User talk:J3History

The American Revolution of 1776 was a genuine social revolution. And this is what we are countering

The American Revolution was a political coup by one propertied class against another propertied elite.

1) a position statement that is pro or con the issue (2-3 pages of text, 700-800 words)                What parties (classes) were involved in the revolution?	        What was the revolution fought over?	        What were the effects of the revolution?

2) a rebuttal to the opposing team’s position paper (max. of 500 words)       3)  final rejoinder (max. of 250 words) (6 Jan, 2010 - 1:20pm - JY)

Alright, this is Jenessa, here are my ideas thus far. They aren't very well edited and they may be a little long or a little short or maybe not even what any of you had in mind, but here I go.

The American Revolution was also a social revolution because it brought about fundamental changes in American social institutions including government, hierarchy, families, economic systems and religion.

Political

The 13 colonies were originally under the monarchical governance of Great Britain. The parliament of Great Britain was the model for colonial legislatures. All thirteen colonies overthrew their existing governments, declared themselves to be states, and sought to reinforce the natural rights of men (life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness) in the context of a just society by forming new legislations. The new state constitutions recognized the people asthe one source of power and The American constitution limited the autonomy of public officials, delegated specific powers to the states, and separated the functions ascribed to the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government. The system was designed to protect liberties against a distant central government, dominated by the wealthy. There was a turning point in individual identity because where before the colonies were largely individual with their own distinctive social and political stratification, after the revolution they became united and increasingly nationalistic states of America.

Hierarchical

Before the revolution, the social and political hierarchy followed a system of aristocratic elite supremacy, the ultimate tier of which, before 1776, was the imperial elite located in England and coterminous with the English aristocracy. The American Revolution for independence from Britain was a social movement of the people against their imperial elites and brought about profound change in the relationship between those of different social status. Although elitism did not die, those of high status lost their traditional prescriptive authority and the rising middle class were allowed to share in formal politics via white male suffrage.

Economic

In terms of economics, the Revolutionary war stimulated occupational mobility. Merchants, yeoman farmers and craftsmen took advantage of during and post-war needs to expand their affluence and to influence. Enterprise flourished with opportunities for quick gains in privateering and profiteering, the opening of new markets, the expansion of the credit system and the rise of banking. There were also substantial changes in regards to land-systems where Tory estates were confiscated and redistributed and the English law of Primogeniture (the requirement that land be passed entirely from father to eldest son) was abolished.

Family (women)

Despite female sacrifices and involvement in the war, they did not receive the equality and natural rights that were given to men, however, there was a dramatic change on the consensus on how women’s nature were understood. Before the war, women were considered morally weaker than men, and like Eve, dangerously prone to sin. However, a main ideology of the Revolution was to develop and maintain the virtue of the citizenry and women were assigned and claimed a role in this endeavour through their influence as wives and mothers. Everywhere educational opportunities for women were expanded to better equip women to nurture their children’s morals, and female literacy rose as a consequence. This idea of an educated woman became known as "Republic motherhood.”

Slavery

Similar to women, slaves did not receive the same benefits of equality and natural rights since slavery was still a large institution in America. However, during the American Revolution, many slaves were granted freedom in return for fighting and a strong black emancipation movement developed in the North. Many blacks, both free and slave, exploited the rhetoric of the Revolution to petition for their freedom and equality. In response, many owners, even in the south, freed their slaves and six state constitutions (Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey) abolished slavery. Free Massachusetts blacks won the vote in 1783, a precedent slowly adopted by other free states. The banning of the importation of slaves in 1807 is rooted in revolutionary sentiments.

Religion

The 1st Amendment of the American Constitution separates the church and the state allowing for religious freedom.

In comparison with colonial America, social relationships and community values had changed dramatically.

Alright, I didn't know where to put it in, but I think that a good point to throw in could be...

Natural rights represented the turning point, the discursive key that unlocked the possibility of women's social and political equality and the abolishment of slavery. (although that may be a large assumption)

J.H. -- 3:00 -- Jan. 10 2010

Hi, this is Mandy. Mine is quite fragmental and needed to be modified and expanded, however regardless of my content, I suggest we also look at the underlying ideology of the revolution and associate it with the aftermath, so the structure would be Like:

1. Introduction

2. Origin of the revolution

3. During the revolution

4. Aftermath of the revolution

5. Conclusion

Are the questions listed below the "1)  a position statement " suggested by ourselves or (?!) I am a bit confused.

