68 thoughts on “Blog #159 – How Revolutionary was the Revolution?”

1. Maddie Z October 7, 2023 at 11:52 am

   I believe the American Revolution started as a conservative revolution, but had the impact of a radical one. The colonists had gotten used to salutary neglect and self governance. It was the foundation the colonies were built upon and what kept the colonies going to a certain extent. The argument made by some historians nowadays that the British were very reasonable to the colonies is true, when compared to the taxes and acts British citizens had to abide by, the colonists had the easier side of things. But the colonists didn’t have this comparison, their view was that all of a sudden, after very little support from the British they are now restricted in their trade and taxed more than before. In response to this, the colonists did not immediately seek independence, they sought an agreement with Parliament to restore the rights they felt had been violated/taken away by the new acts.
   King George III responded very poorly to the Olive Branch petition and declared Massachusetts in a state of rebellion. The colonists had always been described as very loyal to the King and commonly regarded themselves as British citizens. They only began to retaliate after it was made clear the British government would not restore the colonists’ rights. While I agree the Boston tea party was an act of vandalism and the Boston Massacre could have easily been avoided if the colonists had not started the attack, these events were caused/prompted by a small group of radical patriots, not by the colonists as a whole.
   Eventually when it became clear the British would not respect the colonists’ requests and British control became too much, the revolution officially began out of a desire to maintain the same society the colonists became comfortable living in. This same idea is echoed by Robert Brown in his, Middle-Class Democracy and the Revolution in Massachusetts.
   The Consensus movements interpretation of the revolution is what I feel is most accurate. And that the, “shared commitment to certain fundamental political principles of self-government” was what bound the colonists together (Bailey 140). Although the revolution started out of a desire to avoid change, the revolution itself was a radical revolution. The colonies weren’t rebelling in hopes for the British to change the laws/acts on the colonies, they were fighting for complete independence from the British. During the revolution itself, slaves could earn their freedom by fighting with the British, or later fighting with the Americans. Some women went out dressed as men to support their country, a move that was seen as deranged for the time period. After the revolution ended, slavery began to be outlawed (although it eventually returned the fact that it was a revolutionary move to free the enslaved at all in the first place). The American Revolution inspired the French and Russian revolutions after it. All leading me to believe that when examined in its entirety, the American revolution truly was a radical revolution.
2. Corinne October 7, 2023 at 5:06 pm

   Ever since the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, the debate of whether the revolution was radical or conservative has been a burning question in the minds of many. Personally, I believe that it was majority conservative, although more radical elements and ideas did exist regarding the treatment of lesser privileged groups. As stated in Carl Degler’s writings, referenced in “Conflicting Views”, the revolutionary stances of the time weren’t to drastically change the way things were in the colonies to something no one had seen before, only to return things to how they were during the period of salutary neglect. Before the Seven Years’ War, state legislatures and constitutions already existed, with the colonies having all the power they later ended up fighting to maintain. The Massachusetts Government Act is a perfect example of how the colonists were only seeking to continue their previous ways of life. They had something taken away, got angry, and rebelled to get it back. This is a theme that shows up again and again when looking at the revolution, as well as the perspective of many leaders at the time. The ones who were most prominent in the fight to regain local governments’ power were white middle/upper class men such as John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, not the women or people of color who had little to no rights at all. However, this is not to say that they did not participate in the war at all, it was actually quite the opposite. Women were vital in keeping the economy running at home and even going into camps as cooks or nurses. Black soldiers were crucial as well, with about five thousand serving in the Continental Army. In these groups wishes for real change can be seen, much more radical than the privileged men crying for their freedom from Britain. One such example is Abigail Adams’ plea to “remember the ladies”, an honest sentiment for which she was only mocked by her husband. Despite the dismissal of some ideas like these, certain changes did come after the war. In fact, slavery was drastically reduced in the North and there was a mild shift in the South, but not for long. Black men and women alike were even allowed to vote in some colonies temporarily. These events were brought about by the most revolutionary part of the revolution, the incorporation of the Enlightenment idea of natural rights. Jefferson’s statement that “All men are created equal” caused many colonists to slowly recognize their hypocrisy in the treatment of oppressed groups. This realization and the events it led to is the most radical element of the revolution in my eyes, and the only thing that prevents it from being completely conservative.
3. Felipe Serrano October 7, 2023 at 5:25 pm

   This revolution was neither radical nor conservative but an example of both depending on who the viewpoint is from. There are very well-constructed arguments for each side which sway readers to abandon their past standpoint on the subject and agree with what they just read. At first glance, the American Revolution seems to be simply a conservative one. First, England ended its policy of salutary neglect where they let the colonies enjoy the freedom of self-governance. At the end of the French and Indian War, the British decided that they had let their colonies grow up by themselves for too long. They restricted their freedoms with things such as The Proclamation of 1763, the Sugar Act of 1764, the Currency Act of 1764, the Quartering Act of 1765, and the infamous Stamp Act of 1765. The thing was, America had already acquired a taste for “freedom” and forgot they were Britain’s colony. Then, Massachusetts had lost its colonial legislature in the Government Act of 1774 and they were trying to win it back. After protesting and several provocating events later, they had formed sort of a snowball effect and the colonies were in revolution for those rights they lost ( which they should never have had). It was, however, radical in several important ways. America, after the war, developed extreme differences from Britain in two ways, politically and socially. Politically they abandoned the old system and made a new one which focused on John Locke’s ideas of natural rights and the social contract. Britain at the time was a constitutional monarchy where Parliament and the monarchy ruled hand in hand. One thing that America from the beginning stood behind was the fact that they would never have a king. They would never allow themselves to be ruled by one person and parliament like Britain. The United States was the first to use a republic form of government where power was divided between three branches and came with a constitution that would ensure liberty. For the first time, the church and state were separate as well. This was never seen before and is the model for most Western governments today. On the other hand, it was extremely radical socially as they abandoned the nobility and primogeniture which is where the firstborn son gets everything. As a firstborn son, I think we should bring back primogeniture but that’s just me. The nobility lost everything after the war when their estates and titles were confiscated by the government. Even black people’s lives were somewhat improved as thousands who fought in the war were freed and five out of thirteen states banned slavery. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 also limited the spread of slavery. All I’m saying is that if it has to be debated this hard and there are such convincing arguments on each side, then it’s not rigidly radical or conservative but in some sort of an in-between.
4. Isabela V October 7, 2023 at 8:27 pm

   Isabela V
   I believe that the American Revolution was somewhere in between a conservative and a radical revolution. According to Carl N. Degler in the “Conflicting Views” handout, “The colonials revolted against British rule in order to keep things the way they were, not to initiate a new era.” Degler is partially right because colonists wanted to keep things the same as they had been during the period of salutary neglect, not necessarily the way things were at the time of the revolution in the 1770s. The only way for colonists to ensure that things went back to how they were was to break away from Britain, so that is what they did.
   Degler’s quote comes during a time in history when the revolution was viewed with the New Left thought process. During the 1960s-1970s, historians felt that the revolution was caused by a gap between social classes, as well as other social and economic factors. In fact, according to some historians, there was a duel revolution going on during the American Revolution. One revolution was the revolution against Britain, while the other was between social classes. “The Radical Revolution from the ‘Bottom Up’” by Gary Nash states that during the time of American revolution, women like Abigail Adams were looking for changes. Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, John Adams, asking him to “remember the ladies” in the new laws he was creating. Also, during this time, rebellions by enslaved people were frequent.
   In the time shortly before the Revolution, Britain passed many new laws to tax and strictly rule over colonists. Colonists protested these laws because they didn’t think it was fair to have these new rules in place that weren’t there during the time of salutary neglect, even though many of these laws were only put in place to collect taxes so that colonists could pay for a small portion of the Seven Years War, which was fought for their benefit. In this time of social unrest throughout the colonies, colonists didn’t want much more than their old freedoms back.
   Ultimately, by the time of the revolution, the colonies were ready to break away from Britain. There was no one specific tax or law that caused this, but the overall attitude of the colonists towards Britain proved that the colonists wanted to keep the rights they were used to. Therefore, the American Revolution was somewhere between a conservative and a radical revolution because the colonists wanted to conserve rights that they’d had during the period of salutary neglect, and in doing so, they fought a war to break away from Britain.
5. sofia B October 7, 2023 at 10:10 pm

   There is much debate over what caused the American Revolution and the effects of it. This event is very complex in and of itself and due to these complexities, different parts of the revolution were different amounts of revolutionary. For example, due to salutary neglect by the British, the colonists had to make their own decisions regarding local issues and therefore had state legislatures. These legislatures had to be elected. This represents a democratic system that the Americans fought to protect after the British ended the salutary neglect and ruled America as a colony again. Social classes and status; however, changed before and after the revolution. Before the revolution, the British still upheld the slave trade to the colonies. During the revolution, slaves were promised their freedom if they fought. After the revolution, the slave trade was abolished in America and many states banned slavery as a whole. In this case, slaves were fighting for their freedom and many won it after the war changing their social status. Some historians think that comparing the American revolution to other revolutions helps answer the question of how revolutionary it was. Using this logic, we can compare the American revolution to the Russian revolution. Both radical groups involved in these revolutions were overthrowing a monarch whether it being King George III of England or Tsar Nikolai II of Russia. The difference lies in whether or not the new form of government existed before the revolution. In the colonies, as previously discussed, there were democratically elected representatives showing how democracy already existed and how the colonists wanted to preserve it. In the Russian Empire; however, there was not a shred of communism until during and after Lenin’s radical revolution. It is important to understand the Russian Revolution as well as the changes to the country it made in order to fully compare it to the American one (I apologize in advance for so many details). Before the revolution, the lower class of peasants were quite poor and the boyars (Russian nobility) owned massive estates as well as dachas (summer estates enjoyed by the upper and middle classes that at this time were given to them by the Tsar). On top of this, the peasants had no say in the government while many boyars advised the prince(s) and/or tsar in power. The revolution started when the lower classes got fed up with Tsar Nikolai. Russia was late to industrialization and lagged far behind in social reforms compared to western Europe. The Russian people wanted better working conditions as well as more freedoms and on 22nd of January 1905, around 200.000 workers approached the Tsar’s Winter Palace with a petition asking for change regarding their grievances. The royal guards fired upon the crowd killing hundreds and wounding thousands. This event later became known as Bloody Sunday (Кровавое воскресенье). This was one of the main factors that truly started the revolution. The February Revolution was the first phase of the Russian revolution in which people demonstrated peacefully and violently in Petrograd (Present-day St. Petersburg) for around eight days. Three days later, Tsar Nikolai abdicated and left his power to the Provisional Government run by the State Duma. The radical group created its own local government, the Soviets. By March, both the Provisional Government and the Soviets ruled in dual power. The Provisional Government dealt with state affairs such as military and international relations while the Soviets focused on domestic affairs. The revolution ended after the October Revolution in which workers and soldiers violently overthrew the Provisional Government finally giving the Soviet full control of the government. Comparing the full breakdown of the Russian revolution to that of the American one we can see many differences. For example, in the Russian revolution, the imperial government slowly started to fade out of power starting with the abdication of Tsar Nikolai, then the dual power between the Provisional Government and the Soviets and finally the overthrow of the Provisional Government. In the American revolution, the colonists’ goals were separating from the crown, not ending it. They had no intent to end the British monarchy as the Russian radicals did the Tsardom. Also, the colonists did not fade into power but instead defeated the British and then established a new government. Some may ask whether or not the dual power in Russia was the same as the elected legislatures and Parliament in the colonies; however, it was not. In Russia, there were two separate legislative bodies with socialist representatives trying to gain the majority of power in both. This power struggle was not present in the American revolution as no colonists were part of Parliament. The largest difference is the fact that the Russian revolution was one country replacing its government with another while the American revolution was shaking off British imperial rule. There are some similarities as well; however. For example, the colonists also attempted peaceful protest through the Olive Branch Petition and in both the American and Russian case the peace was refuted, although in very different ways. Overall, there were many parts to the American Revolution and some of those parts were more revolutionary than others. Therefore; the American Revolution was both revolutionary and not at the same time as it combined old and new ideas in a new nation.
6. Nauman Z. October 8, 2023 at 2:22 am

