Essay On The Radicalism Of The American Revolution

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“The Revolution was the most radical and far reaching event in American history.” This is the premise of Gordon S. Wood’s book The Radicalism of the American Revolution. Within these pages Wood attempts to prove that the American Revolution was radical because it fundamentally changed the social and political structures of colonial America, structures that had always been fused together. Accordingly, he asserts that the separation of these institutions forms the basis of his argument for radicalism. In order to establish his theories Wood divides his work into three sections, each depicting a phase through which American society moved. The first section includes his analysis of the workings of both British and American society as they functioned under a monarchical system. The American colonies, like Britain, initially operated on a system of hierarchy in which each level of society depended on the level above it. According to Wood this system affected all colonial Americans, including free white men. The upper echelons belonged to the aristocracy whose positions were granted them by birth and within this group there was a hierarchical system. The king was at the top of the hierarchy and the gentry at the bottom. Wood describes the gentlemen of the gentry as a help to the commoners. These men lent money to those of lower social standing and also purchased goods from them as well as acted as their representatives to the higher social structures. In turn the commoners paid allegiance to the gentlemen through conscription and political support. The government within the monarchical society was populated by the aristocracy. It was they who were depended upon for directing the course of governmental affairs. The controls of all co... ... middle of paper ... ...tities did not occur until after republican ideology was instituted. Civic virtue and disinterestedness were the foundations of the divisions that were finalized through revolution. Yet, the Republicans undercut their own plans for America. By using the idea of equality not as an equality of the people but as an “equality of opportunity” the Republicans opened the door for anyone with the proper education to hold office. This caused a distinct separation between members of society, one that would not last. As the people began to think and act according to their own self-interests they began to advocate for self-government. Given that they were trusted to determine the virtue of their leaders, individuals began to understand they could also determine virtue within themselves, leading them to believe that there was no reason to differentiate between and among men.

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