Was the American Revolution an Actual Revolution?

             How exactly would one define a revolution? According to Dictionary.com, a revolution is a sudden or momentous change in a situation. So, therefore, it is easy for most to place the American Revolution into the distinction of actually being a revolution. This is a statement that historian Howard Zinn would rebuke and laugh at. Zinn's book, A People's History of the United States: 1492- Present, offers plenty of evidence of why the American Revolution was, in fact, not a revolution. "Tyranny is tyranny," Zinn says in the title of his fourth chapter. Although Zinn's political standpoint is a bit socialist, he still offers many valid points to defend his argument. Had the United States gone from one tyrant to another? To say this would be inaccurate. However, there were many ways in which life, for the most part, remained the same. Not only does Zinn think that this "revolution" was unchanged in the aspect of the structure of government, but he also voices his views on how the social status and greed for money also remained the same.
             Before the American Revolution, the colonists were, of course, controlled by King George III and England. The King had complete control over these colonies, and his word was supreme. However, when the middle to late Eighteenth Century approached, the colonists were beginning to second-guess this authority, and no sooner than 1776 did Thomas Paine publish his celebrated pamphlet, "Common Sense." In this pamphlet that put forth a bold argument for independence, Paine states that "Society in every state is a blessing, but Government even in its best state is but a necessary evil..." It is clear that Paine was not fully intact with what he was saying; he did not realize that what these colonies would get in return for this evil government would be another evil government. Therefore, it can be inferred that Thomas Paine was not the biggest fan of government, especially that of England. What happ...

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Was the American Revolution an Actual Revolution?. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 09:50, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/98786.html