   In my opinion, the revolution was a conservative one that sought to maintain a system that they already had instead of radically overthrowing one system for another. I think Carl N. Degler describes this in a good way: “A salient feature of our revolution was that its animating purpose was deeply conservative. The colonists revolted against British rule in order to keep things the way they were, not to initiate a new era” (Spring, 1963). This represents my thoughts on the revolution as well. The purpose of the revolution was not to radically overthrow the current system for another but instead to maintain things they already had. Degler perfectly describes the revolution as not wanting a new era but instead keeping what the colonies already had. This perfectly describes what a conservative revolution looks like, not a radical one such as the French Revolution. Robert E. Brown also offers a valuable perspective on the American Revolution: “In Massachusetts … we find one of the unique revolutions in world history, a revolution to preserve a social order rather than to change it. It was not, as we have often assumed, a dual revolution in which Americans won their independence from the British on one hand, and in which unfranchised and underprivileged lower classes wrestled democratic rights from a privileged local aristocracy.” (Ithaca, 1955) This perspective accurately describes how the American Revolution was unique in wanting to maintain a social order instead of wanting to replace a social order for another social order. This describes a conservative revolution because it is a revolution to keep a social order. A radical revolution, on the other hand, would want to throw away the current system and social order for another system and social order. In the blog post, you also talked about the progressive and imperial schools. I can see the arguments for both of their perspectives. In my opinion, the reason for the revolution was mostly discontent with British policies such as the Stamp Act and Townshend Act. To summarize, in my view, the American Revolution was not a radical revolution but a conservative revolution that was intent on maintaining an already existing system instead of radically overthrowing a system for another system.
7. Matéo Milanini October 8, 2023 at 11:26 am

   The American Revolution, although being talked about so much and being so documented, hides many things. Among these are the taxes that the colonists really suffered from the British. As an example of this, the British were being taxed 26 times more than the colonists, and what the colonists had to pay was also for their own protection. They were only paying a third of the cost for protection against the Natives and did not pay any of the cost from the 7 years war to Britain. This shows the overreaction of the colonists and using taxation as an excuse to separate themselves from Britain, and by doing so, separating themselves from debts. For this, I find the purpose of the Revolution a bit ridiculous. It makes me think it is more of a conservative revolution, as all these reasons for a war were not meant to change the government or laws, not even taxes, really, because you couldn’t reduce them that much more. The part that makes me think this war is radical is the change that occurred after the revolution was over: new government was setup, new laws were passed, central government had no taxation power… This shows that although the reasons for the revolution may have been conservative and exaggerated, the results of the war were completely radical and aimed to separate the most from Britain. During the setup of the revolution, America organized in states from the original colonies and had militias for each state. This can be seen as a radical change in the organization of the country that happened before the war. However, this change was mot successful towards their military. To resolve this, they had to build a national army of almost 10000 men. This is an example of the radical change that does not work to their advantage. As listed in “The Radical Revolution from the ‘Bottom Up'”, there were many social classes in the colonies, starting with the slaves and indentured servants and ending with the rich and aristocratic plantation owners. This large number of differences between classes shows another main radical change in the way the colonies operated differently from England. To conclude, I think the beginning of the war and the intentions for the revolution were very conservative, but the outcome was very radical, as a number of things changed in their organization and way of living.
8. Lana O October 8, 2023 at 12:02 pm

   I think our revolution was definitely in the middle of conservative and radical. But possibly leaning towards the more radical part of a revolution in the way we see it today. The colonist’s conservative needs when it came to wanting to protect the rights we already had with Britain. As many conservatives didn’t want this revolution to destroy the protection, privilege and rights they already had in the colonies that came from Britain. This was a major player when it came to the revolution as now we see some of the concepts Britain had, that we applied to the making before and after of our country. Just like in Virginia, the making of the house of Burgesses was based off of Parliament and so were other government separations. Some colonists, who worried about the economic impact if this revolution were to happen, still had British ideals and ideas that they wanted to protect during this revolution, making delegates who represented some of the more conservative states more likely to lean towards keeping and protecting or even changing those British rights. So there were conservative wants in the midst of the revolution and so after it, we either still had them or we gained stronger ones that couldn’t be eliminated. I think having someone vouch for the present rights from Britain to be kept or modified to fit what the colonist’s wanted rather than creating a whole new set of rights to completely separate themselves from England, helped when creating the basic rights for documents that made America and kept colonist’s content with the rights they were given. But on the other hand, leading up to this revolution definitely had it’s radical moments. A few events includes the Boston Tea Party, the rebels against the acts Britain applied to the colonies also with boycotting of British goods and the Boston Massacre. All just to spite Britain and to create patriotism. But this so called “patriotism” should also could be viewed as radicalism because one of the events, the Boston Tea Party, caused major dispute between Britain and the colonies as Patriot’s destroyed property in the name of “freedom.” While this event really did not benefit either party, the morale boost in the colonies definitely persuaded others to see what other revenge they could do to Britain and was a key convincer to go against Britain. But as we look back on the Boston Tea Party, was it necessary for the revolution? or was it just a way to exert power over Britain and show them the extent the colonist’s were willing to go to for their freedom? I believe the patriots were needed to get others to share the same mindset of freedom and independence from Britain to even start about thinking about a revolution of some sort. Without them, I don’t think they would have had enough of the colonist’s ambition to strive for a new country, separated from Britain. But I also believe that some retaliations like the Boston Tea Party, were quite unnecessary. But I understand why they did it and how it affected other colonist’s ways of thinking. I do not know if without the Boston Tea Party if the revolution still would have happened. But I think that if it didn’t happen along with the Boston Massacre the British probably wouldn’t have been so hard on the Colonist’s (especially the one’s in Massachusetts) with the coercive acts. The reason I say that the revolution leans more towards radical is the way we see it in todays view. We don’t usually see the side of the conservatives and their fight to keep some things the same, but the way we see all the big and catastrophic events that seemed to contribute to the revolution. Like the Tea Party. Then with Gary Nash, I agree. The gap between the social classes began to grow. More richer men had the ability to get themselves into office and make decisions, rather than compared to poorer individuals who couldn’t afford to get into office to voice opinions. As they felt left out from boosts of economic ways, retaliation from the poor targeted towards the rich was clearly there. I agree that this was a key player in the revolution as the people who felt they were missing out, wanted the same rights as the individuals who were gaining from the economic boost. While the colonies were having issues with Britain they also were having issues with themselves. In the end, all they wanted was to be equal with each other. Having the same opportunities rich or poor and wanted to be ruled by there own.
9. Myles Rontal October 8, 2023 at 12:58 pm

   I think our revolution was between a Conservative revolution and a radical one. In one sense you could call this a radical revolution because they overthrew British Government rule in the colonies, but in the other sense, you could call this a conservative revolution because really besides the wealthy white men gaining more rights without the British in charge not a lot changed, slavery wasn’t completely abolished, there was still a huge economic and social disparity between the poor/landless, and the rich elite, and women still had very little rights compared to the men. My first example to support that it was a Conservative revolution was that Colonists wanted what they had before salutary neglect, being seen in the Olive Branch petition when they asked King George if he could repeal the Intolerable Acts and the two sides could still coexist with each other having many successful generations of peace between them.
   My second example is there was a dual revolution the American and the British and the underprivileged lower class trying to get democratic rights from the privileged upper class who were trying to get rights from the British. This exemplifies the fact that the underprivileged weren’t trying to overthrow the government but were trying to have the same rights as their privileged fellow colonists. Similar to what the upper class wanted, the upper class originally just wanted to have what they had during salutary neglect which was the freedom to govern themselves. My first example of a radical revolution was because the colonists overthrew the parliament and King George, creating a different government with a legislative, executive, and judicial branch. Another reason it became a radical revolution was because of the ideas of John Locke in the Enlightenment period. John Locke proposed the idea that all people have the right to overthrow and create a new government if the old one isn’t protecting their rights. This occurred between the British and American colonies when the British proposed the Quartering Act forcing American colonists to house British soldiers, expecting the colonial legislatures to pay for it, and having a standing army in the colonies because of this. This violated the colonists’ rights because it goes against the third amendment which states, no Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. Another example was the dual revolution the underprivileged lower class trying to get democratic rights from the privileged upper class who was trying to get rights from the British. Lastly, it could have been a radical revolution because the wealthy Americans felt indebted to the British and used propaganda like political cartoons to fuse anger in other colonists causing, the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, tar and feathering tax officials, boycotting British goods, and the violent war between the two sides.
10. Kaylen C. October 8, 2023 at 1:35 pm

    I believe that the American Revolution was somewhere in the middle of being a conservative revolution and being a radical revolution. I believe this because it is shown through the different historical evidence that we have that yes, part of the goal of the American Revolution after some time was to break completely free of British rule. But, for some time that wasn’t the goal, and it wasn’t the goal of some people in North America at all. Also, there were, in some ways, different revolutions against different ideas happening at the same time. There was a revolution against the mother country of Britain being fought for freedom from taxes or freedom from the country as a whole, and a revolution around the social classes of the colonies was being fought. The people couldn’t decide how they wanted their society to look after the revolution against the British, and this is shown through the unedited version of the Declaration of Independence where Jefferson doesn’t wholly write out the rights of slaves in the “new” Americas, but that wasn’t a very popular opinion in every colony. As a result, the delegates from South Carolina and Georgia made Jefferson remove this one section of the Declaration of Independence. This is one example of the different social revolutions that the colonies may have gone through. But, the main revolution that everyone knows is the revolution between Britain and the English Colonies for the independence of these colonies. Complete independence from Britain was not always the mindset of the colonists for the outcome of the war. At first, most wanted the taxes that they believed were severe to be removed or reduced. Even though the citizens of Britain were being taxed almost 30 times the amount they were. But, it wasn’t until the war properly began or right before it had that the idea of complete independence came to full fruition in the colonies. And, even then there were still a number of loyalists in the colonies, people still loyal to the British crown, who did not want to completely separate from Britain but did want the taxes lowered. Showing that this revolution was not fully radical but was not in any way fully conservative in nature. This is why I believe that the American Revolution was neither conservative nor radical, but somewhere in between.
11. Libby Knoper October 8, 2023 at 1:53 pm

    The American Revolution is radical but has an aspect of conservative. After the revolution ended, most changes were happening, but some stayed the same.

    One way the American Revolution was conservative was still having a central government within the nation that governed all of the colonies and would make laws in addition to government within each colony. Another way the American Revolution was conservative was by wanting to keep trade going with Britain and having ships go back and forth from and to each nation with goods like clothing from each nation as well as different food. Some things would be better grown in America so they would trade with Britain to get food or clothing.
    One of the ways that it was Radical was wanting to change from a patriarchy to a democracy so the colonists didn’t have one person making the laws by themselves with no representation. Another way it was radical is the change of the society. Nobody recognized the first son’s right to inherit the land and no one went by nobility titles anymore. Women were more supported in fighting and helping with businesses including farms and stores. Women like Molly Pitcher had helped during the revolution fighting and Abigail Adams had told her husband to “Remember the Women” while the men were going to make the central government. Another way was the separation of church and state. A lot of churches were founded by the king so when they gained independence from Britain the colonies didn’t found those churches. The churches that the colonies had founded were in three New England colonies. New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts in the form of a religious tax that was paid. One more way that the American Revolution was radical was Slavery. This is an effect that came after the Revolution happened. The Continental Congress had abolished the importance of slavery and most colonies went along with it excluding the southern colonies. During the Revolution, the British had promised to release any slaves that fought for them so the colonists had done the same thing.