The debate on whether the 1776 American Revolution was a social revolution or a mere coup as a result of conflict over properties has left controversial. While one may regard the intention of the 13 colonies who chose to separate themselves from Britain and set up their own nation was to fulfil their desire for sovereignty, our team argues that the revolution was up heaved to safeguard liberty and right. By associating the underlying ideology of the American Revolution, which was the republicanism that embraces equality and natural rights, with the various social aftermaths and the following establishment of the Declaration of Independence, it is apparent that the American Revolution is a symbol of social revolution for authentic republicanism instead of rebellion.

Impulse: Republicanism

Since the republicanism was founded by the Founding Fathers of America in the early 18th century, Americans had held idea that they owned their inalienable rights, which were independent from majority vote and the British Monarchy. With this ideology well spread among colonists, during the time when the British elite increasingly engaged in corruption and threatened the property rights of people, and most importantly, failed to offer the Americans representation in the Parliament of Great Britain but placed high taxation and oppressed the American colonists, the colonists considered as it was their right also duty to voiced their disapproval of such corrupt and tyrannous governance, and should found their sovereign, which was later the United States of America, if reconciliation with the British Empire was unachievable. The republican belief in political equality had also brought together diverse economic and social classes to the revolution, though internal conflicts were inevitable among these classes, they held the universal idea that these conflicts should be solved independently by Americans rather than the tyrannous British Empire who ignored their rights. One should note that the attempt to reconcile before the Second Continental Congress is an indication of rejection of the tyranny of the British monarchy rather than ambition to expand individual possession or power.

MandyC. -- 23:51 -- Jan. 10 2010

Hi Guys, Jordan here. I want to say great work to both of you so far with your ideas and input. I am still trying to finish up my readings and get a better understanding of this revolution. I will be working more over the next 4 days to add, fill, and edit all of my postings. This is what I have gathered so far from my readings.

The American Revolution (Team A)

The American Revolution as a Social Revolution

Firstly, it must be pointed out that history is told in many different lights. From perspectives of male and female, black and white, and conservative and liberal, history will always be written with the tones of the generation and culture it comes from. Gwenda Morgan feels, however, that no matter who has written the history on the American Revoution, there is always, “one persistent theme that ran through there accounts: the existence of a deep-seated conspiracy on the part of the first New England settlers and their descendants, who republican in character, wanted nothing less than independence from England”(Morgan 10). This need for independence, laid on grounds of political, economical, class and racial reasons. From the onset of the establishment of the new colonies, the vast distance between the mother country and that of America would inevitably create a divide between the two countries, which would prevent a federation to ever be evolved.

“First form of control by England was a natural incident of settlement, and as such accepted by the colonists” (pg.10) However, the vast distance between the two countries made it difficult for the new colonies to adopt the same laws. It took over “four months for a reply to be received in London to a dispatch sent to the colony”(Egerton 11). The circumstances and situation of the new colonies were so inherently different from England that “it became necessary to limit the introduction of English laws by the proviso”(Egerton 11). In essence, the establishment of the new colonies were introduced to a new style of living, so separate from the mother country, that it was inevitable that the new colonies feel no connection to England. In fact, Egerton goes as far as to say that the New England people were always an “active, indefatigable race; their own country was by no means exceptionally fertile, and when they saw a chance of bettering their fortunes by moving, they showed great readiness so to do”(Egerton 15). From even before the colonies were settled in by New Englanders, these voyagers that travelled across the Atlantic wanted nothing more but to be set free from the monarch.

Economic Reasons: British Merchantile system, colonies reaction to taxes and no free trade.

Racial Reasons: Slavery, Land (One mule and 40 acres promised to the African Americans - which was never granted), 3/5th Clause, freedman.

Again, I still have some reading to do and more input to post. I will try my best to meet with you at the library but may not be able to stay for very long.

Thanks and hopefully see you guys soon. (13th Jan, 2010 - 12:17am - JY) ---

Hello This is Mandy, I looked over the things we have posted and have constructed this introduction. See if it works:

The debate on whether the American Revolution in the late 18 century was a social revolution or a mere coup as a result of conflict over power has left controversial. While some may argue that the right to independence claimed by the colonists was just their camouflage to escape from British oppression and taxation, and most importantly, to fulfil their desire for sovereign power, our team however, argues that the American Revolution was a social revolution regarding its origin and aftermath. We will first discuss the underlying purpose, also the generally perceived theme of the revolution, which was to defend republicanism, rather than to competing for land or power, and then we will examine the consequential social institutional changes in the American government, hierarchy, families, economic systems and religion, which also verify the purpose of the revolution at the first place.

