Robert Morris: Financier Of The Revolution

Woody Holton. Forced Founders: Indians, Debtors, Slaves and the Making of the American Revolution in Virginia. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1999.

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

Robert Morris was considered a founding father of the united states who helped finance and the American Revolution. Throughout his lifetime, he signed the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution. Robert was born on January 31st, 1734, in Liverpool, England and passed away on May 8th, 1806. When Robert was growing up, he was an only child and raised by his father, Robert Morris Sr. Robert Morris didn 't know his mother, elizabeth Margret, but his grandmother raised him. At the age of thirteen Robert decided to move to Maryland, where his father, who was a tobacco exporter. After he joined his dad, he decided to go to school in Philadelphia, only of for a little while. Then Morris

The British began taxing the colonies as a way of lessening their debt after the Seven Years’ War. During this time of debt, the American colonies also began to enter a recession. Revere’s once successful business as a silversmith was heavily lacking during this time. Specifically, when the Stamp Act was issued in 1765, colonists were outraged. This occurrence is what caused the Sons of Liberty to form. They were a major part of Boston’s campaign opposing the Stamp Act.

All the documents had to be formally printed in England and were distinguished by a special stamp. Then these pieces of paper had to be bought from a special agent at a price. This meant that the colonists had to pay taxes on every thing they bought from the British government. It was expected that this tax would raise 60,000 pounds annually. The colonists despised this and tried to buy as little as they could from England. After this act the colonists realised that the British government was revenue-raising. The colonists felt that the British Government should be helping to protect ones property not to take it. The colonists argued that they had no say or representation in the government and that is when the outcry started, “No taxation without representation!”

“No Taxation without Representation.” Everyone has heard this quote, but how many know where it came from? In March of 1765, British Parliament passed a law that the colonists must pay a tax on any licenses, contracts, wills, warrants, playing cards, and paper. Every one of these things had to have a stamp on it to show that they paid the tax. (Stamp Act Powerpoint) This was called the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act was the most important event that caused the Revolutionary War.

No one will argue that the American Revolution was one of the most significant events in shaping American ideology. The impact on the economy, sociological and ideological make-up of America are still seen in today's society. Many great minds have passed commentary on the causes and impacts of the American Revolution such as; Bernard Bailyn, Louis Hartz, Joyce Appleby, and Gordon Wood. This research examines why these experts believed what they did about the causes of the American Revolution and how we can correlate those causes to the economic and political crisis America is now facing in the 21st century as compared to the 18th century.

It appears to me that the historians in this article based their concepts of the American Revolution according to what was happening in their own eras. Carl Becker, conducted his study of New York, in 1909, and J. Franklin Jameson’s The American Revolution Considered as a Social Movement, were both from the progressive era (1873-1920), and their work seems to reflect that period of social activism and political reform. Arthur M. Schlesinger, who wrote a book in 1917, upheld that colonial merchants had a greater influence, by wanting to escape British restrictions policies, thus arousing resistance throughout America.

Patrick Henry, born in Virginia in 1736, was a lawyer and great orator, as well as public officer for nearly 30 years, who believed strongly in citizens’ right to bear arms, especially in face of Great Britain’s injustice towards the colonists, and whose speech to the Virginia Convention lead to the persuasion of his delegation and, therefore, participated in the start of the Revolutionary War. (Probst 100) (Colonial Williamsburg Patrick Henry). In his speech, Henry, whose patriotism had lead him to represent his region since 1765, addressed those who did not want to organize a militia for Virginia. (Probst 100) (Henry 102). One of the first and most important arguments Henry makes is that the question of whether or not to organize a

After the French and Indian war, the British monarch decided to tax the colonies to pay off the debts from the recent war. Taxes were placed on nearly everything the colonists needed or could sell. This angered the colonists, thus tensions were rapidly rising between the colonists and the British monarch. Many considered the concept of independence a radical idea and very dangerous. Others were tired of being taken advantage of the British. A man by the name of Patrick Henry believed it was time to fight for independence. He further expressed his thoughts through a speech given at the Virginia Provincial Convention. This speech was similar to another speech written by a man called Marcus Cicero, in the way it used rhetorical elements to

“Give me liberty or give me death!” This statement from Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention,” delivered to the House of Burgesses, has been quoted by many, becoming almost cliché. However, the declaration is truly understood by a select few. The unjust Stamp Act passed by the British crown in 1765, brought fame and notoriety to Henry as he spoke out against the unjust taxation without representation. Ten years later on the eve of revolution, Henry calls upon the Colonial government of which he is part, to act for the betterment of the people. Patrick Henry attempts to persuade the House of Burgesses to revolt and declare war against Britain by logically convincing them that it is their natural right to be free and calling on

Born in Philadelphia in 1739, George Clymer was an orphan from a young age, raised by his aunt and uncle. George Clymer was informally educated, his exact schooling in unknown. Following an accounting apprenticeship, Clymer’s uncle brought his nephew up as a merchant and when his uncle passed, Clymer took over his uncle’s mercantile firm. Once Clymer had established himself as a merchant, he merged his firm with that of a prominent, wealthy family, the Merediths. Clymer went on to wed his partner’s daughter. As Clymer grew older, his business was impacted by British economic limitations which led to Clymer’s adoption of the Revolutionary cause.

The American Revolution, perhaps the most significant event in the history of the United States, was indeed radical enough to be considered a true revolution. One historian stated that, “The founding generation articulated enduring political questions and provided the structures by which we still conduct our political lives” (Kerber 25) to emphasize the enormous impact that the revolutionaries had on contemporary American society. These questions and structures however do not only pertain to America’s political system and ideals; they also greatly changed American social standards and practices throughout the years directly preceding and following the revolution.

Furthermore, Great Britain had commanded new payment methods which created a ruckus with the Americans causeing great anger. Rebellion and discontent were rampant. The colonies started rebelling against ‘Mother England’ because of taxes issued to the colonies, in as much, England’s power did not allow them to have representation. The Revenue Act of 1764 made the Constitutional issue of whether or not the king had the right to tax the people who are living in his kingdom or the thirteen colonies. Eventually, this "became an entering wedge in the great dispute that was finally to wrest the American colonies from England" (Carey 48). "It was the phrase "taxation without representation" (Montgomery 138) that was to draw many to the cause of the American patriots against the mother country. That has royal authority to be able to term public opinions into a revolutionary battle.