    These are my reasonings as to why the American Revolution was radical with an aspect of conservative
12. Robert Morgan October 8, 2023 at 2:25 pm

    I think that the American Revolution was a conservative revolution in terms of what happened to our country and radical because of what changed for minorities during that time like women and African Americans. First, the American Revolution was conservative because we did not revolt against old-fashioned institutions, but carried out a democratic movement that was already in place years before. We did not revolt against the British because we wanted something completely new and radical, we revolted against the British because we wanted to change things to what they were before, where we were self-ruling, self-sufficient, and the British had still implemented Salutary neglect. Unlike other revolutions such as the French (1789-1794) and the Russian (1917-1922), the American Revolution had a much easier time revolting rather than the French and Russian where they encountered relentless repression from the military. These other revolutions fought against feudalism and aristocratic privilege that was never encountered in American colonies. Another piece of evidence to prove the conservative revolution was that when America gained independence they went back to a central government. Under the power of the Constitution, colonists were scared that the central government would do the same thing the British did. The author Mercy Otis Warren pointed this out and said that without a Bill of Rights that the government would betray the people of the US.

    On the other hand, the American Revolution can also be seen as radical because of what happened regarding women and African Americans. During the war, women were often support for their husbands. Sometimes, they wanted to help fight for their country in instances like Mary McCauley and Deborah Sampson. Also, women would help maintain the colonial economy by running businesses and farms. This was very important because it helped women gain a small step towards recognition and more equal situations. The revolution began to help women rethink their own marital situations–the more men protested against England reminded many American women how badly they were treated at home. Soon after, under Abigail Adams revised laws, women would gain court protection against abusive husbands and not lose their property and wages to men once they married. Similarly, the allowance of African Americans fighting in the war in exchange for their freedom afterwards helped their cause for freedom. In Britain, a member of Parliament proposed the general emancipation of slaves in January 1775, but this was never passed. The American Revolution was both radical and conservative, but women and African Americans had a part in this war which helped them gain more respect and equality. In terms of the colonists and the country overall, this was a conservative revolution because they fought to return back to what they lived like before, not for something entirely new.
13. Eli October 8, 2023 at 2:43 pm

    Eli’s Essay.
    The two arguments on the status of the revolution (Conservative or Radical) both have great points and are both correct depending on who is being focused on. If one looks at the perspective of poor white people, enslaved or free African Americans or Native Americans, It is obvious that the revolution was radical. Those people listed had no rights to vote and in some cases no rights at all. For example almost 30,000 African Americans fought in the war of independence whether for the british or Americans, they were fighting over freedom but not necessarily for young America. The African Americans involved in the war fought because they were offered freedom from bondage if they did so. On top of that most Native Americans who fought in the Revolutionary war, did so for the British because they were fighting so that they could live on the land dwelled in by their ancestors. Poor white people like the Paxton Boys were also fighting a radical fight, even before the revolutionary war, groups like the Paxton Boys and The Regulators were fighting for the right to vote, they even went into towns and battled against rich folks in attempt to gain new rights, their struggle was sort of like city versus country. In other words these were radical groups, fighting for change. On the other hand if one observes the rich white men who had been able to vote and live their ideal way of life for a few hundred years, they were simply fighting to keep the privileges that they had possessed under salutary neglect. For example the declaration of independence, one of the most important of our historical documents, was solely written and signed by people who were rich, white and some might even say aristocrats. Under salutary neglect wealthy people were able to establish collective power in their communities and come up with awesome things like bodies of representation (which mostly represented the ideals of white landowners). All in all I have been able to conclude that there was not really only one revolution, but two grouped into one. One revolution was to keep rights alive, and the other was to gain the rights that the fist was fighting to keep. Since both revolutions were fought in unison and fought by one people as a collective they are balled together (In my opinion).
14. Molly Heller October 8, 2023 at 2:48 pm

    I believe that the revolution started out as being radical, but then proceeded to occupy a more conservative state. I think this because the colonists began in a united form to fight the British and win independence, but as Historian Arthur Schlesinger stated, there was also the question of who would take over when the colonists were free from Britain. Specific social classes and people, like conservative merchants, took action because they were afraid of what would happen to their standing in society if they didn’t. In Nash’s article, he explains how the people at the lower parts of society started to use this opportunity to voice their opinions. These minorities, such as women, African Americans, and American Indians attempted to secure more rights. For example, women began to speak out more because they had been doing their husbands’ work for them since their husbands were away fighting in the war. Women had some rights as single women, but they wanted to fight for more rights as a married woman. Another example can be African Americans. Britain began to offer African Americans freedom in exchange for their services of fighting for Britain in the war. This led to the colonies also making the same offer because they wanted the African Americans to fight for them instead of the British. The African Americans saw the revolution as a time where they were able to get more advancements towards freedom. This shows that although the main purpose of the revolution was to get independence from Britain, it also served as an opportunity for less wealthy, or less recognized people to get more rights for themselves. Even though some people were fighting for individual rights, most colonists also continued to be a part of the war. They either fought in it or did something to help the cause. No matter what social class, or race a person was, the battle was common ground that united the colonies in a way that made the revolution seem very radical because everyone was fighting for the same thing. Historians in the 1950s made the case that there was no fighting between social classes, and that the colonists stayed united so that they would be able to beat the British and win independence. Overall, I do believe that the war ended up as more of a conservative revolution than a radical revolution, but there were definitely points where it could have been considered radical.
15. Ashlyn A October 8, 2023 at 3:12 pm

    I believe that the American Revolutionary war was a Radical Revolution, meaning that the American people overthrew their prior government and social order and made a new one of their own. Way before the revolutionary war, when the colonists settled in the newfoundland of America, they were leaving behind their past homes and government and moved to a place with no government made yet at all stating that they would have to create a new government of their own. Relating back to the Revolution, America was fighting England for their freedom to be their own nation which means they wanted to have their own government and have the power to make laws and articles for their new nation. If the people wanted to stay with the rights of people in Britain, they would have not been so unable to cooperate with the laws Britain tried to place on them.

    I can understand though that some could believe that it was a conservative revolution with some aspects. In Carl N. Degler’s article, “The American Past: An Unsuspected Obstacle Foreign Affairs,” published in 1963, he writes, “The colonials revolted against British rule in order to keep things the way they were, not to initiate a new era.” (Degler). I am aware of where the piece is coming from and what Degler means, but I do not agree that the people wanted to keep things the way that they were in Britain beforehand. These people just moved across oceans to this new land where some of their rights were controlled by an Island across the atlantic. I do not believe that they would want to be controlled by the country that enforced harsh taxation laws and acts upon them. Now I do know that there wer many loyalists that were loyal to the mother country, but the revolution as a whole was still a fight for independence away from Britain.

    The Progressive School paragraph written in the blog instructions, also helps defend my claim on how the revolution was radical. The progressive school talks about how the social classes affected the revolution. It says how people wanted the revolution to start sooner so that they would not lose their place in the social order. Creating a new social order is one of the things that makes a revolution radical.
16. Sylvia Duncan October 8, 2023 at 3:33 pm

    My opinion on the American Revolution is that I agree with some of conservative and socio-economic historians. I believe the American revolution was somewhere in between a revolution and not a revolution. I agree with the conservative historians’ points of view Robert E. Brown, who mentions how imperial policies after 1763 threatened the middle class society in Massachusetts and the people rose in rebellion to defend the existing social order in “Conflicting Views”. Threatened by the British controlling their taxes and economics. and to combat the British taking away their social order, the few people who were in the middle class rose in rebellion against the British to stay in power. I completely disagree with conservative historians who believe that most colonists qualified as members of the very inclusive middle class. I believe that the historians fail to mention all the Native Americans, women, poor people, and African Americans who were alive during this time period of the revolution and would not have been able to be counted as the middle class. The socio-economic historians on the other hand represent the minorities that the conservatives fail to talk about. (They mention the lower class and believe that they used this as an opportunity to change the undemocratic structure of social class.) They believe that when the small percentage of conservative merchants felt attacked by Britain’s new policies they called for the support of the large percentage of people who belonged to the lower classes. The lower classes then banned together to become the majority and hold political power in local governments. The Articles of Confederation were very helpful in declaring a greater democracy for all classes but then was reversed by the conservative counterrevolution that led to the Federal Constitution according to Schlesinger’s book, The Colonial Merchants and the American Revolution,1763-1776. To sum it up, my perspective is that the American revolution was both a revolution and not a revolution. My perspective lines partially up with the Progressive schools(1910s-1940s) (that was mentioned on the blog). Which is that the Revolution was two revolutions; external between the British and internal between social classes. The only part I disagree with on Progressive schools point of view, is that I believe that the revolution with the British was not a revolution since there was no change in social order. Other than that I pretty much agree with the Progressive schools view on the American Revolution.
17. Josh Peltz October 8, 2023 at 3:54 pm

    The American Revolution was both radical and conservative. On one hand, you can argue that the Revolution was mainly conservative. The revolutionaries wanted to revolt to protect their rights as British subjects rather than to try to gain control of the British. Unlike some other revolutions, the revolutionaries didn’t want to completely change society. Many of the leaders of the revolution were wealthy and didn’t want to lose their status or property. After winning independence, the colonists still ended up keeping some of the old policies and just making them better. Leaders like George Washington and John Adams were high on John Locke’s idea of natural rights but still careful and wanted to have a balanced government with a more conservative approach. On the other hand, there were many radical aspects of the revolution. Revolutionaries challenged the authority of the British government, leading to the Declaration of Independence in 1776, which implemented the principles of individual rights like freedom, equality, and self-governance within the new colonies. The colonists had a violent revolt against the Stamp Act, which, although probably an overreaction, shows their intent to want change, which can be perceived as radical. Gary Nash, a now-left historian, said that social class and economic differences and the differences between people in the countryside and people in towns or cities progressed with the revolution. Nash highlighted the frustration and resentment that laborers and frontier farmers felt at being left out of the social and economic changes that occurred in the eastern part of the colonies. Farmers and laborers clearly had a shift in thinking and wanted more say. This sparked a major shift in thinking by the colonies as a whole. We started to see people challenging the authority of kings and defending the revolutionary ideals of individual freedom and equality. Instead of sticking with a monarchy, the revolutionaries boldly chose to create their own form of government, changing the norm in the world at the time. This radical change also served as a powerful example for other oppressed people seeking independence. Within the newly formed colonies as the United States, the revolution brought major changes mainly in politics and society, breaking from tradition in a radical way.
18. Baity Wagner October 8, 2023 at 4:40 pm