MandyC. -- 12:16 -- Jan. 13 2010

Alright so just a recap of our little meeting today

mostly Jordan, we just brainstormed a lot of ideas

Alright so our basic thesis is that the American Revolution was a social revolution because of its origin and aftermath

We define social revolution in the words of Alexander Berkman, "social revolution means the reorganization of the industrial, economic life of the country and consequently also of the entire structure of society." More generally, the term "social revolution" may be used to refer to a massive change in society.

Origin - context of the revolution - I don't know what we want to add here. Perhaps how America was already largely separating from British society and developing their own ideology..??? - perhaps acknowledge that it was a political movement initially but the impact was a social revolution???

Aftermath -- dramatic changes in American social institutions

Political, economic, family (women), hierarchy and religion... we are undecided whether or not we will include slavery...

we agreed that that The American revolution is a social revolution because it initiated and presented new social ideals that were profound, especially in context of the monarchial, highly structured societies that existed at the time.

Alright and we had some ideas for the rebuttal too, based on what we are assuming the other team will argue.

A coup involves propertied elite taking over and re-establishing gov't BUT the American revolution was a grassroots revolution where not only propertied people fought, slaves, women and bondspeople also fought for their own purpose

the coup wasn't a real displacement of gov't since the English monarchy wasn't deposed completely, especially since they didn't have much of a presence in America.

Hi This is Mandy, I have typed both the introduction and the paragraphs on the ideological origins. See if it works.

I looked over the information on "natural rights", according to wiki, natural rights are something expressed "in form of republicianism". I guess it is saying that republicanism embraces natural rights. Also, "the protection of natural rights" was articulated especially in the Declaration of Independence, after the revolution.

Introduction:'''

Background'''

The American Revolution in the late 18 century started with first the refusal to the governance of the Parliament of Great Britain, and later the dismissal of the British Empire by its 13 American colonies. Following the revolution, the Americans declared themselves to be independent states as the United States of America through the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Stance

The debate on whether the American Revolution in the late 18 century was a social revolution or a mere coup as a result of conflict over power has left controversial. While some may argue that the right to independence claimed by the colonists was just their camouflage to escape from British oppression and taxation, and most importantly, to fulfil their desire for sovereign power, our team however, argues that the American Revolution was a social revolution regarding its ideological origin and social aftermath after the Declaration of Independence. We will first discuss the underlying belief, also the generally perceived theme of the revolution: the republicanism that embraces the protection of natural rights, then the consequential social institutional changes in the American government, hierarchy, families, economic systems and religion, as brought out and promoted in the Declaration of Independence after the revolution.

Ideological Origin of the Revolution: Republicanism

The unity of republican belief that held together the colonists and the common people in the American Revolution proves that the revolution was not merely a power conflict between the British monarchy and the colonists but a social revolution regardless of stratification. Firstly, since the republicanism was founded by the Founding Fathers of America in the early 18th century, natural rights had become the American school of liberalism, leading the Americans to believe that they possessed their inalienable rights which were independent from majority vote as well as the British Monarchy, purely because they were humans (Malcolmson 8). With this ideology well spread among colonists, during the time when the British elite increasingly engaged in corruption and eventually threatened the property rights of Americans, as well as when the British Monarchy failed to offer the Americans representation in the Parliament of Great Britain, the colonists considered it was their right also duty to voiced their disapproval of British governance and to reorganize a political framework that can safeguard Americans’ rights. They learnt that it inevitable to found their sovereign, which was later the United States of America, in case reconciliation with the British Empire was unachievable. One should note that the attempt to reconcile before the Second Continental Congress is an indication that colonist was rejecting the British tyrannical governance rather than the monarchy itself. Secondly, the republican belief had brought together not only propertied colonists but also diverse economic and social classes (e.g. yeoman farmers and merchants) to the revolution, regardless of their wealth and education. Though some suggest that internal conflict existed between these classes, their universal belief in American rights had not stopped these classes from uniting together to fight for political equality.

The Declaration of Independence:Social Aftermath 

By applying definition given by Alexander Berkman, "social revolution means the reorganization of the industrial, economic life of the country and consequently also of the entire structure of society (Quote?!), " Being the result of the revolution, the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776 verified that the revolution itself was a social revolution as well as a milestone of safeguarding natural rights. Firstly, the responsible government and the constitutional laws were established to protect Americans’ liberty and rights. Under the constitutions, democratic rule was promoted as any abuse of power and corrupt behaviours, which were seen in the previous British governance, were illegitmized. (to be continued....)

