves on to say that this was not the case with all tribes. For example, weak bands of Indians in the Carolinas allied with Patriots and fought in their army in hopes for protection after the war. However, the reality was that

Between 1770 and 1776, resistance to imperial change turned into a full-on revolution. The American Revolution, also known as the Revolutionary War, was a time of revolting and political uprising, in which the 13 colonies separated from the British Empire, forming the independent nation known as the United States of America. Though the American Revolution began because the colonies wanted independence from Britain, many important historical events and revolts also lead to the tensions and resistance to what resulted in freedom and independence for the colonies from British rule. Events such as the Stamp and Sugar Acts, the Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, Intolerable Acts, and the Continental Congress led to expanding tensions and soon to the outbreak of the American Revolution.

“The revolution was effected before the war commenced. The revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people.” - John Adams, 1818

1. Historians of the American Revolution have disagreed on whether to characterize the revolution as radical or Conservative. Compare and contrast the arguments of Bernard Bailyn and Gordon Wood and make and build an argument for which interpretation is most convincing.

Egalitarian is the belief in the equality of all people, especially in political, economic, or social life. (Dictionary.com, 2011) As the Declaration of Independence suggests, every man in America does start out with rights like any other man. What they do with these unalienable rights, though, is what determines their social, financial, and political prominence later in life. America allows the freedom for people to get ahead by creating their own opportunities, and by creating an equal platform of education to jump off of.

The American Revolution was a political separation between Britain and the original Thirteen Colonies. It occurred between the years 1765 and 1783, resulting in a lot of bloodshed and casualties. With tension building between the two powers, the revolution was a battle that formed what America is today. The Boston Tea Party, the Boston Massacre, and the many taxes imposed are factors to what lead the colonists to form together and fight Britain. The reason why America won against its former owner is because of the alliance with France, the knowledge of the terrain, and the determination that the soldiers had.

The American Revolution is typically looked at as a conservative movement, but it seems most of the actions taken were very radical. They were fighting to defend their rights, governed and natural. The American Revolution was as radical as any other revolution, in a special 18th century way, and this seems to hold true while looking at the new waves of thinking. It involves the Whigs and Tories, and while they are at opposite sides of the spectrum, they consecutively agreed to not address and higher-law principles so they would not have to rework their entire system.. The Revolution worked against this, and the parties chose to pretend it was not a serious movement and act, as they believed it would not take any effect. More people got involved and all aspects of life began to be questioned and revolutionized. The Revolution seems to be radical in a more definitive way as it caused segregation of beliefs, the Declaration of independence, and

war, it is a sign of radical action. Britains' army was four times as big

Leading up to the American Revolution, were a chain of events that created a spark in the colonists to obtain independence from Great Britain. The American Revolution could not be tied to one single event but instead by the feelings and determination brought on by this chain of disgraceful actions. Gordon S. Wood explains what he believes caused the rebellion of the American colonists from Great Britain and how those causes help explain the outcomes of the revolution in his essay, “Radical Possibilities of the American Revolution.” Wood argues that the colonists were motivated to rebel against the British monarchy due to their need to preserve their liberties and through this revolution a radical change in government and American life occurred.

Inequality had been embedded into colonial society, but the American Revolution has changed that, allowing equality in rights.