    I believe the American Revolution was a conservative revolution, not a radical one. First, we should look at the definition of a revolution which is people overthrowing a political system. The Constitution focuses on the rights we have already obtained such as representative government and voting rights. Many have made the argument about the concept of natural rights, that all men are created equal, and all men should have freedom and follow the pursuit of happiness. Even so, we didn’t fully follow through with those ideas. Our voting rights were still limited to white, male, property owners enforcing the idea that not all men are created equal. This concept also pertains to running for office, still white, male property owners. We can even look at the first draft of our Constitution where we changed the right to own land to the pursuit of happiness showing we do not, in fact, believe everyone is equal. The idea of our inalienable rights is revolutionary for its time but doesn’t fit the description of a government revolution. You can make the same argument with slave freedom. After the revolution, five out of the thirteen colonies abolished slavery, some colonies in the South released slaves, and the importation of slaves was outlawed. Again, this event is revolutionary but is not overthrowing an existing, forced political system. England did make the colonies use slavery to grow their businesses and plantations or in the use in their own homes. It was entirely our decision to rely on slave labor instead of indentured servants, doing it yourself, or if you had the financial means, hiring someone to work for you. While it is also true the parliament also forced taxes on us such as the Sugar act, Stamp Act, the Port Bill, and many more we did not outlaw taxes altogether. In fact, the revolution didn’t seem to focus much on the taxation of the colonies but on our independence and inalienable rights (of course, it was still a factor but in my opinion, did not seem as major). In summary, the American Revolution was a Conservative revolution not a Radical revolution.
19. Robert Nelson October 8, 2023 at 5:30 pm

    In my opinion, the American Revolution was both a conservative and radical revolution. Let’s explore the conservative standpoint first, beginning with the end of the French and Indian War. The colonists were on their own in prosperity until the British first complained about their unwillingness to assist them in the war. Not much later, understanding the great war debt, Britain asserted a tax in the Sugar Act of 1764, causing an explosion of emotions in the colonies. The British thought it was only fair that the colonists paid for the efforts of the British to protect their land. The colonists thought this was a direct violation of their previous rights. A much further step ahead comes into play as the colonists initiate the Boston Tea Party, responding to taxation without representation. Ultimately, it was Britain’s fault for a prolonged period of salutary neglect that the colonists had this mindset of revolt because of taxes, but many colonists in the cities and congress had no intentions of breaking away from their mother country. In fact, the congress first sent out a peace effort, which was angrily dismissed by King George. This coincides with the words of Carl N. Degler who said: “The colonials revolted against British rule in order to keep things the way they were, not to initiate a new era.” (An Unexpected Obstacle in Foreign Affairs,” American Scholar Spring, 1963).

    I would say that the Revolution was also radical, mainly because of political changes. As expressed in “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine, it didn’t make sense for a country so far away to control American affairs, and that it was done so by God to create America as an independent nation. The increasing oppression by the British of colonial governments was a major radical factor for revolt. For example, the Quebec Act of 1774 organized Canadian lands and set them up so that there was no representative government, which instilled fear into the Americans that the British would do the same to them. On top of that, the reduction of the legislature in Massachusetts as a result of the Boston Tea Party was a direct action to diminish the representation in that area, as well as making a royal governor powerful. Bancroft argued that the revolution was a fight against tyranny and an oppressive government, and that winning the war meant freedom and a just government, concluding that political change was necessary and indeed a radical cause for revolution.
20. Juliette Shebib October 8, 2023 at 5:42 pm

    After looking at and reading over all of the sources given to me, couldn’t really decide whether I fully believed the American Revolution was radical or conservative. After going back through and reading over everything again, I think it’s extremely important that you take into consideration everything that happened in the revolution, from the struggling for a social change, economic change, mass amounts of conflict, etc. When you take this all into consideration, it really depends on which parts of the revolution you focus on, and those specific parts you look into can change how you view the revolution. What I mean by this, is that I think the revolution was a bit of both. For example, if you look into how the colonists were revolting against new British rule to keeps things how there were instead of just revolting in general, you can see how the revolution is more radical. However, if you look into how the revolution brought along a change in era for social status and freedom or independence, you can see how the revolution can be viewed as more radical. However, if I had to choose between whether I found the revolution radical or conservative, I would most likely choose radical in the end. One reason I’m leading more to radical is because page 95 of the review books brings up a fantastic point on the comparison of the American Revolution to the French revolution and the Russian Revolution which took place after the American Revolution. All three of the revolutions are compared to each other, and while they may have all started off as more conservative, they eventually all began to turn more radical as the years went on. I believe part of the reason for this is because even though the revolutions started off as more Radical, people who might have been of lower social or economic status might have seen a chance to turn the more conservative revolution into a radical to better their lives. Seeing the revolting begin could have given them the motivation and the hope that they could fix things. In the end, I mainly believe the revolution to be both radical and conservative, since it started off as more conservative though evolved to be more radical.
21. Charlisa P October 8, 2023 at 6:38 pm

    I believe that the American Revolution was a conservative movement with radical ideas. The revolution began with an adverse response from colonists, who felt that their way of life was threatened when Britain tried to exert control. However, the ideas of the revolution built upon Enlightenment thinkers and introduced radical ideas about social classes and the government deriving its powers from the people.

    Economic
    Economically, the revolution was about preserving colonist’s freedom to trade with other countries and with low/unenforced tariffs. Some of England’s regulations, especially the Navigation Acts and Townshend Acts, placed heavy restrictions on what the colonists could buy and levied taxes for the benefit of Britain and their companies (eg the British East India Company). In protest, Americans responded by boycotting British goods and supporting the Boston Tea Party because they wanted to conserve the trading dynamics prior to the acts. However, these events introduced some radical ideas about the ‘right to representation’ in parliament and heightened awareness among the colonists of any threats to their natural rights.

    Political
    Politically, the revolution was about conserving the representative legislatures in the colonies, but the British New York Suspending Act, Declaratory Act (asserted monarchy’s and parliament’s dominance over local legislatures), and Massachusetts Government act posed a direct risk to the relative freedom that Americans enjoyed before. This manifested in the popular saying ‘no taxation without representation’ and demonstrates how colonists wanted to defend their ability to participate (vote) in issues affecting them. These political beliefs may have united the colonists when they might have otherwise been divided in class conflict (Consensus School). Still, these were radical ideas at the time, especially the concept that the government should derive its power from the people. Moreover, the revolution challenged the authority of King George III, which may have gone on to inspire other revolts against monarchs such as the French Revolution and more.

    Social
    Socially, the revolution was conservative because it entrenched slavery and protected some of the elite classes that were in place before the war. However, new founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution led to some radical changes, especially institutionalized freedom of religion and speech. Furthermore, although they may have reinforced certain inequitable structures, the concept of natural rights as detailed in the Declaration of Independence and the freedom of petition/press/speech opened avenues for minorities (such as women and African American) to fight for their rights – described in the ‘Radical Revolution From the Bottom Up’ by Gary Nash.
22. Mia R October 8, 2023 at 7:15 pm

    I think that the American Revolution was both a radical and conservative revolution. Before the revolution the Americans had social and political ideals that they were expressing, but only partially. Their state legislatures had power, but the English always had more. They placed taxes, limited state governments, and imposed on the natural rights of the colonists. An example of this is after the Boston Tea Party, the Massachusetts government and Boston legislature were broken apart. They also changed the political structure in many ways, for example the government went from under the power of a monarchy to a representative democratic-republic with an electoral college. There were also social changes made including those with slavery. Under the Articles of Confederation there was the Northwest Ordinance of 1789, which abolished slavery in any states in the Ohio River Valley. The Americans fighting against this is what made it a radical revolution, they were fighting against the monarchy from the British. However, the revolution wasn’t entirely a radical revolution. A lot of the components about it made it a conservative revolution as well. What made it a conservative revolution was the fact that America still had part of a democracy, and the revolution was just strengthening it. Things like the House of Burgess were examples of these colonial democracies, they had power in their state, for the House of Burgess that was Virginia. Another thing is the salutary neglect taking place in America. The colonies were so used to being able to do whatever they wanted, when they wanted to do it. However after the French and Indian War the British Parliament and King George III started paying more attention to the colonies. They started to tax more and sent a standing army to the Americas. In a way the Americans were privileged compared to the other British colonies. The colonists didn’t have to worry about the British controlling them, this meant that when the British did start controlling them, they reacted badly. This proves that the American revolution was the colonists rebelling against the change in the way the British government treated them. In conclusion, the revolution was both radical and conservative based on their social and political structure as well as reactions to the British.
23. Margaux Nollet October 8, 2023 at 7:27 pm

    I believe the American Revolution was a mix of both conservative and radical elements.
    Thoughts from the blog’s easy: The American Revolution had two contrasting perspectives. On one hand, some viewed it from a conservative point of view, which depicted the British as oppressive rulers and the colonists as trying to fight back and defend their god-given rights within the British Empire. They aimed to preserve their position within the British system but wanted more freedom. However, other historians had a more radical point of view. They argued that social and economic grievances were the main reasons for the revolution; for example, many laborers were struggling to make ends meet. They faced rising living costs and bad wages, which made it difficult to provide for their families. Meanwhile, merchants and elites, who were closely tied to British mercantile interests, were gaining from the colonial trade. This shows that the revolution had deeper social and economic roots, making it also radical. Therefore, I believe it was not just conservative or radical; the revolution had a wide range of reasons from both sides. Some colonists were looking to safeguard their wealth and interests, reflecting a conservative side, but others were advocates of revolutionary ideals like liberty and self-government, which were closer to a more radical perspective.
    Thoughts from the textbook:The American Revolution was a particularly difficult issue because it had numerous causes behind it. Some believed it was about achieving self-rule and redistributing authority among the colonies. Others thought it was because British authority was oppressive and colonists were struggling economically. Later, individuals began considering power and rights as the primary drivers. Young historians first discussed how society’s issues contributed significantly to the revolution in the 1960s. Today’s researchers believe that strong convictions and financial interests both played a significant role in why this happened. Recent experts study conflicts between many groups, not just between the rich and the poor.According to some historians, the Revolution even challenged social norms like respect to authority, a male-dominated culture, and gender-specific roles that people played. Basically, a combination of ideologies, financial interests, and social concerns led to the revolution, which makes it hard to say if it was purely radical or conservative, as it had ideas of both.
24. Max October 8, 2023 at 7:41 pm

    The Revolution created a Jurassic change in American History, and it was both a radical and conservative revolution. I believe that the revolution was radical because the British did a terrible job at governing the continent and were not in full control or support of the colonists who were in America. The British imposed unfair laws on Americans that those in Britain did not have to abide by, such as the sugar act or stamp act which colonists had no part in determining. The British continuously tried to expand their control over the colonies, and due to the colonies being relatively young and timid to expand without the British they continued for way too long under British rule. Due to this when the revolution sparked it can be seen as radical by many because there was so much building tension for years between the colonies and the Government in England that the revolution unleashed many emotions and caused a revolt due to the constant state of oppression the colonies were in from the British. On the other hand, I can also see the American Revolution as a conservative revolution because I believe the colonies are often interpreted as if they didn’t escalate the Revolution. I believe that the Americans were often purposefully in opposition to the British because the colonies did not flourish in the ways people had hoped. There was a lot of disease and war and colonists looked for someone to blame. Since America was under British rule, and needed British support I also believed that it was fair for the colonists to pay the taxes to be defended by the British especially due to the conflicts with Native Americans at the time. I also believe that the Boston Tea Party is not justifiable, and that the colonists continued to rebel because they didn’t know how else to communicate their frustration.
    The Revolution was in a sense both a radical and conservative revolution, but it will stay a topic that is open to debate and answers will vary between people. I see both sides and I believe the answer is more complex than just conservative or radical.
25. Landon Lamb October 8, 2023 at 8:12 pm

