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Revolutionary War Radical Essay

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While historian Gordon Wood won a Pulitzer Prize arguing that the American Revolution was radical, it is in my opinion that this war was no more radical than any other war ever fought. By reviewing the war from different angles such as the causes, leaders, economic state, and social movements of the war, it becomes clear that the war was indeed not radical. First if we looked at it from the angle of the cause, was it different than any other war? Just like any other war there was no singular cause to the Revolution. The overarching cause of the war was the colonies decision to become an independent country from Britain, and Britain’s unwillingness to comply. It is in the causes of the decision to declare independence that more specific …show more content…

The war forced people to establish positions on the war, choosing whether to support the patriots or the loyalist lead friction in communities and in families. One of the most obvious ways to view the social change caused by the war, is by reading the writings of the time. From the legislation written and enforced upon the colonies by the British government, to the writings of documents such as the “Suffolk Resolves” written in protest, the change in society is evident. Thomas Jefferson’s “Summary View” and Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” sparked revolution in the hearts of the U.S. citizens. Jefferson’s article is a prime example of the ideological shift from blaming parliament to blaming the king. Women also began taking on different societal roles as the men left for war. They would take over their husbands businesses, or even aide in the war effort by cooking and washing for the soldiers. The social influence of the war was also global, as both sides established international allies. France even returned home from the revolution to start one on the home front. Was the United States changed socially by the war, and did the war influence other counties? The answer is yes, but as I keep repeating wars have impacts. Impacts made on society and social ideas are just influence of war in

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