MandyC. -- 13:32-- Jan. 15 2010

Hey guys, good brainstorming session. I think that Jenessa is on the right track with the breakdown of topics that we should cover. I don't think we should spend quite so much time talking about republicanism; it's also important to talk about sovereignty and other aspects of government like limited power and a shift away from the monarchy. SECULARIZATION, this is something we didn't really talk at our meeting about but really distinguishes American ideology from British ideology which was still pretty integrated considering that the king was supposed to be divinely appointed.

so in talking about the origin: I think we have to maintain that it was a social revolution from the beginning, if we say that it was political in the beginning we're basically seceding to their point. it as social because: -it was grassroots -it was ideological (borrowed from the englightenment esp. montesquiue and locke), not particularly focused on politics but on human rights -involved a wide demographic of ethnicities/socioeconomic classes that were not propertied elites, but wanted more political participation (democracy) -was not a coup as we defined in our group as a hostile takeover by the military

do we want to talk about specific incidences during the revolution i.e. the boston tea party/massacre? i think that the sons of liberty's attack on the chief of justice is good symbolism for the frustration at not only the government but the legal system as well. interesting side note: the sons of liberty reemerged among protestors in the civil war which was not too long after the revolution of 1776 --> does this provide more evidence it was actually a social group?

about the social restructuring and aftermath: -1st continental congress established, democratic institutions start emerging -women gain more prominence, as well as other minorities of the times like slaves who are granted limited freedom through participation in military -universal white male suffrage -the rise of nationalism/patriotism: desire for autonomy imbedded strong national sentiment still evident today
 * religion: pro revolution denominations of the church promoted separation from monarchy because they denounced the "divine right of kings" and advocated natural rights, in addition secularization was also an important difference as it demonstrated the shift away from arbitrary religious figures in government

what do you guys think of this kind of setup? I'm not sure if we should have subheadings like above because its so short that i don't think we really need them.

i think when we talk about institutions, we have to move beyond government institutions to avoid being too focused on political things.

we have to spend just as much time talking about the church, ideology (enlightment), and nationalism to make sure that we really drive home that it was a SOCIAL revolution. can't fixate too much on political stuff or we will just prove the other team right. **when we do talk about republicanism, it should be in the context of the enlightenment writers so that we can emphasize the ideological instead of the political application.

thanx :):):) Jenn

Hi Mandy again,

Jenn I think your idea is good. I am fine with either way of doing it, as long as we can get thing done in a good manner. We can just briefly mention the republicanism and emphasize more on secularization, but do you mean the common ideology rather than the self-interest have secularized the British colonists and lead them to wage the revolution?

--Regarding the political issue, I think we should still talk about it, as we have agreed, political revolution is different from coup, as it is not a "sudden displacement" of government, but a restructuring of the political framework. For example, the responsible government had helped express the will of all American, which was milestone of democracy.

I think you have got good points to our stance, but I am worry since it is due tomr. but anyway I will make another post tomr.

ps. should we regard nationalism as an ideological origin or aftermath?

Besides, no worries about the subtitle, I just want to make it looks clearer.

MandyC. -- 12:12-- Jan. 16 2010

Alright I am sorry I did not have this up earlier, I was called into a double shift at work. :(

Before You read my draft for our proposal please keep this in mind. IT IS ALREADY TOO LONG!!! So feel free to edit, cut, shorten, restate and add information of value, at your leisure. This is a very rough draft, for most of the social aftermath i just copied and pasted from above. I took a lot of the beginning stuff from Mandy's draft (very excellent research there !!! :))

Alright, so I know it is not very cohesive and we still need a closing paragraph But I want to put it up there. So i figure the best way to do it, is to copy and past it into your own entry and then you edit it, that way we can see the original and all the steps of editting, just in case we want to revert back to any original sentence.

DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW WE HAND IT IN??? Gossen hasn't created a forum for it yet...

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHEN THE REBUTTAL IS DUE???? I am sure it is on the website but I haven't looked

Alright... so this draft is basically 1200 words and it should only be 700-800. I just wanted to include a lot of information so we can pick and choose the strongest facts. Please read thoroughly and feel free to radically alter it.

HERE WE GO!!!!

The American Revolution in the late 18 century started when the thirteen American colonies rejected the authority of the Parliament to govern them without representation. The states joined together to fight and defeat the British in order to maintain self-governance. Following the revolution, the Americans declared themselves to be independent states as the United States of America through the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

The debate on whether the American Revolution in the late 18 century was a social revolution or a mere coup is controversial. Some may argue that the right to independence claimed by the colonists was just their camouflage to escape from British oppression and taxation, and most importantly, to fulfill their desire for sovereign power. However, the Republican ideological origin of the American Revolution and the change of social institutions, made apparent in the aftermath of the Declaration of independence, argue that the American Revolution was a social revolution. We will first discuss the underlying belief of the revolution, a republican ideology that embraces the protection of natural rights, then the consequential social institutional changes in the American government, hierarchy, families, economic systems and religion, as brought out and promoted in the Declaration of Independence after the revolution.