    I think the American Revolution was a conservative revolution rather than a radical revolution. One reason I think this was a conservative revolution was because the Americans tried to keep their settlement all over the country the way they had it and not change it. An example of the colonists trying to keep it the same is under the text Conflicting Views, “The colonials revolted against British rule in order to keep things the way they were, not to initiate a new era,” (Degler). This quote proves that the Revolution was conservative because they aren’t trying to change anything, just keep their life the same. Another example of the revolution being conservative is in The American Revolution Seen from the Bottom Up, “Those who… have asserted that the Revolution aimed only at separation from Great Britain are quite right,” (Lemisch). This quote elaborates on the fact that the Revolution wasn’t to change anything with the society, economy, or culture, its purpose was to separate from Britain’s tyrannical rule. In the book, How Radical Was The Revolution? the book talks about the revolutions going from least to most radical; “He observed that each revolution passed through similar stages and became increasingly radical from one year to the next,” (United States History). This quote means that the American Revolution is the least radical or not radical at all. In the hardcover textbook, it mentions that the Americans just wanted to keep their beliefs alive and stay with their ideas and not Britain’s; “The rhetoric of the Revolution, they suggested, was not propaganda but, rather, a real reflection of the colonists ideas,” (American History 132). This quote elaborates on the idea about how the American Revolution was conservative and not radical because it says they just wanted to express the ideas they already had. Also, they didn’t want to believe and follow everything the British told them to do, they wanted freedom to think, freedom of religion, and government which they already had in the colonies. All in all, this evidence proves the idea that the American Revolution was more of a conservative revolution than a radical one.
26. Clare G October 8, 2023 at 8:39 pm

    I believe that the American revolution was a blend of revolution and conservatism, and it can’t be easily defined as either due to the complex nature of the events. Some of the more revolutionary ideas were the political changes and ideological shift that came with the revolution, however, it failed to provide considerable change to matters like racial and gender equality. Some of the conservative aspects were that the colonists framed their arguments as preserving their rights and the self governance they had established. Also, compared to other revolutions like the French Revolution, the American Revolution did much less to uproot society as it was, focusing rather on the creation of a stable government. The Revolution encompassed both conservative and revolutionary elements, driven by a desire to protect existing rights, while simultaneously embracing revolutionary ideas, and cannot be categorized as one or the other, lying somewhere in the middle.
27. Ari Blank October 8, 2023 at 8:42 pm

    The American Revolution was a radical revolution. In the time before the revolution, the colonists were ruled by a monarch and parliament in England. The colonists believed they were given no direct representation in the government. The government in Britain believed that the colonists did have representation in government because the colonists were British, and British people were represented in government. Regardless, the colonists had little problems with the government during the time of salutary neglect. The problem only arose when that period ended, and government acts from Britain started to get enforced. This led to the British government becoming very unpopular in the colonies and forced colonists to express their dislike of the situation. The colonists showed their emotions in many ways. They created their own government, boycotted British goods, and attempted to not obey British laws. In the “Consensus Movement” self-government in the colonies is present. Since most colonists were unhappy with the British government, self-governing from each colony started to arise. For me, this is one of the first clues that the colonists wanted to break away from the old government and create their own. Another example that makes the American Revolution a radical revolution comes in the Gary Nash article “The radical revolution from the bottom up”. Nash states, “For a reformed America, they looked toward a redistribution of political, social and religious power; the discarding of old institutions and the creation of new ones.” Not only did the colonists want a voice in their own politics, social, and religious power, but they wanted to be the main people to have control. Getting their power back from the British government was not what they wanted. They wanted to create a completely different system, where they had the power. Lastly, in the conflicting views articles, Charles and Mary Beard express their view of the revolution. “… has sought to cut and fashion the tough and stubborn web of fact to fit the pattern of his dreams.” This expresses how after a certain point, the colonists didn’t want the British to fix their problems. The colonists didn’t believe in the British government to fix their situation, and the only solution would be to break away. Once the colonists won the war, they created their own government. The American Revolution was a radical revolution because the colonists broke away from an existing system and created their own system that satisfied their needs.
28. Dylan Brand October 8, 2023 at 9:11 pm

    The American Revolution was revolutionary. According to the Oxford Dictionary, Revolutionary is defined as “Involving or causing a complete or dramatic change.” Throughout the time period of the American Revolution, there are many examples of dramatic changes both internally, regarding events between the colonists, and externally, regarding conflicts with England.

    The revolutionary war led to many complete changes in the colonies. One main example is the constitution itself. The constitution was a combination of many other ideas, however, it clearly led to a dramatic change within the colonies. For the first time in the colonies, there was a balanced government, neither the individual states nor the country had too much power unlike the articles of confederation or the Kings of England. The Constitution was also the first document to be considered “Living”, meaning that every amendment could be altered if seen fit. Another example of dramatic change within the colonies was the separation of church and state. Shortly after the Revolution, most states halted government funding of religious practices. This was significant because it caused churches such as the Anglican Church to shut down. However, Its main effect was that a certain religion was no longer imposed on people based on which state they lived in and who their funds went to. Instead, there was vast religious freedom.

    When looking at the ways America changed during and after the Revolutionary war regarding their connection with England, there are many examples. One main conflict that evoked change were the acts passed by parliament. Specifically the Intolerable Acts passed in 1774. The Intolerable acts were a response by the British Parliament to the Boston Tea Party. England passed two sets of acts. The Coercive acts shut down the Boston Port, shut down the Massachusetts government, allowed all British officials convicted of a crime in America to be tried in England, and expanded the quartering acts. The Quebec Act extended Quebec to take American owned land and made the main religion Catholicism, a religion whose people had been hated by American colonists. These acts were significant because it convinced many Americans that they had to sever ties with England.

    Over the course of the American Revolution, there are many examples of dramatic or complete changes. Some internal, like the creation of the constitution, and other external like the acts imposed by England on the American colonies. All in all, The American Revolution was Revolutionary.
29. Hadley Kostello October 8, 2023 at 9:16 pm

    The Revolutionary War by today’s standards was conservative. By the definition in the blog, a conservative revolution is where the people revolt in efforts to preserve the powers or rights they have been practicing for years. This is what happened as a result of the revolutionary war. The rights that were practiced before the war were also practiced after. The war benefited the middle to upper class white men in America. Unlike groups such as women and enslaved people, the white men continued to practice many of the rights they already had. White men were the only citizens allowed to vote, similar to Great Britain. “Second class citizens” like women and enslaved peoples’ lives barely improved after the Revolution. Also, though certain aspects, like the new government differed from their previous motherland, many of their governmental aspects were already established before freedom was gained. As thought during Imperial schools(1890s-1940s), the colonies benefited from the salutary neglect. Salutary neglect–the time in which the colonies were basically ignored by Great Britain, therefore being left to their own devices–allowed the colonies to grow governments, tradition and norms. Importantly, the colonies grew a social order different to Great Britain. In my opinion, the end of salutary neglect is where the true revolutionary tensions arose. When salutary neglect ended, Great Britain paid more attention to the colonies. With this new attention came the higher prevalence of the British government throughout the colonies. Many conflicts arose, especially regarding the taxation of the colonies. As this strayed from their life during salutary neglect, the taxation–especially because they had no representation–upset the colonists. This economic factor was one of the reasons by which the colonists decided to revolt. But, it is important to state that once the war ended, taxation without representation also ended. Some could argue that this was radical, as the British practiced such taxation, but I disagree. This “new” form of government was actually not new at all. During colonial time, the colonial governments were representative, therefore the citizens were included to an extent in decision making. What added to the need of revolution was the social classes. Gary Nash states that there was an increasing gap between the social classes, and a lack of social mobility. A lot of anger and frustration was growing in the lower classes, as they were becoming farther and farther away from others. What is important to remember is that after the revolution, the social classes stayed the same. In fact, many citizens stayed angry and rebelled, like Daniel Shays. It wasn’t until years later that the issues within the social classes were fixed. In conclusion, the revolution in today’s standards was quite conservative. Much of colonial life did not change after the revolution.
30. Logan Albritton October 8, 2023 at 9:27 pm

    I believe the revolution was a conservatory revolution that had somewhat revolutionary effects. The ideals and beliefs the colonists were fighting for were already widely used and accepted in the colonies. Democracy for example was, in some way, part of every single colonies’ government. The “Debating the Past” section of the textbook talks about how it was mainly based out of economic greed and the colonists wanting to be able to control all of their trade. It also mentions how there also seemed to be a basic political view, which involved their freedom and rights. It was said that these two factors didn’t compete with each other, but rather reinforced one another. Everyone had interests and every one had ideologies, when you look at the two comparatively it becomes clear that the revolution sort of gave everyone a chance, especially people further down on the rungs of society. In Gray Nash’s “Radical Revolution from the Bottom Up”, it is talked about how the revolution was a chance for those lower class people because of all of the ideas circulating around about spreading the wealth more and rights for minorities. The common people who participated in the revolution began to think for themselves and advocate for their own beliefs, not only that, but they also got more people advocating for them as well, such as Thomas Peters. The African Americans also got their share of radical new thinking from the revolution, feeling there was a chance for things to be different. As more and more abolitionists fought for them, such as Hamilton, they gained more and more traction in the eyes of farmers who owned them. Farmers began to see the use of the word “liberty” among slaves more and more as they advocated for their rights and saw it as a threat. Especially in South Carolina, where slavery was arguably the most common, it was a big deal. So, the American Revolution was not based on any new ideas because the ideas being fought for were democracy and freedom, however, the people fighting for the ideas and the effect it had on people changed. This is likely why it was called a revolution, because of all of the new and different classes of people fighting for their rights.
31. Isabella Franco October 8, 2023 at 10:12 pm

    I believe that the American Revolution was both conservative and radical. On one end, the colonists were trying to maintain the representative government that they established. This can be seen in events such as the end of the French and Indian War, where the British began to believe that they had given their colonies too much freedom, which led to the enforcement of many new acts, such as The Proclamation of 1763, the Stamp and Sugar acts, and of course, the Intolerable Acts, which placed severe punishment on Massachusetts and restricted many of the privileges that they once had. The severe colonial rebellion that was caused by these events can only be described as conservative, as the colonists fought to protect their natural rights.
    What makes the revolution so complicated, however, is that there is significant evidence pointing towards both conservative and radical beliefs. While the colonists were fighting to maintain their self governance, there was a point when they also just wanted the British government out of the picture entirely. What had once worked with the British was no longer working anymore, so a new system needed to be created. This decision was divided among the colonies for a while. Some believed that complete independence from Britain was needed, while others simply wanted to negotiate, hoping to resolve the conflict with Great Britain by creating a new relationship. This was expressed with the “Olive Branch Petition,” which was sent to King George III with the intention of securing protection of colonial rights through Parliament (the petition was dismissed). Following the release of “Common Sense,” colonists began to change their opinions on what to do about the British. Thomas Paine was able to convince nearly all of the colonists that independence was needed.
    Colonists were fighting with many different intentions. The amount of evidence on both conservative and radical sides of the revolution is enough to prove that both points of view were equally present in the revolution. The colonists fought to keep their self governance and natural born rights (conservative), however, maintaining these rights under British rule was not possible, leading to the fight for complete independence against Great Britain altogether (radical).
32. Camelia October 8, 2023 at 10:18 pm

    The American Revolution, a pivotal event in history, exhibited a complex blend of both radical and conservative characteristics.

    On one hand, the revolution embraced radical ideals that went against traditional British authority. It had concepts such as individual rights, self-reliance, and self-governance. This shift towards more of a self-determined society can be shown in this quote from the blog post “Shared commitment to certain fundamental political principles of self-government” (Bailey 140). These revolutionary ideas served as something to unify Americans for their journey to independence.

