Ideological Origins of the American Revolution
The Ideological origins of the American RevolutionWhat exactly was the American Revolution? It was not simply a war. It was a revolution of ideas, a change in the attitude of the people over time that preceded and eventually led to a war. This change was effected by a generally high level of education, a want of self-government, and the unity of the colonies.In most other cases, revolutions were a result of an oppressed people, but in the case of the thirteen colonies, no oppression can be found. In addition, taxes in England were twenty-six times greater than in the colonies. Captain Preston claimed that the reason for the revolt was the want of self-government. John Adams wrote in his diary, "Every man has to fight, to speak, to write, and to do things fo
One attempt at colonial unity was the Albany Plan of Union, which in 1754, proposed a colonial congress that would have the power to create an army, control public lands, and assess general taxes. The Enlightenment also helped in the movement of ideas because ministers would deliver a sermon in one town and move one to another within several days. The different tribes could not find a way to overcome language and culture barriers. When settlers from Europe first arrived, the Indians outnumbered the Europeans immensely. This system became part of the government and helped unity. However, the colonies were reluctant to give up their power and the Parliament feared a rise in colonial strength. A system of checks and balances, a division of power, allows equilibrium to be maintained because each of three divisions check the power of the other two, ensuring that none become too powerful. Similarly, the colonies needed unification to be able to execute any kind of revolution, whether it was a war or a change in ideas. In conclusion, the revolution took place in the years before the war during which a metamorphosis occurred in the minds of the people. Jefferson said, "Revolutions are necessary to refresh the Tree of Liberty. This transformation was basically caused by the unification of the colonies and the ideas contained within the inhabitants of those colonies. In the colonies, the literacy rate exceeded ninety percent, and although the average man could not afford books, there were private libraries scattered throughout the colonies, one of which being owned by Thomas Jefferson, who said books were his windows to the world. In this way, people in Virginia would know what was happening in Massachusetts.
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