The shift towards a republican ideology, heavily influenced by enlightenment principles, represented a revolution of ideas that transformed the attitudes, beliefs and social understandings of the American people in the time which preceded and eventually led to a war. The unity of republican belief that held together the colonists and the common people in the American Revolution proves that the revolution was not merely a power conflict between the British monarchy and the colonists but a social revolution regardless of stratification.The powerful Enlightenment ideas of the eighteenth century, concerning reason and natural law, spread to the colonies and inspired many to rethink their rights as individuals, beliefs about representation and government and finally their desire for certain liberties. Locke’s natural rights of man form the basics of the republican ideology, they include that everyone is able to have life, Liberty and the right to own property. Locke also stated that if the Government did not protect these rights, that the citizens had the right to overthrow it or remove it from being in office. Firstly, since the republicanism was founded by the Founding Fathers of America in the early 18th century, natural rights had become the American school of liberalism, leading the Americans to believe that they possessed their inalienable rights which were independent from majority vote as well as the British Monarchy, purely because they were humans (Malcolmson 8). With this ideology well spread among colonists, during the time when the British elite increasingly engaged in corruption and eventually threatened the property rights of Americans, as well as when the British Monarchy failed to offer the Americans representation in the Parliament of Great Britain, the colonists considered it was their right also duty to voiced their disapproval of British governance and to reorganize a political framework that can safeguard Americans’ rights. Secondly, the republican belief had brought together not only propertied colonists but also diverse economic and social classes (e.g. yeoman farmers and merchants) to the revolution, regardless of their wealth and education. Though some suggest that internal conflict existed between these classes, their universal belief in American rights had not stopped these classes from uniting together to fight for political equality.

According to Alexander Berkman, a "social revolution means the reorganization of the industrial, economic life of the country and consequently also of the entire structure of society" which basically comes down to substantial changes in society. The American Revolution should be deemed a social revolution because of the dramatic alterations that occurred throughout major American social institutions, including government, hierarchy, family, economy and religion.

Politically, the colonies were originally under the monarchical governance of Great Britain and the colonial legislatures were modeled after the parliament of Great Britain. When the thirteen colonies overthrew their existing governments and sought to reinforce the natural rights of men. The new state constitutions recognized the people as the one source of power. The American constitution limited the autonomy of public officials, delegated specific powers to the states, and separated the functions ascribed to the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government. The system was designed to protect liberties against a distant central government, dominated by the wealthy. Backed by the natural laws of men and the recognition of the people as the source of political power, new democratic institutions began to emerge such as male suffrage ***NEED MORE EXAMPLES OF DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS***. The shared constitution also was a turning point of American identity, where before the colonies were largely individual with their own distinctive social and political stratification, after the revolution they became united and increasingly nationalistic states of America.

Economically, the Revolutionary war stimulated occupational mobility. Merchants, yeoman farmers and craftsmen took advantage of during and post-war needs to expand their affluence and to create a strong middle class to influence society. There were also substantial changes in regards to land-systems where Tory estates were confiscated and redistributed and the English law of Primogeniture (the requirement that land be passed entirely from father to eldest son) was abolished. These economic changes created revolutionary opportunities for the common man to maneuver the economic ladder by leveling the playing field.

Before the revolution, the social and political hierarchy followed a system of aristocratic elite supremacy, the ultimate tier of which, before 1776, was the imperial elite located in England and coterminous with the English aristocracy. The American Revolution for independence from Britain was a social movement of the people against their imperial elites and brought about profound change in the relationship between those of different social status. Although elitism did not die, those of high status lost their traditional prescriptive authority and the rising middle class were allowed to share in formal politics via white male suffrage.

Despite female sacrifices and involvement in the war, they did not receive the same level of equality and natural rights that were given to men, however, there was a dramatic change on the consensus on how women’s nature were understood. Before the war, women were considered morally weaker than men, dangerously prone to sin. However, a main ideology of the Revolution was to develop and maintain the virtue of the citizenry and women were assigned and claimed a role in this endeavor through their influence as wives and mothers. Everywhere educational opportunities for women were expanded to better equip women to nurture their children’s morals, and female literacy rose as a consequence. This idea of an educated woman became known as "Republic motherhood.”

Religion was another insitution that faced a dramatic reallocation in society. In Britain the church stood as a monarchial institution, united by the Divine Right of Kings, the Constitution granted the freedoms of life, liberty, speech, and religion to all citizens of the United States. The 1st Amendment of the American Constitution separates the church and the state allowing for religious freedom. Freedom of religion, though seemingly supporting religion, actually further diminishes the influence of religion in the country, for no one religion is sovereign.