    One example of the revolution’s radicalism was the Stamp Act Crisis. This event marked the first example of “taxation without representation,” which created unification against the British on behalf of the colonies. The Stamp Act imposed a direct tax on the colonies by the British, an act of taxation that was seen as intrusive since the British government had not been as involved in the daily lives of the colonists.

    However, it’s important to recognize that the American Revolution was not completely radical but as well as conservative. Colonists didn’t completely separate themselves from British traditions. Despite their desire for independence, the American colonists did not seek to obliterate all aspects of British society. They kept property rights and some social hierarchies, which was more conservative and maintained stability in the new nation.

    Following the achievement of independence, the United States embarked on a conservative path by adopting a federal system of government that incorporated democratic principles, including natural rights and the rule of law. Mercy Otis Warren’s has a quote which sheds light on the conservative viewpoint, and was against the new Constitution and the potential problems it could produce. The quote states: “Betray the people of the United States into an acceptance of a most complicated system of government, marked on the one side with the dark, secret and profound intrigues of the statesman … and on the other, with the ideal project of young ambition … to intoxicate the inexperienced votary.” (Warren). Warren’s concerns revolved around the new government and the potential for it to be corrupted by those in power.

    In conclusion, the American Revolution was a multifaceted period in American history. It exhibited both radical and conservative elements, which had both the want for independence and the preservation of certain established norms. While the revolution challenged British authority and introduced radical elements, it also retained elements of being conservative by maintaining aspects of British society in the new nation. These combination of ideals affected the way the American Revolution is viewed.
33. Em Rito October 8, 2023 at 10:22 pm

    When researching the American Revolution, one must consider if it is a conservative or radical revolution. And, while there are many varying viewpoints on this, I personally believe that it was a conservative revolution with many radical components to it. Due to the fact that it was a fairly conservative revolution (people fighting to keep their original rights/powers), there wasn’t too much of a shift in the governmental systems after the Revolution. It remained a white male property owning dominant government, where only white male property owners were allowed to vote for which white male property owners they wanted to run their government. With this, though, also allows us to acknowledge that there were radical components to the revolution. Because, while a majority of the voters were white male property owners, in some states, you could also be a female and vote (even though this right was removed in the 1800s due to blame on females in New Jersey rigging a previous election). And, with this, while they weren’t given too many rights, there were a lot more African Americans that were freed, due to the fact that they had fought in the Revoution (American armies bribed enslaved people into fighting for them by ensuring their freedom after the war was over, the British also took the same approach) and that slavery was banned after the Revolution in northern states. Also, another way that it wsa a conservative revolution was through an economical standpoint. Before the end to salutary neglect in 1763, which spiked taxes in the colonies, the colonists were overall happy with the British rule and didn’t really argue over taxes given to them. But, after the tax spike, they decided to start fighting back, trying to bring their taxes back down to the way they were. This demonstrates how it was a very conservative Revolution where colonists were just trying to maintain their original rights and return to their life before Britain decided to take more control of them, as vaguely as they did. But, with hearing the colonists cries for ‘freedom’ and ‘liberty’, enslaved people also started protesting their treatment and tried advocating for their rights, demonstrating a more radical way the revolution affected the colonies/states. They even created some petitions after the Revolutionary War addressed to the governemtn to readdress their treatment and to give them the rights that they deserve as human beings, following Thomas Paine’s theology demonstrated in his novel, Common Sense. Through everything that was demonstrated before, during and after the American Revolution, I believe it to be safe to say that the Revolutionary War was a conservative war with radical aspects to it.
34. Vishwa Charabuddi October 8, 2023 at 10:32 pm

    It’s essential to acknowledge that despite the changes brought about by the American Revolution, it was not as revolutionary as it may appear at first sight. The persistence of practices like slavery, deeply rooted in the fabric of the newly formed nation, undermines the idea of a complete revolution. Slavery continued to exist, and it would take many more years and another bloody Civil War, to address this fundamental contradiction between the principles of democracy and the harsh reality of slavery. This unresolved issue mirrors a shadow on the notion of a truly radical revolution, reminding us that even in the face of change; deeply systems of oppression can persist, challenging the ideology of the American Revolution.

    Indigenous nations faced the continued encroachment of their lands and the violation of treaties, despite the lofty rhetoric of American freedom. Women, too, found themselves excluded from many of the rights and privileges that were supposedly being championed in the new nation. Their lack of political representation and limited access to education and economic opportunities highlighted the limitations of the revolutionary changes. All of these are post revolution, which uniquely proves freedom and liberty were invisible in such a time period.
35. Vidushani Hettiarachchi October 8, 2023 at 10:45 pm

    I believe that the American Revolution was a radical one because American colonists fought hard to overthrow the British government for years by protesting and acting upon their beliefs and the impact it had on the community after the revolution. In “Debating the Past” in Ch. 5 of the hardcover textbook, it gives us two different perspectives of what the American Revolution was. One of the views was a political event that claims the revolt was a part of a shielding of ideals and the other was that the interests were at its heart. The American colonists were escaping the policies of British mercantilism and their unfair laws like the raised taxes, and although it was to pay for the military expenses, I think the amount of money they taxed was a little unreasonable. Which also led to the increased economic pressure on the colonists and colonial tradesmen. I would also like to add that it was a radical change because of the impact it had on society after the revolution. There were many long term discriminatory patterns that the revolution didn’t exactly shut down but more so lead to the breakdown of it all. Traditional gender roles and the patriarchy were breaking down and the subject of women and their education started to rise. According to “The Radical Revolution from the ‘Bottom Up’” from the Gary Nash article, Nash talks about how radicalism was connected with America and that it recast the social system to put power into the people. I think they completely got rid of the British’s old ways and turned it into something new or at least gave a start to a new society. Also in Chapters 4 and 5 “How Radical was the Revolution?” on p.95 in the review book, it also talks about the different approaches to the question of which type of revolution the American revolution would be considered. The American colonists were creating movements that have been gaining force for years so it makes sense that they wanted to get out of it. Despite the fact that I have been trying to claim that the American Revolution was radical, I think this mostly has to do with the way you perceive it. You can compare this to other revolutions in history and come to the conclusion that Americans had it easier or that it was inconsequential but this all depends on the way you view the revolution and everything leading up to it.
36. Finished version Charles Walsworth October 8, 2023 at 10:55 pm

    The American Revolution was both conservative and radical in nature. In support of the conservative part of the Revolution is the evidence that the colonies previously had self governance and experienced more autonomy before the revolution, which was disrupted by the end of a period of salutary neglect. This resulted in the stricter enforcement of laws and a shift in control to Britain. A result of one of the acts implemented that harmed self governance would be Massachusetts Government Act which replaced the existing legislative body with a royally appointed one. The colonists had experienced strong colonial resistance to this to maintain their tradition of self governance. So part of the Revolution was against British rule to conserve their self-governance. Another part of the Revolution was the radical nature of it. The American Revolution had a profound effect on many peoples than just white males. For example in the Gary Nash article, “The Radical Revolution from the ‘Bottom Up’’’For a reformed America they looked toward a redistribution of political, social, and religious power”. This can be demonstrated in the freedom gained by some previous slaves for fighting in the American Revolutionary war, and Republican motherhood which encouraged women to raise and educate future citizens. This Revolution also impacted natives by allowing for settlement westward which resulted in more hostility and the Trail of Tears. One of the biggest advocates of this is Abigail Adams according to the Gary Nash article, “The Radical Revolution from the ‘Bottom Up’”. She asked her husband John Adam to “remember the ladies” which means to consider their rights in the new nation, and in her writing” I wish most sincerely there was not a slave in the province.”
    For a short period In New Jersey because of the gender neutral writing of the New Jersey State Constitution they received the short term ability to vote that was took away in 1807 conclusion I believe the cause for the American Revolution was to conserve the tradition of self governance but that it also affected others such as Africans who were freed by fighting for the war ,women who became republican mothers, and the expansion into Native territory westward.
37. Safiya Mahmood October 8, 2023 at 11:08 pm

    Many historians debate whether the American Revolution was a conservative revolution or a radical one. I believe that the Revolution started off with conservative intentions but resulted in a radical change. To start off, colonists in North America were often proud to be British. They provided Britain with raw materials and in return they got access to goods, protection under the British military and liberties granted by the king. However the colonies and Britain were an ocean apart. This made it harder for the British to govern. Colonists usually resorted to making their own local assemblies and not having to follow British law as strictly. This is known as salutary neglect. When the French and Indian war occurred it caused major strain on Britain’s economic and other resources. To try and make up for this the British government began to actually enforce their laws and heavily tax the colonies. Thusfore ending salutary neglect. The colonies did not take this well as acts like the sugar, stamp, and quartering act pushed the economical strain on them instead. They viewed these laws as restrictive and taking away their previous liberties. Not only this but they took great offense to the fact that the British got to keep the majority of the land even though their men fought as well. This led to many rebellions such as the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea party. Both of these revolts were against the taxations placed on the colonies pushing for the liberties they used to have. The colonists’ last straw for their previous freedom was the Olive Branch Petition. In which it states that the colonies enjoy being loyal British subjects but wish to be more represented within Britain. Which further proves the idea that the revolution started off as a fight to restore the colonists’ societal ideals. However this attitude shifts when King George rejects the colony’s petition. These colonies began to seek independence from Britain in hopes of restoring their own independence and representation. They did so by having Continental Congress meetings and appointing delegates. Their ideas shifted from staying loyal to Britain so long as they could gain their freedom back to wanting complete emancipation from it. This idea within itself represents what a radical revolution stands for, to take control of a state and transform more than one or more of its elements. Within the fight for independence the fight for women’s rights or abolishing slavery tends to be lost behind rich white merchants wanting change. However, some of the most influential changes for impoverished communities happened due to the enlightenment that being suppressed doesn’t have to be the only way. For example the start of women’s voting or the beginning of abolishing slavery in the north. America gained a new country with a new set of laws and government. But it also gained the freedom of so many and the road to improvement for minorities to be a part of this new country.
38. Ian Whan October 8, 2023 at 11:08 pm

    The American Revolution was a very pivotal event in American history, was a multifaceted movement that had both radical and conservative elements. While it was originally made to break free from British colonial rule and establish a new nation, it also sustained certain conservative thoughts, particularly in its treatment of women and black people. The American Revolution was undeniably radical in its aim. It aimed to liberate the colonies from British oppression and establish a democratic system grounded in Enlightenment thinking. The Declaration of Independence, with its claim that “all men are created equal,” symbolized a radical exit from the British monarchy. The Revolution influences discussions about individual rights and the role of government, laying the groundwork for the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. However, despite its radical delivery, the American Revolution had a lot of conservative undertones. Many of the revolutionary leaders were wealthy landowners who were hesitant to affect the social hierarchy, as it might effect their own status. Women were excluded from political participation, and slavery continued, definitely with no urgent plans for abolition. In this sense, the Revolution preserved conservative undertones of the time, living social inequalities intact. The American Revolution had a mixed impact on women. While it did not bring about immediate changes in their legal and political status, it did inspire some women to advocate for their rights. Abigail Adams, for instance, famously urged her husband, John Adams, to “remember the ladies” when drafting new laws. The Revolution also encouraged women to participate in boycotts and support efforts to achieve independence. Also prior to the public education system, kids were homeschooled, women were expected to raise and educate their children to be the next democratic leaders of the country, but they weren’t able to do so if they didn’t have some sort of education. This lead to them needing an understanding of what the men were taught. For black people, the American Revolution presented complex challenges. Some enslaved individuals saw the Revolution as an opportunity for freedom and joined the fight, hoping for emancipation. However, this hope often went unrealized, as slavery persisted in many states well after the Revolution. The American Revolution was a revolutionary and conservative movement that had keen implications for women and black people in America. It embodied radical aspirations for liberty and equality, while also sustaining the conservative values and practices, particularly in relation to social hierarchies. While women found inspiration to advocate for their rights, and some black individuals saw hope for freedom, the Revolution’s full potential for social change remained largely unfulfilled for these marginalized peoples.
39. Kabir October 8, 2023 at 11:08 pm

