HOW MUCH
OF A REVOLUTION?
REVOLUTION
1430 THE RETURN OR RECURRENCE OF A POINT OR PERIOD OF
TIME
1597 A CYCLE OR RECURRENT PERIOD OF TIME
1456 THE ACT OF TURNING OVER IN DISCOURSE OR TALK
1600 THE COMPLETE OVERTHROUGH OF THE ESTABLISHED
GOVERNMENT…OED
HOW MUCH
OF A REVOLUTION?
WHO WERE
THE “REVOLUTIONARIES?
WHAT DID
THEY FIGHT FOR?
THE
“REVOLUTIONARIES
BRITISH
SOME
GERMAN/DUTCH
CAME TO
AMERICA TO RETAIN BELIEFS/WAYS OF LIFE
HOW MUCH
OF A REVOLUTION?
AMERICA IS HUGE
FREE TO ASSOCIATE OR AVOID
UNTIL 1763 BRITISH GOV’T. LEFT COLONIES ALONE
DEVELOPED INSTITUTIONS
POLITICAL
SOCIAL
LEGAL
ALL BASED ON BRITISH INSTITUTIONS
ALL BASED ON BRITISH “RIGHTS”
HOW MUCH
OF A REVOLUTION?
EACH GROUP SET IN ITS OWN WAYS
NEW ENGLAND PURITANS
DUTCH NEW YORKERS
PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS
SCOTTS/IRISH FRONTIERSMEN
TIDEWATER PLANTERS
1763 PERCIEVED CHANGE/THREATENED CHANGE
JOINT REACTION OF GROUPS OF “CULTURAL CONSERVATIVES”
PREFERRED DISMEMBERMENT OF EMPIRE TO CHANGE OF ACCEPTED
NORMS
HOW MUCH
OF A REVIOLUTION?
REVOLUTIONARY LEADERS
OPPRESSED LOWER ORDER?
REPRESENT/SPEAK FOR OPPRESSED LOWER ORDER?
NO
LANDED
WEALTHY
RESPONSIBLE
PROFESSIONAL
HOW MUCH
OF A REVOLUTION?
AMERICAN
SOCIETY POROUS
GETTING
LESS SO
NO REAL
SIGN OF DISCONTENT AMONG “CLASSES”
LOWER
CLASSES ACCEPTED LEADERSHIP
HOW MUCH
OF A REVOLUTION?
MIXED
GOVERNMENT
BALANCE
CROWN/PARLIAMENT
NOT A SINGLE POWER
18TH
CENTURY BRINGS PERCIEVED CHANGE
BALANCE
IS GONE
HOW MUCH
OF A REVOLUTION?
POSITIVE
LAW
LAW=WHATEVER
CROWN/PARLIAMENT ENACTS
NOT
LEGAL TRADITION
NOT
COMMON LAW
COLONISTS
SEE THIS AS DANGEROUS INNOVATION
HOW MUCH
OF A REVOLUTION?
American Revolutionaries
Convinced that their legal systems were expression of
English tradition of Liberty
Ordinary and wealthy had affection for their colonial
systems
Believed in English common law
Suspicious of governmental policies that worked sudden
change
Each colony had a representative body embodying English
tradition
Colonists successfully defended established institutions
HOW MUCH
OF A REVOLUTION?
American
Revolution was, therefore
Culturally
Politically
Socially
Economically
A
conservative movement
But…there
were ironies
HOW MUCH
OF A REVOLUTION?
Victory brought great change
States unable to deal with new problems
Creation of central government
Greater powers than those of Parliament
War debt
New economic policies
As dynamic as the hated British system
Their were radicals among them
In victory their ideas get notice