The concepts reflect economic issues for a majority of the time because the colonies were not interested in taking political stands against British Parliament. Instead, they were frustrated by Britain’s constant desire to limit their ability to prosper. The issues that arose revolved around trade between the colonies and Britain and the acts passed to limit the colonists. However, as the colonists grew more independent and more likely to resist British rule they realized that political action was necessary if they wanted to truly become independent. The closer the colonists were to the American Revolution the more political their issues became because they were not simply resisting anymore, they were pushing for independence.
Word Count: 1008
According to “Tyranny is Tyranny” in A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn, the nationalist elite used the massive, poverty-stricken lower class to fight against the pro-British elite. They promised the lower class that they would benefit as well but the nationalists knew the main reason for the rebellion was for their benefit. The colony’s economic separation from Britain appears to be a starting point of all conflicts you mention. The lower class was willing to physically lash out against the people who caused their misfortunes and the nationalist elite were capable of focusing their anger to an extent. The nationalist elite created an organized group consisting of the lower class that was against the pro-British elite. Also, your assertions explain how the nationalists were not fully in control because the majority [the lower class] began to understand that they could get what they wanted with force and didn’t necessarily need all of the nationalists’ help. The ideas of the American Revolution and the events that led up to them are convincing and can be seen in your assertions.
The assertions used in Zinn’s argument help the reader understand his thesis more and make his ideas more coherent. His first assertion is that the leadership within the colonies was successful and the colonies became less dependent on England but England still relied on the colonies for trade. The colonies were able to conduct successful foreign trade and did not rely on England to maintain their wealth. However, England was in need of money to pay for military costs but their main source for trade was the colonies. The colonial trade amounted to 2,800,000 pounds and that was an irreplaceable source of income for Britain (Zinn 60). Furthermore, this dependency and lack thereof was a cause for conflict between the colonies and Britain.
As the conflict became prevalent Zinn introduces another assertion that states that the upper class (the nationalist elite) turned the lower class into their physical force against the pro-British elite to achieve political goals. Zinn mentions James Otis’ speech to artisans, mechanics, and laborers which attempted to reach out to them and gain their support. Also, to make bonds stronger, the upper class would visit the local “hangouts” and would spread their ideas and let their name be known by the lower class. The lower class was angry at the pro-British elite but didn’t let the nationalist elite control them either because they knew that their rebellion was meant to benefit them. The lower class laborers demanded social, economic and political rights and threatened not only pro-British control but also the control of the nationalists. In Philadelphia, the artisans and laborers were in total control because of their aggressiveness and desire to obtain balance among the classes (Zinn 62). Also, Zinn asserts the nationalist elite’s desire to secure the poor countryside colonists because they were afraid they would side with the British. The regulator movement was an effort made by farmers in North Carolina against wealthy officials. The Regulators were focused on preventing the collection of taxes and helped prevent the confiscation of landed (Zinn 64).
According to Zinn, the American Revolution was not revolutionary. He believed that even when the colonists earned their independence they were experiencing the same problems. The nationalist elite who had fought against the British were stepping in and acting in the same way as their predecessors had. The political inexperience was a possible reason for the repeating problems but Zinn believes that mainly the men of property were able to profit once independence from Britain was obtained.
The beginning of Zinn’s argument is convincing because he plays devil’s advocate and talks as if the American Revolution was revolutionary. He then breaks down the progress of the French, the Indians, and the British from the perspective of the colonies. The French and Indian war took care of the French and expelled them from North America; the Indians were kept on the opposite side of the Appalachians and that left the British (Zinn 59-60). The perspective changes and the British are now planning their restriction on the colonies. This was convincing because the colonies and British were working at the same time to expand their control without the other one knowing, which shows how their conflict began. Later in his argument, Zinn is convincing by showing how the American Revolution is not revolutionary without directly stating it. He shows how the nationalist elite were not entirely different from the pro-British elite. The crowd action that had been rallied by the nationalists suddenly seemed like it might backfire and negatively affect them (Zinn 65). This piece of evidence provides foresight and can help us assume how the nationalist elite will rule similarly when their time comes.
Word Count: 795
According to “The Greatness of this Revolution” in Who Built America? by Bruce Levine, the artisans, traders, and common folk were responsible for the American Revolution. The unorganized and eventually organized crowds of colonists did not mean to fight Britain but because of Britain’s desire for control they were forced to resist them. The seemingly endless acts, in the eyes of the colonists, were attempting to limit colonist’s economic prosperity and ability to grow as a separate nation. The colonists needed to take political action to earn their independence in order to freely prosper and become a separate nation.
Levine’s first assertion is that the coalition consisting of artisans, merchants, laborers, and slaveowners was the first able to resist Britain. The coalition “would first resist British policies, then move toward independence” and replace current political and social demand with the colonists’ interests (Levine 136). The Sons of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty resisted British control by boycotting acts and avoiding British products. They also convinced others to join in to resist the weakening British control.
Furthermore, Levine discusses the pamphleteer, Thomas Paine, who was not of the American elite but spread his ideas in the most efficient and effective way as a pamphleteer. Fellow pamphleteers were hesitant to show great disrespect for Britain because they knew it was a form of treason but Paine willingly spoke out against British rule. More importantly, Paine used simple language that even partially illiterate people could fumble through. His ideas were not limited to the upper, educated class and the lower class became educated on the topics at hand so they could actively participate in discussions about politics. Also, 150,000 copies were made of his pamphlet Common Sense which shows how broad its audience range was.
