Factors Resulting In The American Revolution

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The American Revolution is a momentous event not only in American history but world history as well. The Revolution served as the spark that would ignite the world with the flames of rebellion. “From the Ural Mountains in Russia to the Alleghenies and the Andes in the Americas, rioting, revolutions, and popular struggles against undemocratic rule took place” (Mintz). It was clear what that? the revolution had begun, but what is often unclear is what began the revolution itself. The beginning of the American Revolution in the 1770’s was the result of many factors. Tension, frustration, and oppression were intensified by the social, economic, intellectual, and political differences between the colonists and the British. These differences and the tensions that accompanied them gave birth to the revolution and the enthusiasm that inspired it in the 1770’s.

Intellectual differences between the British and the Colonists began simply with their tastes in literature, but such a subtle difference yielded results that impacted the revolution more greatly that many of the most noticeable variances. Unaccustomed to large textbooks, and complex literature, American colonists gravitated towards simple pamphlets, newspapers, and easily read almanacs. Reading was seldom a grueling task, and as simple as it had become, philosophical ideas and political debates quickly circulated through the press and into the minds of eager American readers. Well informed Americans were then given the freedom to engage in political debates as part of their daily interactions. “Thanks to the American love of newspapers, pamphlets, oral debate, and informal political discussion, by 1775, many of the Revolutionaries, whether they realized it or not, sou...

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...ssible, and certain other events like the establishment of the Committee of Correspondence in 1772, and the Boston Massacre of 1770, unified Americans behind their ambition to create a democratic government far different from Britain’s Monarchy.

Separated from the British by intellectual, social, economic, and political differences, and bonded to one another by the fruit of those differences, Americans became resolute in their need to create an identity of their own. This need, and the factors supporting it, became most prominent in the 1770’s through rising tensions and violent outbreaks. These outbreaks ultimately resulted in the Revolutionary war, placing America indefinitely, where it is today.

Works Cited:

Mintz, S. (2007). Road to Revolution. Digital History. Retrieved 11/3/11 from http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=691

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