JENNIFER'S EDIT**** hey guys, this is my edit for what we have. i tried my best to mesh everybody's style and make the grammar continuous throughout. let me know what ya think ):):):):):):):)

The American Revolution of the late 18 century was a grassroots social movement that arose out of tensions between the thirteen American colonies and the British Parliament over the right to self government. The burgeoning colonies united together to abolish British control and establish autonomy, declaring themselves independent as the United States of America through the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

There is ongoing debate as to whether the origin of the Revolution was social or political, however, the underlying ideological motivations for sovereignty indicate that a social movement was underway. The rise of Republicanism, with its accompanying emphasis on representation and democratic participation as well as its focus on natural rights, featured heavily in the influences of key Revolutionary figures. In addition, Enlightenment writers of the time also inspired much of the social discourse that greatly shaped Revolutionary thinking. It is the purpose of this argument to assess the the American Revolution as a genuine social movement through the consideration of the social context of the time, in addition to discussing the consequential institutional changes to American government, hierarchy, families, economic systems, and religion.

The shift towards republican ideology represented a revolution of ideas that transformed the attitudes and beliefs of the American people. The concept of proper representation and natural rights consolidated diverse demographics of people, from propertied elite to slaves. The changing social consciousness of young America indicates that this was not simply a conflict between upper societies, but a far reaching and universal movement that affected every individual, regardless of geographic location, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Powerful Enlightenment ideas circulated the concepts of rationality and natural law which spread throughout the colonies and inspired many to reconsider the equality of men, the divinity of Kings, and individual liberty. Locke's writings on natural rights advocated life, liberty, and the right to own property to all people. He also stated that if the government did not oblige, citizens had the right to remove it from office. In the context of the 18th century, the idea of the people having ultimate control of their government was a radical idea, as many states were still monopolized by entrenched monarchies. Republicanism also became the American school of liberalism, which developed the concept of man's inalienable rights which were immune from the whims of the majority as well as the British monarchy, owed to them purely by virtue of their existence as human beings. In a time of human infancy where even electricity had not been harnessed, the concepts of representation and natural rights were incredible feats of intellectualism that are still evident today.

Alexander Berkman said a "social revolution means the reorganization of the industrial, economic life of the country and consequently also of the entire structure of society". The American Revolution should be deemed a social revolution not only because of the academic concepts advanced, but because of the dramatic alterations that occurred throughout major American social institutions, including government, hierarchy, family, the economy and religion.

Originally, the colonies were politically modeled after the Parliament of Great Britain, however, when the colonies sought to restructure government, they made significant alterations. One of the most outstanding of these changes was the concept of secularization, or the separation of church and state. This differed dramatically from the British government, which was of course highly integrated with the church. This reflects the social ideals of the time, which were drifting away from arbitrary, "divinely appointed" rulers and gravitating towards more pragmatic leadership. With the disassociation from Britain came the rise of nationalism and patriotism, also important elements of American social discourse. In addition, as Enlightenment writers preferred, limitations were placed on branches of government, and specific functions were ascribed to the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government. The new system was designed to protect individuals against too centralized a government, and from tyranny of the majority which democracies are sometimes susceptible to. Another important element of the political aspects of the Revolution include universal white male suffrage, a monumental stepping stone for the participation we all now enjoy. As these examples show, the Revolution had political manifestations, but its origin was intellectually and socially motivated.

Economically, the Revolutionary war stimulated occupational mobility. Merchants, yeoman farmers and craftsmen took advantage of wartime needs to expand their affluence and to create a strong middle class. There were also substantial changes in regards to land-systems where Tory estates were confiscated and redistributed, and the English law of Primogeniture (the requirement that land be passed entirely from father to eldest son) was abolished. These economic changes created revolutionary opportunities for the common man to maneuver the economic ladder and acquire property. The right to own property was one of the predominant ways the elite monopolized production, and in turn the economy in whole. By opening the specifications to broader groups, America was moving towards its social goal of life, liberty, and the right to own land.

Before the revolution, the social hierarchy followed a system of aristocratic supremacy, the ultimate tier of which, before 1776, was the imperial elite located in England and coterminous with the English aristocracy. The American Revolution saw the restructuring of social hierarchies, and brought about profound change in the relationship between those of different social statuses. Although elitism did not die out entirely, those of high status lost their traditional prescriptive authority and the rising middle class was allowed to share in formal politics. While men white men witnessed suffrage, women were also experiencing social changes. While they did not receive the same level of equality as men, there was a changing consensus on how women were understood. Liberal thought heavily emphasized rationality, and women capitalized on this concept to advocate their equality to men. Educational opportunities for women were expanded to equip them with the tools to better nurture their children, and female literacy rose as a consequence. The "Republican Motherhood" was thus established, and became a platform for advancing women's rights.

