Essay Sample about the American Revolution

After the French and Indian war, the relationship between Britain and the Colonies was tense and unstable. A huge expenditure, the French and Indian war left Britain in heavy debt, and with no already established way of paying this debt, King George III resolved to tax the American colonists as an extra source of revenue. This was heavily unpopular, to say the least, amongst the colonists. Not only had the colonists fought and lost men in this war that was not theirs, but they were now being taxed on everyday goods such as sugar, paper, and tea. Eventually, after events such as the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party, relations boiled over the top and the Americans declared a revolutionary war on Great Britain. This war, known later as the American Revolution, would be a radical and transformative event for some aspects of American life, such as religion, and political alignment, but would also other aspects untouched, such as slavery, the treatment of Indians, and the treatment of women. 

After the start of the American Revolution, the colonists quickly transformed from one united group of people into two smaller factions, the Patriots and the Loyalists. The Patriots were firm believers in American freedom and were willing to do anything to obtain this freedom. In contrast, the Loyalists believed the David Americans to be incapable of beating the Goliath British, and that America simply could not survive without British intervention. This caused the Loyalists to side with the British and fight against their fellow colonists. Thomas Jefferson, a Patriot, writes a letter to Maria Cosway, his close friend, explaining the differences in the ideals of Patriots and of Loyalists. The Loyalists were focused on “wealth and numbers” while the Patriots were focused on “doing what is right” and “saving the country” (Doc B). Speaking from the point of view of a Patriot, Jefferson believed that America could not thrive while being leashed by Britain. Meanwhile, the loyalists believed that America could not survive if it wasn’t leashed by Britain. This difference in ideals led to much bad blood between the Patriots and Loyalists. In a 1779 edition of the Pennsylvania Packet, we can see the journalists call for the banishment of “Tories”, a derogatory term for Loyalists, and label the Patriots as sacred freemen (Doc A). The primary purpose of this text is to promote the war cause and to convince people to support the war by labeling Loyalists as wretches who enjoyed living under tyrannical rule. Other texts that accomplished a similar goal included the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense. The Declaration of Independence lists many American grievances about King George III and the British treatment of Americans, and Thomas Paine used many moral and political arguments to encourage people to join the war cause. It was texts like these that created a very large socio-political divide in the colonists that was not previously seen in the pre-Revolution era.

Another way the American Revolution radically transformed the colonies was with the introduction of religious freedom. Previously, many of the colonies such as the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut colonies were Puritan and thus did not allow for opposing religious views. In 1786, the Statutes at Large of Virginia established that “that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief;” (Doc C). In essence, this law established that no one could have a specific religion forced upon them nonconsensually and set a precedent different from that of antebellum America. For example, this law was later carried on into the Bill of Rights, wherein the First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;” Also, guaranteeing the freedom of religion and following precedent. 

Despite all these radical changes, there were many American ways of life that were untouched by the Revolution and were thus continued. One of which was the way of Slavery. In a 1797 issue of the South Carolina City Gazette, Mrs. Dawney placed an advertisement giving away $50 to anyone who found her runaway slave Delia (Doc E). The Historical Context was that the issue of Slavery was not resolved as a result of the American Revolution. Throughout American history, slavery was always much more prevalent in Southern colonies compared to northern colonies. However, this issue was not a primary concern of the Revolution, and slavery was thus continued. In fact, slavery was not formally abolished until the Thirteenth amendment in 1865, more than half a decade after the American Revolution. 

Similarly, women were not granted better rights after the American Revolution. Molly Wallace, a valedictorian from the Young Ladies’ Academy of Philadelphia, said in a speech, “Many sarcastic observations have been handed out against female oratory: But to what do they amount? Do they not plainly inform us that, because we are females, we ought therefore to be deprived of what is perhaps the most effectual means of acquiring a just, natural, and graceful delivery?” (Doc G). Molly is speaking from the point of view of an established woman who has opportunities taken away from her because of her gender. Throughout most of history, women have been extremely oppressed and were commonly denied the same freedom of speech and other rights that men got. For instance, in the Declaration of Independence, it is stated that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Many interpret the word “men” as referring only to white males of this time, as slaves and women were not granted these unalienable rights. In a similar fashion to slavery, women’s rights were not a primary concern during the American Revolution and thus the disproportionate status of men and women in society continued.

By the same token, the treatment of the indigenous people of North America was unchanged by the American Revolution. Although the Natives participated in the American Revolution, they were completely absent from the peace negotiations between the Americans and the British. In a speech at the Confederate Council, the United Indian Nations stated “but we, the Indians, were disappointed, finding ourselves not included in that peace [between Great Britain and the United States]…for we thought that its conclusion would have promoted friendship between the United States and the Indians” (Doc D). In the American Revolution, Native Americans fought on both sides. Many believed the British would protect the native’s land from the Americans. Others believed that by fighting alongside the Americans, friendly relations would be established and the Americans would stop pushing for native-owned lands. Natives on both sides were gravely mistaken, for the conclusion of the American Revolution allowed for Americans to push for native lands without fear of consequences by the British. In the end, nothing had changed regarding the American treatment of natives and the Americans continued to push westward and take Native-owned lands.

Ultimately, the American Revolution was a radical and transformative event for certain aspects of American life, such as political alignment, and religion, but also left other aspects untouched, such as slavery, the treatment of women, and the treatment of Indians. Specifically, the American Revolution led to the divide between the Loyalists and the Patriots, but also led to the beginning of religious tolerance and freedom in America. On the contrary, slavery, the mistreatment of women, and the mistreatment of natives continued.