is the american revolution not a revolution?

Question

i heard someone said that the revolution was not a revolution economicaly, politically, an socially. if this is so, than why woud we call it a revolution at all?

Answer 1

It WAS a revolution. Economically it was a revolt against taxes paid to England and the explotation of the Colony's resources by Britian. Politically, it was to overthrow England's yoke on the Colony and the authority of the English Anglican Church over religious freedom. Socially, no comment.

Answer 2

This someone is not the brightest crayon in the box.

It was a revolution economically, politically, and socially.

Economic: The Americans gave themselves the ability to control their own economy, devise their own taxes and get rid of colonial mercantilism. Americans began producing goods for their own consumption, rather than simply to be shipped abroad & resold at marked-up prices. I'd say that's an economic revolution.


Political: We got rid of the King and created a monarch-less government, the likes that had NEVER been seen before. You don't call that a political revolution????


Social: In overthrowing the monarchy & oligarchy of Britain, the United States opened the doors for a new upper class to emerge... a sort-of meritocracy where men and women could prove themselves upper class. We call this the American Dream now-- the rags-to-riches story. This was not really a possibility before the American Revolution. Also, granting (not perfect at the outset) all landowning men the right to vote & run for office in all levels of government was revolutionary. In Britain the House of Lords & the monarchy was heriditary. This revolution opened the doors for people of color & women to vote later.

And all of this in a very short period of time.

Don't listen to everyone who opens their trap and yaps. Look it up for yourself! :)

Answer 3

I'm British and would call it a revolution. I'm interested to see Americans think it is such as I'm sometimes a little cagey about referring to 'The American Revolution' rather than 'The American War of Independence'

Answer 4

You must have heard that from a British person. They seem to me to still have trouble accepting what happened. Most Americans think it was a revolution but think very little else about it. To the Brits, it is recent history, to the Americans, it is ancient history.

Answer 5

It depends upon what your definition is. Myself I don't see it as such. There as been allot of changes in the US over the years economically, politically, and socially, and they have not been labeled revolutionary. Hyperboil when the term revalutionary is used pertaining to the colonies breaking away from England.

The French had what I see as a revalution in 1789. Russia in 1917 and China in 1949.

Answer 6

It certainly sounds like a revolution to me - and I'm British.
Note that far more Americans couldn't stand it than Frenchmen couldn't stand their revolution.