    I believe that our American Revolution was a mix of a conservative and radical Revolution. Historians have compared the American Revolution to the French and Russian Revolutions and found that America didn’t rebel against Britain, as much as they just had a democratic movement that they had been trying to have for years. The colonists rebelled against Great Britain to keep things the way they were before 1763 when the British started enforcing laws instead of continuing the practice of Salutary Neglect. The Americans had gotten used to self-government in their colonies and were taken aback when the British started to enforce laws and taxes. The colonists focused on maintaining liberties that had already existed instead of making new ones. They wanted to maintain a social, political, and economic order that had existed before the British stopped Salutary Neglect. Even the Imperial School believed that colonists benefited while there was Salutary Neglect and after 1763, they “moved in the direction of more home rule”. Colonists did not want to radically restructure society. The colonists were at first hoping to repair relationships with Great Britain instead of seeking independence. This is shown by the colonists sending out the Olive Branch Petition in July 1775 to King George the Third. The colonists asked the King to step in against Parliament and get peace and protect the colonists’ rights. It is important to note that the colonists were asking for the King to protect rights that had already existed before. However, here is where the status of the American Revolution as we know it changes. After the King declared the colonies to be in rebellion and took large steps such as passing more acts that hurt the colonies, Thomas Paine and other colonists wanted radical change. Paine, in Common Sense, argued that the colonists should become independent and break ties with the British. Then, the Continental Congress started to favor independence and came up with more radical ideas such as the fact that all men are created equal. After the Revolutionary War, the idea that the Revolution had turned radical became more clear as we can see that the colonists added ideas into their Constitution (Articles of Confederation) that didn’t exist during British rule such as the removal of aristocratic titles and separation of church and state. We see more examples of this in the article by Gary Nash called “The Radical Revolution from the Bottom Up”. We see that women became more independent during the Revolution as they ran farms and businesses while the men were at war. Women saw that the treatment they received from their husbands was unfair after America protested against England and began to take action. Rules that stated men could beat women were seen as unacceptable. Abigail Adams even made revised laws helping women. Gary Nash also writes about the poor versus wealthy attacks before the Revolution and how they led to the Revolution. This shows that some people wanted change in the social order before the Revolution. In conclusion, there are many aspects of radicalism and conservatism in the American Revolution. The Revolution starts out as conservative but eventually progresses into becoming radical.
40. Lynn Meradi October 8, 2023 at 11:09 pm

    Many historians ask themselves the question about the American Revolution, it was “a radical revolution or a conservative one?” I believe that the revolution involved both factors. The revolution can be seen as radical by colonists wanting to change the existing social and economic order within the colonies and construct a new one. This can be conveyed through pre-revolutionary times and how it was a non-democratic environment, with the poor class being deprived of their right to vote, while rich landowners and merchants got to have many more luxuries, including voting rights. However, in 1765, the intolerable acts began causing both the upper and lower class to rebel against Britain and show their discontent with their poor government control of the colonies. This caused the lower class to improve their way of living by having more say in political affairs (The Articles of Confederation) and having the American aristocracy’s power diminish. Along with slavery being abolished in the North, voting and running for elections were lowered in terms of property ownership. Lastly, Gary Nash in his article titled “The Radical Revolution from the ‘Bottom Up”, says, “Promoting and Presecuting the Revolution instilled in ordinary and subjected people a new sense of themselves,…” (Nash 10). In this excerpt, Nash is describing what it meant for the lower class to finally have some sort of control over their own government. On the other hand, not all elements of society were altered within the revolution. Many colonists were set in their traditional British rights and liberties, so when parliament wanted to change their way of governing the colonies, many Americans were displeased with this. Moreover, Daniel J. Boorstin exhibits that after Americans gained their independence from Britain and even created a new nation, they still kept their British traditions. An example of this is, no taxation without representation, free speech, petition, and assembly, and lastly, trial by jury. In this sense, many could see how colonists had a more conservative view and were fighting to keep old rights. Overall, the American Revolution shows both elements of conservative and radical ideals, but it all relies on how one views the events of pre-revolution and after it, but also which perspective they are reading it from.
41. Sofia Alrawi October 8, 2023 at 11:12 pm

    While historians have produced countless evidences to defend the legitimacy of the American Revolution, I still find myself siding with those who oppose this view. I believe that, while there were certainly many revolutionary ideas that occurred as a product of the revolution, the revolution itself was more conservative, centered around preserving an exclusive societal balance that had been disrupted by the consequences of the Seven Years’ War. With Britain beginning to turn its attention back toward the colonies, economic norms that had been in place for decades began to be disrupted. The current colonists of America had grown used to their near independence, and the rapid institution of direct taxes and armed forces from a country that had long neglected them was not easy to accept. However, as John Dickinson’s Olive Branch Petition named them, many colonists still outwardly considered themselves “faithful subjects” of the king. Despite the colonies’ respect toward England being partially exaggerated, the petition still reflects their general attitude prior to King George III’s refusal to repeal the Acts. Though America’s desire for independence grew as the revolution progressed, colonial rebellion initially began as a way to reverse laws such as the Sugar and Stamp Acts through boycotts and directly disobeying them. Few of these methods had further motives, and most colonists were only interested in holding the same political rights as citizens of England rather than full governmental freedom. Still, some may argue that peoples’ rejection of the societal system in America is proof of a true revolution. As explained by Gary Nash, America was in the midst of a class conflict between poorer laborers and the richer, better governmentally supported opportunists of the eastern coast. Additionally, as written in Nash’s “The Radical Revolution From the ‘Bottom Up’”, many colonists were uncovering flaws in slavery by comparing their struggle for independence to the desire for freedom and equality that they had continuously denied African American laborers. Though I agree with the importance of these events in the growth of America, the quality of life for both slaves and the lower classes was not greatly improved despite the ratification of the Constitution and America’s governmental freedom as its own country. The Constitution’s amendments were partly general and partly exclusive, often catering only to white landowners or people of a higher societal standing. Moreover, though the Declaration of Independence’s idea that “all men are created equal” was quite radical on it’s own, it was only reflective of the equality between social classes rather than true equality between men and women of all races and backgrounds. England’s monarchy had already provided little influence during its period of salutary neglect, creating a relatively stable respect for all classes with no preference to those of royal blood long before the events of the revolution took place. Therefore, I don’t believe that the revolution succeeded for the purpose of adopting new and radical ideas; it only increased their existing importance to society as colonists began to appreciate and defend their unalienable rights. I believe that the American Revolution produced countless long-term effects on society, but the revolution itself did not seem to have these goals in mind, and was simply an effort to preserve and reinstate the freedoms that Americans had come to enjoy.
42. Chloe Nemeth October 8, 2023 at 11:20 pm

    From all I have learned so far, I believe that the revolution was a conservative revolution more than it was a radical revolution. The British started taxing the colonists from the French and Indian War, hearing about how Britain taxed the colonists only 1 shilling and the Brits were taxed 26 shillings really resonated with me. My interpretation of the revolution was that Britain was taxing only the colonists heavily and they were making them pay the debts from the French and Indian war. Based on the reading I’ve done I’ve learned that the colonists were paid more and taxed less than the British. I don’t believe the revolution was as radical as it is being told today, in the review book the article “How Radical Was The Revolution” it is explained that Americans merely transferred to maturity with a movement that was snowballing for years inside people’s heads, instead of revolting against the acts of Britain. I think that the revolution was in the back of people’s minds for years and colonists were already on their own until Britain taxed them, a result of the Stamp Act, and they came together and gained their independence. The revolution was revolutionary in the sense that the colonists united against the British and gained their independence, but they were really just trying to get things back to normal. In the “Conflicting Views” page in our packet, the idea that colonials revolted against the British to keep things the way they were and not create a new era is expressed by Carl N. Degler. Before the French and Indian War Britain rarely engaged with the colonies and treated them with salutary neglect. But this led to self-government by the colonists and when Britain started changing things in the colonies, the colonists got angry and wanted things to go back to normal. This sparked the thinking of independence not because the colonists wanted to stand against the British and change them, but because they wanted to make things go back to normal. As expressed in Gary Nash’s “The Radical Revolution from the Bottom Up” even colonists who had little say in the political world stood up to speak their minds. So, the revolution was not very revolutionary because the colonists’ intentions were not to change their whole government and way of living, they just wanted to go back to the way things were before the French and Indian War.
43. Matias October 8, 2023 at 11:34 pm

    The revolution was in some ways radical such as how it helped popularize the idea of the separation of church and state, and independence. Independence is a very radical idea because America had completely cut off relations with Britain which meant that Americans had to trade with other foreign countries and they will try to start a new type of economy with all thirteen colonies. Another way the revolution was radical is because the United States had established a different structure of government which was now a more centralized government and also all thirteen states had their own constitution. The revolution led to America making the articles of confederation which gave power to the congress to wage war, make treaties, send diplomatic representatives, and borrow money from other nations.

    I think that the revolution was both revolutionary and conservative. I think it was revolutionary because America’s revolutionary war led to other countries around the world to do the same thing and to follow some similar steps as what the United States did such as how the stages of the American revolution were very similar to the French and Russian revolutions, also something that the page did not talk about was how the American revolution encouraged people from places in South and Central America to also gain their independence from the spanish, french, and or portuguese. I believe that the revolutionary war was also conservative because the people in the colonies were not truly affected by the independence, also even though the United States economy was bad right after the war the people living in there did not actually see a dramatic change of the style of living, also the colonists were looking to gain democracy after gaining their independence but they already had some kind of democracy in the colonies. Another reason why the revolution was conservative is from the Article “The Radical revolution from the ‘Bottom up’” by Gary Nash which in one of the paragraphs he talked about how colonials did not fight over making a change but they wanted to keep things the way they were already in the colonies.
44. Maggie Wehler October 8, 2023 at 11:53 pm

    It can be argued that the American Revolution was both conservative and radical. It all depends on which part of society is being observed. For white males, or people with more money or higher status the revolution would be seen as conservative. It was to preserve rights and ideas that they already had. But more radically, people with lower social status, and the poor are given more opportunity under democratic ideals. Minorities including women and enslaved people could take full advantage of the revolution being radical to gain rights or movements toward those aforementioned rights. In the perspective of a conservative revolution, American society was seen as basically already democratic in the colonial period. Many people owned property and with that many people could vote. This group within society was satisfied with their status and democratic liberties. “This group” is the white, wealthy, men who were the most privileged within the colonies. For them their life did not change. The revolution was only to defend their democratic social order against British control. The democratic movement of the Revolutionary War had been building long before the final constitution was written to solidify the democratic republic of the United States. On the other hand, the view of a radical revolution is supported by the social and economic change found post-war. There was an American aristocracy prevailing, causing undemocratic structure; the lower classes were poor, did not have privileges, and could not vote. With the Revolution, land was redistributed and property qualifications for voting were lowered. All of these changes allowed the radical advance in economics and politics for lower class citizens. In Gary Nash’s “The Radical Revolution from the Bottom Up” he presents important examples of radical development in the Revolutionary War. One example would be women’s independence from the result of their men being away at war. The women would run farms or businesses, essentially holding up the economy. This showed the capability of women opposed to their pre-war position to birth children and tend to the house. The “rule of thumb” enabling abuse of wives was discarded, being seen as unacceptable, around this time as well. A second important group is the enslaved in America. Slaves and other African Americans were able to fight in the war and some were granted freedom in exchange for assisting. Furthermore, 107 enslaved in the Charleston area ran away and joined a group in the Colleton County area. Finally, by 1789, five of 13 states enabled free black men with the right to vote. A truly radical revolution, the declaration of independence had a great impact on with its statement, “all men are created equal”. The results of the war can be studied as conservative as well as radical. The American Revolution protected the rights of some and simultaneously granted rights and fueled ideas for others.
45. Hadi Berro October 8, 2023 at 11:57 pm

