The origins, aims and course of the American Revolution were
influenced by a number of factors. The causes of the American
Revolution have been put down to economic, social and political
factors, which have then continued to influence the course and finally
the outcome of America's conflict with Britain. Economic factors
concerning trade and slavery have been put down to being part of the
cause of the American Revolution. Yet historians have often debated
the influence that Protestantism had on the revolution. The majority
of the population of the colonies were Puritan but there were various
diverse angles of religion. The two largest churches were the
Presbyterians and the Congregationalists, but the colonies were also
made up of many other faiths such as Anglicans, Baptists or pacifist
groups such as Quakers. Religion was a very important part of colonial
life and the colonists were much more concerned with religious aspects
than political controversy. Yet although religion played a major part
of the colonists' lives, it actual affect on the American Revolution
itself is debatable: "Religion was present in the revolution,
considered in a restricted framework; it was thoroughly engaged by it
and multi-faceted. It is difficult to make the case, however, that
religious ingredients - even broadly defined- played a definitive or
even markedly innovative role."[1] John F. Wilson acknowledges that
religion did have an affect on the revolution but also argues that
perhaps Protestantism had a lesser affect on the revolution as a whole
than other factors such as economic aspects.
Some historians have attributed the Great Awakening to be on...
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Edward Countryman, The American Revolution (Penguin Books Ltd) 1985.
Jack P. Green and J. R. Pole, The Blackwell Encyclopedia of the American Revolution, (Blackwell Publishers) 1991.
J.C.D Clark, The Language of Liberty 1660-1832 (University of Cambridge) 1994.
Alfred F. Young, The American Revolution: Explorations in the History of American Radicalism, (Northern Illinois University Press) 1976.
Robert A. Gross, The Minutemen and their World, (Hill and Wang) 1976.
Websites and Journals
Jerald C. Brauer, Protestantism in America: A Narrative History (Chapter 4- "Religion and Revolution)
http://www.religion-online.org/cgi-bin/relsearchd.dll/showchapter?chapter_id=1968
John F. Wilson, Religion and Revolution in American History, "Journal of Interdisciplinary History," Vol. 23, No. 3, Religion and History. (Winter, 1993), pp. 597-613.
“Revolutions do not sustain themselves through ideas alone” (Breen 17). American Insurgents, American Patriots is a scholarly novel that researches and tells about the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War from a different viewpoint then normal works on the revolution. It was written by T.H. Breen and published in 2010 by Hill and Wang, a division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, who have been awarded twenty-one nobel prizes in literature. Hill and Wang focus on historical nonfiction works for the educated reader (Macmillan). The book may appear to be novel like, however, it is a scholarly work and has been reviewed by multiple professors of history at respected universities. Aside from
In chapter eleven, The Age of Democratic Revolutions: The North Atlantic World “Turn Upside Down”, Wells discusses the American and French Revolutions. Both of these revolutions shook the world and turn the world around. After the Enlightenment, there were many revolutions across Europe; however, the American and French Revolution had more power in them to change the world. Because of the books, pamphlets, and sermons, the idea of rationalism moved from philosophes to many of other people. With these new ideas, the people started to believe in change which led to stress and upheaval. In America, the revolution was not like other revolutions. There was no reigns of terror, no mass deportations, or forced labor camps. However, the American
Eliga H. Gould, The Persistence of Empire: British Political Culture in the Age of the American Revolution (North Carolina: Omohundro Institute, 2000),
Portland: Frank Cass & Company Limited, 1996. Middle Kauff, Robert. A.S.A. The Glorious Cause. The American Revolution, 1763-1789. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982.
Roof, Wade Clark. "Contemporary Conflicts: Tradition vs. Transformation." Contemporary American Religion. Vol. 1. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. 226-27. Print.
Gordon S. Wood. The Radicalism of the American Revolution. Vintage; Reprint edition. March 2, 1993
According to Carl N. Degler, the entire Revolution should be viewed as a conservative change. In “A New Kind of Revolution,” Degler talked about how the new actions taken place by the English had help structure and shape the colonial government. Not only did the colonies lack the affection of their motherland, Britain, they were also taxed unfairly. On the other hand, “The Radicalism of the American Revolution,” by Gordon S. Wood talks about how the American Revolution was a radical movement. His thesis covered how the country was transitioning from monarchy to republic, and now, democracy. The framers wanted to create a free nation where no single person rule. As well as, the people of the nation having the ultimate say so.
Eugene D. Genovese, “Religion in the Collapse of the American Union,” in Religion and the American Civil War, ed. Randall M. Miller (New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998), 43-73.
Religion was the foundation of the early Colonial American Puritan writings. Many of the early settlements were comprised of men and women who fled Europe in the face of persecution to come to a new land and worship according to their own will. Their beliefs were stalwartly rooted in the fact that God should be involved with all facets of their lives and constantly worshiped. These Puritans writings focused on their religious foundations related to their exodus from Europe and religions role in their life on the new continent. Their literature helped to proselytize the message of God and focused on hard work and strict adherence to religious principles, thus avoiding eternal damnation. These main themes are evident in the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Cotton Mathers, and John Winthrop. This paper will explore the writings of these three men and how their religious views shaped their literary works, styles, and their historical and political views.
... Bobrick, Benson. Fight for Freedom: The American Revolutionary War. New York: Atheneum, 2004. Print.
Samples, John. "Religion and Civil Rights." World & I. 01 Jan. 2004: 32. eLibrary. Web. 24 Aug. 2011.
The American Revolution marked the divorce of the British Empire and its one of the most valued colonies. Behind the independence that America had fought so hard for, there emerged a diverging society that was eager to embrace new doctrines. The ideals in the revolution that motivated the people to fight for freedom continued to influence American society well beyond the colonial period. For example, the ideas borrowed from John Locke about the natural rights of man was extended in an unsuccessful effort to include women and slaves. The creation of state governments and the search for a national government were the first steps that Americans took to experiment with their own system. Expansion, postwar depression as well as the new distribution of land were all evidence that pointed to the gradual maturing of the economic system. Although America was fast on its way to becoming a strong and powerful nation, the underlying issues brought about by the Revolution remained an important part in the social, political and economical developments that in some instances contradicted revolutionary principles in the period from 1775-1800.
Foner, Eric. "SLAVERY AND THE REVOLUTION." Give Me Liberty!: An American History. Third ed. Vol. One. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 182-84. Print.
George Browm Tindall, David Emory Shi. American History: 5th Brief edition, W. W. Norton & Company; November 1999
Bowden, Catherine Drinker, John Adams and the American Revolution. Boston: The Little, Brown and Company, 1949.