Question by pOp taRts: Was the American Revolution a revolution? Was it viewed as a revolution by those who lived through it?
Also, was the Constitution a continuation or a betrayal of the ideals of the American Revolution?
Best answer:
Answer by Nepe N
I’m going to ignore your questions because they are just so stupid they make me want to takes my eyes off and feed them to the dogs.
Seriously you are probably one of the most ignorant americans I have seen.
What do you think? Answer below!
pcoin7
November 29, 2010 at 10:12 pm
Obviously the American Revolution was a revolution because they fought off the british that colonized america. and yes it was seen as revolution for those who lived through it. think about what your asking.. if you were controlled by some rich tyrant 3000 miles away that took your money for the things you needed and used that money to control you more, than finally you win your independence from them and no longer have to waste your money or be controlled. the constitution is a document that was written to prevent that from happening again
pughatton
November 29, 2010 at 10:26 pm
At the very first the colonists who protested, felt that they were only asking for their rights under the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights. As events progressed, most of the movers in the American Revolution felt that only by breaking with Britain would they be able to gain their rights. Personally I believe that the Constitution was a continuation of the ideals. Its purpose is to maintain a stable government, and to protect its citizens and their fundamental rights.
guanotwozero
November 29, 2010 at 11:00 pm
It’s also referred to as a rebellion, and that may be a more accurate term.
Political revolutions more commonly change a government and bring large social change, but leave sovereignty unchanged. Think about the French, Russian and Iranian revolutions, as well as the various ones that ended communism in Europe.
Revolution simply means a major change of direction. They can be slow or fast, but bring large change. The agricultural and industrial revolutions radically changed societies, but took many years to do so.
The American Revolution certainly brought large changes. It started as a rebellion (even a series of rebellious acts), and became an independence war.
It seems that the term ‘revolutionary’ didn’t become commonplace until hostilities had begun; the earlier political moves were carried out by people that considered themselves ‘patriots’, ‘congress-men’, or simply ‘Americans’, as the individual colonies gave the major geographical identities beforehand. The term ‘Revolutionist’ initially seems to have appeared in Massachussets as the pro-independence party, countering the Loyalists. Certainly the term ‘revolution’ caught on as events unfolded.
It’s arguable that the independence war was not really a revolution, as it replaced a far-off government with a local one but left society relatively unchanged. However, it (including the new constitution) created the conditions for a steady change of society over many years, and doubtlessly society had already changed substantially prior to hostilities. Arguably the rebellion was just a case of events catching up with social change that was already happening.
In the wider view of things, a revolution began in 1776 (or earlier) and continued for some time after hostilities ceased.
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Nepe N, it’s a perfectly fair question. Furthermore, not everyone on YA is an American. The point about YA is to inform people of things they don’t know or clarify what they don’t understand, not to laugh at their lack of knowledge. Don’t you *know* that?