In his next assertion, Levine states that during the resistance seen from 1765 to 1773 the colonists used the seaports to their advantage and to the disadvantage of the British. The Loyal Nine began the resistance seen in Boston by running a mock stamp office for an entire day. This political theater shows fellow colonists how the Stamp Act would work and why it had to be avoided. The Boston Tea Party showed a disciplined destruction of British control because the organized colonists had beaten them at their own game by dumping all of the tea overboard. Also, George Hewes and his fellow colonists did not submit to British rule; they were able to undermine Britain’s attempt at maintaining control. Lastly, Levine asserts the shift from crowds to a new level of organization that allowed for more effective resistance. The artisans and traders made up the short lived Sons of Liberty which was one of the first productive resistance groups against Britain. The Loyal Nine, another prominent resisting group, consisted of printers, painters, and other artisans; the group was efficiently organized and lasted long enough to be involved in multiple resistances against Britain.
According to Levine, the American Revolution was revolutionary. The Revolution “transformed people’s lives” and this statement alone suggests that the colonists were subject to innovative experiences while resisting Britain (129). Furthermore, your assertions build on each other and show how the colonists saw changes in their lifestyles because of their fleeting relationship with Britain; the social classes within the colonists’ were less distinguished. The revolutionary aspects stem from the changes in economy, social class, and political leaders. The lower class people were not suddenly considered part of the upper class but their inevitable interactions with the upper class during the revolution made the distinction less defined.
A particularly convincing part of Levine’s argument is when he quotes John Adams saying “our struggle has loosened the bands of government everywhere” because it clearly shows how the American Revolution made a prominent change in the social classes in the colonies. The colonists became a single large group all working towards the same thing, but when the Revolution was over the classes had muddled together and were not distinct. This dramatic change clearly supports Levine’s answer to the Essential Question. Furthermore, Levine’s structure makes his argument very convincing. He builds on the idea of the colonists coming together throughout the text and each event plays a significant role in showing their cooperation. The structure is convincing because it branches from his thesis and allows the reader to increasingly understand why he believes the American Revolution was revolutionary.
Word Count: 730
Zinn’s argument is organized around assertions and evidence related to economics. In his assertions he focuses on the prosperity of the colonies and how England is dependent on them to continue to prosper as well. His assertions discuss the poor who were unable to profit in the colonies while the merchants saw an increase in their wealth. Furthermore, the men of property are referred to in comparison to the poor colonists who made up the lower class. The economic prosperity of the colonists, in Zinn’s eyes, was crucial because it was the cause for the implemented acts and the original conflict between Britain and the colonies. In Zinn’s assertions, he refers to the lower and upper class and these classes are distinguished according to their wealth. His ideas revolve around nationalist elites controlling the poor from the city or the countryside and the economy seems to power Zinn’s overall argument. Economics also fuels Zinn’s argument because it shows how the lower class was beneath both the nationalist and pro-British elite but the elites were more economically balanced.
On the other hand, Levine’s argument is organized around assertions and evidence related to political actions. The coalition that resisted Britain was his opening assertion and the evidence supports the colonist’s movement toward independence. The evidence provided by Levine shows how the colonists realized that they couldn’t simply resist Britain but had to create their own systems and political organizations. The importance of politics in Levine’s argument is prominent and shows the focus of the colonists. Thomas Paine is an example that shows how the colonists wanted to include the ideas of all the people in politics and he was able to fill in even the uneducated so they could provide insight in political discussions, even amongst themselves. Also, in his argument, the organization of crowds into groups with known names, like the Loyal Nine for example, showed their interest in organization and its effectiveness when trying to resist Britain. Levine’s argument talks about the expected events during the American Revolution but his focus is clearly on the political aspects, like the Loyal Nine which he describes almost as if it is already a politically oriented group.
Word Count: 364
The American Revolution consisted of many changes for the colonists and for Britain. The colonists earned their independence and Britain saw their economy lose its primary source for income. The changes experienced in the colonies ranged from social to political to economic and the new systems organized were created by a new nation. The definition of revolutionary is characterized by dramatic change or change that affects the society it relates to as a whole. According to this definition, it appears that the American Revolution was revolutionary. The conflict created by the colonist’s prosperity and England’s dependency on the colonies income was the starting point for change in the colonies. The realization that they had established themselves enough to break off from their mother land became clear to the colonists and conflict ensued. The colonial trade amounted to 2,800,000 pounds for Britain and this significant income forced them to depend on the colonists. The crowds were the first to gather in order to resist Britain. However, the crowds consisted of miscellaneous colonists who all knew that Britain had no right to control them and their resistance was aggressive and not particularly effective. Between 1764 and 1765 New York saw 57 crowd retaliations, which would have been more effective if they had been organized, but alas the colonists had not yet learned of the importance of organization (Levine 138). Still, the ever persistent crowds did intimidate stamp distributors and even forced some of them to resign their posts. However, the main issue was the hesitancy of the colonists to join in the fight against Britain. Luckily, Thomas Paine came along and wrote Common Sense which spoke to all the social classes in the colonies and willingly committed treason against Britain. This was a significant shift in the minds of the colonists because the more colonists who would openly protest and resist Britain, the easier it would become. Thomas Paine set an example for his fellow colonists and helped show them that Britain should not control them anymore. The ideas of deference towards Britain that had once existed were crushed by pamphleteers, mainly Paine, and the colonies were changing. The revolutionary actions of the colonists, like committing treason, are what made the Revolution truly revolutionary. Lastly, the key to the revolution was the organization seen in groups like the Loyal Nine and the temporary Sons of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty. When the colonists joined together in organized groups that were meant to openly resist Britain, they showed a new cooperative ability and willingness to create something new. The mother land that had birthed them was now in need of their economy, but the American Revolution led to the birth of a new nation.
Word Count: 451