Religion was another insitution that faced a dramatic reallocation in society. Perhaps the most intrinsic facet of all social institutions, the church played a dominant role in the lives of 18th century individuals. As mentioned above, the 1st Amendment which details the separation of church and state was important not only in establishing an objective, responsible government but also in supporting freedom of religion. While counterintuitive, freedom of religion actually diminishes the influence of religion in a country, as no one religion is granted any special privileges above any other. In a time of religious singularity, this concept revolutionized the practice of faith as it in fact protected all denominations.

FINAL DRAFT???

NEW VERSION**** jennifer's updated edit hey guys i emailed you all with the newest version of my edit which i think is pretty much ready to submit, it's exactly 800 words and has a brief intro/summary. covered all the major bases, grammar is good (i think!! i've read it over a few times) i'll post it here in case you check here first

The American Revolution of the late 18 century was a grassroots social movement that arose out of tensions between the thirteen American colonies and the British Parliament over the right to self government. The burgeoning colonies united together to abolish British control and establish autonomy, declaring themselves independent as the United States of America through the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

There is ongoing debate as to whether the origin of the Revolution was social or political, however, the underlying ideological motivations for sovereignty indicate that a social movement was underway. The rise of Republicanism as well The Enlightenment inspired much of the social discourse that greatly shaped Revolutionary thinking. It is the purpose of this argument to assess the the American Revolution as a genuine social movement through consideration of the social context of events, in addition to discussing the consequential institutional changes to American ideology, government, religion, economic systems, and hierarchies.

The shift towards Republican ideology represented a revolution of ideas that transformed the attitudes and beliefs of the American people. The concept of proper representation and natural rights consolidated diverse demographics of people, from propertied elite to slaves. The changing social consciousness of young America indicates that this was not simply a conflict between upper societies, but a far reaching and universal movement that affected every individual. Powerful Enlightenment ideas circulated the concepts of rationality and natural law which spread throughout the colonies and inspired many to reconsider equality, divinity, and individualism. Locke's writings on natural rights advocated life, liberty, and the right to own property to all people. He also stated that if the government did not oblige, citizens had the right to remove it from office. In the context of the 18th century, the idea of the people having ultimate control of their government was a radical idea, as many states were still monopolized by entrenched monarchies. Republicanism also became the American school of liberalism that determined man's inalienable rights to be immune from the whims of the majority as well as the British monarchy. In a time of human infancy where even electricity had not been harnessed, the concepts of representation and natural rights were incredible feats of intellectualism that are still evident today.

Originally, the colonies were politically modeled after the Parliament of Great Britain, however, when the colonies sought to restructure government, they made significant alterations. One of the most outstanding of these changes was the concept of secularization, or the separation of church and state. This differed dramatically from the British government, which was of course highly integrated with the church. This reflects the social ideals of the time, which were drifting away from arbitrary, "divinely appointed" rulers and gravitating towards more pragmatic leadership. Perhaps the most intrinsic facet of all social institutions, the church played a dominant role in the lives of 18th century individuals. The 1st Amendment, which details the separation of church and state, was important not only in establishing an objective, responsible government but also in supporting freedom of religion. While counterintuitive, freedom of religion actually diminishes the influence of religion in a country, as no one religion is granted any special privileges above any other. In a time of religious singularity, this concept revolutionized the practice of faith as it in fact protected all denominations.

Economically, the Revolution stimulated occupational mobility. Merchants, yeoman farmers and craftsmen took advantage of wartime needs to expand their affluence and to create a strong middle class. There were also substantial changes in regards to land-systems where Tory estates were confiscated and redistributed, and the English law of Primogeniture (the requirement that land be passed entirely from father to eldest son) was abolished. By opening the specifications to broader groups, America was moving towards its social goal of life, liberty, and the right to own land.

Before the revolution, the social hierarchy followed a system of aristocratic supremacy, the ultimate tier of which, before 1776, was the imperial elite located in England and coterminous with the English aristocracy. Although elitism did not die out entirely, those of high status lost their traditional prescriptive authority and the rising middle class was allowed to share in formal politics. While men white men witnessed suffrage, women were also experiencing social changes. While they did not receive the same level of equality as men, there was a changing consensus on how women were understood. Liberal thought heavily emphasized rationality, and women capitalized on this concept to advocate their equality to men. Educational opportunities for women were expanded to equip them with the tools to better nurture their children, and female literacy rose as a consequence. The "Republican Motherhood" was thus established, and became a platform for advancing women's rights.