    When people are trying to get back their rights that they had been exercising for years. In the text above the author does make a good argument of claiming that it was a radical Rvoltuion, he talks about how the Colonists were being taxed less than the Brits, so there wouldn’t be that much to have a revolution about, but in my opinion which derives from the Brinkley History textbook and Gary Nash, ” Everyone has economic interests.” This convinced me that the problems colonists had were not enough to cause a revolution. According to the review book, there was a time of Salutary Neglect in the colonies, this is when British laws were less strictly enforced on the colonies. In this period Americans began to think of new ideas of government and started to develop an individual self-government, each one specifically for one colony, not one government controlling all of the colonies which is how it was for the British. The Americans felt as though this worked for them, but at the end of Salutary Neglect, the British started to enforce their laws and taxes harder on Colonists. So if I were a colonist who got used to and agreed to one specific type of governing for the colonies, I would fight for the rights and laws that I had the luxury of in the past. So no, this is not radical but I’m just fighting for my way of life. According to the great historian Goerge Bancroft, “Revolution was a “struggle between liberty and tyranny… represent[ing] one phase of a master plan by God for the march of all mankind toward a golden age of greater human freedom” (Bancroft 13). This is evidence from a very prominent historian that Americans were only trying to fight for their peace, freedom, and own way of government. In the small article, “Conflicting Views”, Carl N. Degler says my point exactly: ” The colonials revolted against British rule to keep things the way they were, not to initiate a new era.” There is an argument that the British are the rightful owners of America and control it, but why would the colonists let a small far away island control how they live? I feel like Britain and America are too far apart for one to influence the way of life or government of another.
46. Rhian Dansby October 9, 2023 at 4:23 am

    I believe the American Revolution was both radical and conservative. There were a few events that made it both. It was radical because the value of independence was huge, so the fact that the Americans challenged the British government’s authority by making natural rights was radical. Some felt as though economic and social injustices were the main reasons that the revolution even started. Another thing is if you think about the enslaved black people, poor white people, and the Native Americans then it was also very radical because they were treated differently and didn’t get the same rights as rich and middle-class white men. An example is that when offered to fight in the war, there were many African Americans who chose to fight in the war for their freedom. Another example is that the Native Americans also fought in the war because they believed that if it was successful then they would be allowed to keep control of their homelands. Lastly, the poor white people just wanted the right to vote so they also chose to fight in the war. Gary Nash talks about how there was a gap between social classes and a lack of social mobility in the revolution. He also talks about there being some attacks on the wealthy by the poor because they felt they were being left out of the economic changes that were happening and they felt that fighting them could make some change with that. On the other hand, the revolution was also conservative. The colonists just wanted things to go back and for peace. They still wanted to keep their position under the British system but with more freedom. An example was said by Carl N. Degler under Conflicting views “The colonials revolted against British rule in order to keep things the way they were, not to initiate a new era”. Even though some had made the argument of natural rights they were still not fully followed. There was still slavery, and it mainly focused on rich white men. Not everyone got the right to vote or even freedom. In the end, I believe that it depends on the perspective to say if it’s either radical or conservative.
47. Hangyul Kim October 9, 2023 at 8:31 am

    *EDITED, MY PREVIOUS SUBMISSION WAS INVALID AND A MISTAKE*

    I wouldn’t say that the American Revolution was truly conservative or radical, but rather a mix of both.

    The main argument that the American Revolution was conservative is that it worked to maintain liberal ideas the colonies had for a long time. As stated in Conflicting Views, “The colonials revolted against British rule to keep things the way they were, not to initiate a new era.” Though this is true, there were still many other events that were interpreted as either radical or conservative. As shown in the Review Book, the Revolution could have been also viewed as a “radical break with the past”, and this can be argued considering that the Americans broke away from a monarch controlling a democratic society to become an independent democratic society. And one radical point of view comes from this idea. Unlike many other revolutions or revolts in Europe, the American Revolution was against a mother country, which controlled the colonies, rather than rich aristocrats or hierarchical rule. Also, the fact that the colonists tried to break away can be interpreted as radical. The colonists didn’t want to become independent at first, as seen in the “Olive Branch Petition”, but gradually desired to become independent because of the British’s unwillingness to change their policies. The fact that they separated was a movement that was radical and wasn’t the original desire of the colonies. There is also the conservative point of view on the actions that were taken by the colonists compared to other revolutions. Many historians find similarities between the actions of revolutionaries from the French Revolution, Russian Revolution, and American Revolution, arguing that the colonists’ actions were nothing special. But from the radical point of view, it is argued that the Americans had a much easier time revolting compared to the revolutionaries of the French and Russian Revolutions. This was mainly because fewer homeland soldiers were repressing the revolt in the Americas compared to the strong repression that the people faced in the French and Russian Revolutions. There were also economic influences in the American Revolution. As seen in the article, “The Radical Revolution from the Bottom Up” by Gary Nash, many poor people were able to become richer while the rich lost more money. This change in the classes supported the radical view and it was a significant change that had the poorer citizens have a larger influence in politics. It was a large change and was, therefore, radical. The article also showed that women tried to gain more rights which was a very radical idea for the time. Many women were treated like second-class citizens and the advocation for their rights was a leading factor to future feminists and feminist movements.
    Historians still argue about whether the American Revolution was radical or conservative, but we will truly know. Whether it was or not is a mere interpretation and in my interpretation of the American Revolution, it was both radical and conservative.
48. Aaron H October 9, 2023 at 8:55 am

    I believe that the American Revolution started very conservative, but over time shifted to a more radical fight for independence. I partially agree with the Progressive School, Bernard Bailyn’s, and Gary Nash’s view on it regarding the conservative argument. Before the revolution; trusting Bailyn’s claim, the colonists were very involved in political matters. Combining that with Nash’s study proves that the colonists; especially poorer colonists, were already annoyed with the society they had to live in. Thus, the colonists first targeted those around them alike to the revolts you mentioned; the Paxton Boys in PA and the Regulators in N.C. This was the Progressive Schools whole argument, regarding political internal and external matters; the disdain simply originated internally. It then started to transition to external, with conservative and radical actions. A more radical movement could be remembered as the Boston Tea Party, which happened on December 16th 1763. In response to this radical action, the British Government put the Coercive Acts in place the year after. These Acts further ridiculed the colonists, and honestly promoted radical action. Even so, congress still took a conservative approach with the Declaration and Resolves. This was a petition made to influence the King into restoring colonial rights and fixing their grievances. These events help express the change in the movement, the transition between conservative and radical. This transition can easily be explained by Nash’s definition of the word radical; “By ‘Radicalism’ I mean advocating wholesale change and sharp transformation rooted in a kind of dream life or better future imagined by those who felt most dissatisfied with the conditions they experienced as the quarrel with Great Britain unfolded.” That radicalist emotion didn’t just randomly pop into existence, it was developed and made; simply originating with conservatives. By the second continental congress; according to Newman and Schmalbach, half of the delegates wanted independence, and half wished to fix things with Britain. They continued on a more conservative route with the Olive Branch Petition, where they again asked the King to help them get their rights back. When that failed; about a year later, they released the Declaration of Independence. This was the colonists true separation from Britain, and when they had fully switched from a conservative to radical revolution.
49. Alexander Chebl October 9, 2023 at 9:39 am

    During the American Revolution, the British enforced taxes on the American colonists after protecting them from the Iroquois Confederacy and French in the French and Indian war which cost them a decent amount of money. The taxes the British enforced were very tame and small but the American colonists took 10 times out of proportion. The colonists would then try to repeal the acts and protest them. Events like the Boston Tea party and the causes of the Boston Massacre were probably the most revolutionary moments that took place in the “Revolutionary War.” According to historian Crane Brinton’s book Anatomy of a Revolution, the American Revolution looked small compared to the French and Russian Revolutions. However, the American Revolution could have and probably did influence those revolutions as they took place after the American Revolution. Some would argue that the American revolution wasn’t a revolution and more a fight for independence whereas the French revolution, for example, was an actual revolution because they tried to destroy or overthrow the current government and replace it with a new one. The French Revolution and the American Revolution, both significant historical events in the late 18th century, varied significantly in their causes, outcomes, and effects. The main aim of the American Revolution, which placed an emphasis on conservative goals including the construction of a democratic republic, was freedom from British rule over the colonies. In contrast, the French Revolution tried to completely remake the French government and had complicated origins, such as poverty. It led to significant periods like the Reign of Terror and saw Napoleon Bonaparte rise to power. The French Revolution had a huge, sometimes violent impact on France and the world, whereas the American Revolution encouraged democracy around the world and resulted in the creation of the United States. Their different goals and events are the cause of these differences. In conclusion, the American Revolution’s goal was to have regular and human rights and independence from Great Britain. The French revolution’s goal was to completely rebuild/make a new government by overthrowing the monarchy and protesting their rights as citizens of France. All of this information leads to the point that the American revolution wasn’t as radical as most people/ historians portrayed it to be as it was an act of independence whereas the French revolution was an actual revolution against their own government to create a new one.
50. Henry Macwilliams October 9, 2023 at 10:53 am

    An intense debate has existed for over 200 years: how revolutionary was the American Revolution? A conservative revolution is a revolutionary movement that upholds traditions and customs. This differs from a radical revolution, which can be defined as a revolutionary movement that completely upends the way of life for its citizens. Personally, I believe that the American Revolution resides in a grey area, between a conservative and a radical revolution.
    The American Revolution has distinct elements of a conservative revolutionary movement, as shown by the new British policy after salutary neglect. The end of salutary neglect suggests a conservative revolution because of the many oppressive laws placed against the colonists. One example of this is the Intolerable Acts, placed on Massachusetts in 1774. The first part of the Intolerable Acts was the Boston Port Act. This act closed Boston’s harbor until the tea debt was paid back. This suggests a conservative revolution because the revolutionists wanted the old policy, an open harbor, back. The second part of the Intolerable Acts was the Massachusetts Government Act. It allowed for the Royal Government to appoint anybody they wanted to all levels of government in Massachusetts, hereby taking away democracy. This made the colonists furious, and they wanted things back the way they were. The third and fourth terms of the Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Quartering Act equally infuriated the colonists. The revolutionist’s desire to bring back the way things were is evidence of a conservative revolution.
    The American Revolution also had distinct elements of a radical revolution, namely for slaves in northern colonies, and women in the workplace. Before the Revolution, slavery was legal in all 13 colonies, and the slaves had little to no rights, even if they were freed. This changed after the revolution when 5 colonies had banned slavery altogether. This was extremely radical, and completely changed the way of life for everyone living in those 5 colonies. Secondly, women played a very important role during the Revolution and were able to run businesses without supervision for the first time. If their husbands were at war, the women would take over and could make significant business decisions. This seems small today, but at the time women running businesses was an unfathomable idea for many people. The opportunity to do so was very radical. The significant changes in oppressed groups’ ways of life are evidence of a radical revolution.
    Because of the conservative and radical aspects of the American Revolution, the American Revolution was clearly between a radical and conservative revolution.