They felt that the king was abusing his power as a monarch and therefore their rebellion was for a just cause of declaring the independence they wanted. The American Revolution created a new politically independent nation that could make its own decisions and was free of economic limiting statutes. The Revolution called for social change, but little change was initiated during this period. These political, social, and economic ideals helped design the framework of our democratic nation. Socially, the American Revolution only slightly changed America.
Although historians generally regard the Articles of Confederation as a complete failure, they were actually a necessary step in the formation of the Constitution which laid out a balanced government in accordance with the ideals of the American Revolution. Adopted by the Second Continental Congress at the height of the Revolution in 1777, the Articles of Confederation reflected the fears of American citizens, in particular, the fear of tyrannical rule. When the Articles failed, a stronger and more stable government replaced it, the government America has today, defined by the Constitution. Errors made under the weak Articles of Confederation were the catalyst for the ratification of the Constitution. The Articles played an important role by proving a strong central government was not to be feared, it was a necessity.
Both the American Revolution and French Revolution were started in order to fight against their respective political leaders in order to end monarchial rule and start republican governments. The need to set up a stable and balanced government that protected the natural rights of its citizens was the basis of these wars. Following the end of the American Revolution and the failure of the Articles of Confederation, the Americans wrote the modern Constitution of the United States, heavily based off of Montesquieu’s idea of a divided government. The French Revolution began similarly in that some members of its government believed that they were not equally represented. After the French Revolution though, the republic slowly began shifting to a totalitarian regime, first under the Committee of Public Safety and then completely under Napoleon Bonaparte .The facts show that the American Revolution was more successful in establishing a stable and long-lasting republican government that started a precedent for Europe, while the French Revolution’s republic failed to last, being turned into a totalitarian regime.
According to the documents analyzed there can be two different ways of thinking of this question. Some might argue that the American Revolution was revolutionary because of all the changes that came with it, but others might argue it was not because of how long it took for the revolution to happen and how little it changed our society. If you give a revolution to be change immediately then the American Revolution was not revolutionary. Even though the American Revolution is often addressed as the birth of 'Freedom for All,' it took centuries before socially disregarded groups such as Indians, slaves, and women were given equal rights as others. This war that occurred is an example of a revolution that was radical.
The American Revolution did not satisfy the colonial goals for civil, political, social, and economic rights; however the Constitution did. All the American Revolution did was drive the British out of America. With the British gone the Americans had the ability to strive for civil, political, social, and economic rights, but the Articles of Confederation became an obstacle in their path to their rightful goals. During the American Revolution the American people wrote a lot about what they wanted to accomplish and attain. In Document A, the Declaration of the Causes and Necessities of Taking Up Arms, it is written that the American people feel they have been wronged by England because their rights are restricted and wish for these basic rights to happiness and such.
Another reason that helped the U.S. win the Revolutionary War was the intervention of France, Spain, and the Netherlands in the conflict made a crucial difference. It is highly improbable that the U.S. could have won its independence without the assistance of France, Spain, and Holland. Fearful of losing its sugar colonies in the West Indies, Britain was unable to concentrate its military forces in the American colonies. Lastly, the third reason why U.S. won the Revolutionary War was the breadth of popular support for the Revolutionary. The Revolution would have failed miserably without the participation of thousands of ordinary farmers, artisans, and laborers who put themselves into the line of fire.
And while there is a litany of reasons that caused the English colonists in America to start the revolution, there are some that had they been handled differently there may not have been a revolution at all. The three main reasons for the American Revolution were the English economic policy of mercantilism, the French and Indian Wars (Seven Years War), and the feeling of having no control over policies affecting the colonies i.e. “no taxation, without representation”. Firstly, during the late 1600’s the English economic policy of mercantilism (the belief that there was only so much wealth in the world, and that government must defend, and acquire wealth in a militaristic strategy, albeit using tools other than the actual military). This policy led England to view the American Colonies as nothing more than a source of raw materials, and a market for manufactured English goods.
Common Sense spoke against tradition and in favor of revolution for the economic and political advantages. It gave a voice to what would later be known as Democracy. Democracy represents fairness, acceptance and freedom. Common Sense was written to inspire the ambivalent colonists into joining the revolution against the British monarchy but also to encourage colonists to organize their own government. Paine was the first to articulate political injustice in a way that was relatable.
Being President, Monroe had a significant amount of power over the country and its government. Monroe’s Doctrine opened the floodgates for Manifest Destiny after the nation knew the government was behind it. Document A provides evidence that Monroe was correct with his prediction that America would follow the government’s lead and head west to protect the country through Manifest Destiny. The strongest argument against Manifest Destiny was the fact that would bring slavery to the new territories America gained. Not only was this false, Americans and politicians who were anti-slavery overlooked this because spreading what they considered America’s good qualities was more important to them and they wanted to follow Monroe’s Doctrine.
In the 1780's, when the American government replaced the articles of confederation with the constitution, the peoples view of this change was widely varied. Some people whole-heartedly supported the change, while others hated the idea of it. Some people were indifferent to it, they thought it was a good overall idea, but some things need to be changed first. George Washington, in a letter to Henry Knox, Showed his high hopes and expectations of The Constitution. He thought it would clear "the clouds of evil which threatened not only the hemisphere of Massachusetts, but by spreading its baneful influence, the tranquility of The Union.