As the previous evidence details, the American Revolution of 1776 transcended politics and can be considered a genuine social movement.

Alright this is Jenessa. This is my draft for the rebuttal... unfornately it is like 250 words too many. But I looked at some of the other rebuttal and a lot of them are like 600 words (not that we should aim for that)... Also I know that there can be a lot cut from the point including slavery (I just wasn't sure what to let go)...

I leave it in your capable hands... I hope you liked how I organized it... I particularly enjoyed using direct quotes from their argument against them... yay

One more thing, I really wanted to add that the fact that each state wrote their own unique, individual leglislature is also proof that the revolution was not just a tiny elite group that ran everything... except I wasn't sure where to put it

The Revolution of 1776 was not a political coup but a genuine social movement. A causal relationship exists that cannot be disregarded; ideology precipitated the conflict, and political restructuring was only one of many manifestations.

First we will address the issue of the coup d’état. As defined by merriam-webster it is "the violent overthrow or alteration of an existing government by a small group.” Since, however, the King of England was not deposed from his throne and since the transition of government was supported and motivated by a majority of the population (and not a small group) we find that the term cannot apply to the American Revolution. Furthermore we find that the British Parliament didn’t maintain a strong imperial presence in the colonies to the point where they couldn’t even enforce the Stamp Act and were forced to repeal it, since the people refused to concede to it. We agree with the opposition that a political revolution occurred, however, it was not a coup and furthermore the political institution is simply a small cog in the social revolution that affected so much more.

Secondly, the other team has also declared that “the ideological differences between the two sides ... weren’t that great” however, as a direct result of the salutary neglect shown by the British parliament, was a nationalist sentiment in America that led to the development of a state identity separate from Britain. Britain itself in the middle of the eighteenth century remained a rigidly hierarchical society, still rooted in its feudal past. By contrast, on the other side of the Atlantic, Puritanism and the experience of frontier life had generated anti-authority, individualistic attitudes, while the absence of an aristocracy and the ease with which land could be acquired made possible a degree of social mobility unheard of in Europe.

Thirdly we will address the claim that the revolution was headed by a minority of elites, who felt oppressed by various taxes and consequently manipulated the lower class majority to support the revolution. An important thing to note is that the heavy taxation of commodities stifled the middle class, not only the propertied elites. To suggest that British rule did not affect commoners is not entirely accurate. Also, not only ‘elite’ members of society took leadership or active roles in the revolution. Many leading figures of the Revolution and the Enlightenment, such as John Adams, came from humble backgrounds. Concepts such as the social contract and individual liberty transcended the elite and were embraced by the masses. Considerable small-scale organization was present, and groups such as the Sons of Liberty were accessible to all socioeconomic classes. This group developed one of the most popular mantras of the Revolution, "no taxation without representation", demonstrating its widespread appeal.

Fourthly, in regards to the sentiment that “the war of independence simply replaced one ruling elite for another” we hold up the decentralization of government that occurred. In accordinace to enlightenment trends, The Declaration of Independence states that “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” and this powerful change in social institution of government was accepted and supported when every state rewrote their own legislature limitations were placed on branches of government to protect individuals against too centralized a government, and from tyranny of a minority. The Revolution placed took power from a monarchial autocracy and transferred it to the people, which is the opposite of a ruling elite.

Finally, the opposition has declare that only the gentry gained benefits from the revolution. Several diverse socio-economic classes gained different benefits from the propagation of the natural rights of men and the republicanisation of the government. Not only did the revolution certify male suffrage, it served as a stepping stone in the eventual equal civil rights shared by women and slaves. For women, during and after the Revolution property and inheritance rights were enhanced and education for women was firmly established. As for slavery, though they didn’t achieve equal rights, there was a remarkable change. Many slaves were granted freedom in return for fighting and a strong black emancipation movement developed in the North. Many blacks, both free and slave, exploited the rhetoric of the Revolution to petition for their freedom and equality. In response, many owners, even in the south, freed their slaves and six state constitutions (Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey) abolished slavery. Free Massachusetts blacks won the vote in 1783, a precedent slowly adopted by other free states. Also, the changes in society that promoted a variety of freedoms, and were later officiated in the 1st Amendment, such as freedom of religion, speech and press affect every class.

COMPLETE LACK OF CONLCUSION I KNOW!!!!! It will probably have room only for one sentence... somehting like. Thus the American Revolution can be firmly understood as a social rather than political revolution.