The Radicalism of the American Revolution - 529 Words

In The Radicalism of the American Revolution Gordon Wood attempts to disprove the common thought that the American Revolution was simply a war for independence from a tyrannical mother country. He explains how America formed such a unique from of government. The form that American government took was a collaboration of many different forms that emphasized the rights of individuals. Woods finds it essential to explain colonial life and the factors that dictated people’s lives to understand how radical the revolution was compared to other revolutions. In the 1700’s it was impossible for people to imagine a society operating independently of government, but through shifts in society and through parallel shifts in government that is what emerge. Up until the American Revolution society and government were interwoven. Once Woods explains society and the shifts that were taking place in society and government, he goes on to explain the nature of republicanism. The ideals of republicanism took a firm hold in the colonies. He claims that republican â€Å"disinterest† was essential to the formation of America. This term is oftenly thought of as public virtue or the â€Å"willingness to sacrifice private interests for the sake of the community including serving in office without pecuniary reward†. When the nation formed citizens, particularly the elites, were pushed to overlook private interests and developed a disinterested state of mind in order to further the state of the republic.Show MoreRelatedRadicalism of the American Revolution990 Words   |  4 PagesIn the book Radicalism of the American Revolution, written by Gordon S. Wood, the author states, The Revolution was the most radical and far reaching event in American history.† What about the American Revolution made it so â€Å"radical?† Wood believes it to be so radical because it not only brought change politically from British monarch to American rule which is w hat we are used to, but it also brought about changes in the basic structure of American society. Within the revolution there was more thanRead More Gordon Wood’s Radicalism of the American Revolution Essay1493 Words   |  6 PagesGordon Wood’s Radicalism of the American Revolution is a book that extensively covers the origin and ideas preceding the American Revolution. Wood’s account of the Revolution goes beyond the history and timeline of the war and offers a new encompassing look inside the social ideology and economic forces of the war. Wood explains in his book that America went through a two-stage progression to break away from the Monarchical rule of the English. He believes the pioneering revolutionaries were rootedRead MoreThe Beginning of Radicalism in Politics1684 Words   |  7 Pagesterm ‘radicalism’ in 1797 when he declared a radical reform of the electoral system. This led people to use the term to show support for the movement of parliamentary reform. Radicalism was initially confined to the middle and upper classes in the 18th century but the lower classes advanced radicalism in the early 1800’s. Radicalism began for many reasons. The Scottish people began to see radical change through the Scottish enlightenment, the American Revolution and the French Revolution. IdeasRead MoreThe Black Of Black Ideology1434 Words   |  6 Pageswithin society. Richard Allen s (1760–1831) creation of the African Episcopal Methodist Church in 1794 and W. E. B. DuBois s call for blacks to build on their group strengths in the 1930s or the 1960s era campaigns for community control of African-American communities are examples of protonationalism. Separatism operates on a different level than protonationalism, with more focus on immigration and creating safe, closed spaces for black people. Pushes for the unification of black people into separateRead MoreEssay on A Radical Revolution1343 Words   |  6 Pageswrites Rosemarie Zagarri, â€Å"is the story of how American women and men sought to define – and ultimately to limit and restrict – the expansive ideals they had so successfully deployed against Britain.† In this excerpt from Revolutionary Backlash, Zagarri depicts the extreme radicalism of the American Revolution, while also suggesting that there were some constraints to its extremism. Unlike the normal way of life in European government and society, Americans desired a nation in which the inherent rightsRead MoreAnalysis of Linda Kerber’s Women of the Republic: Intellect and Ideology in Revolutionary America 690 Words   |  3 Pages Linda Kerber’s Women of the Republic: Intellect and Ideology in Revolutionary America was a refreshing historian analysis of the role of women in our nation’s history. In the early Revolution eras, the political role of women was nonexistent due to the traditional roles held by the patriarchal society the colonists lived in for most of their years. Kerber intertwined her book with an intelligent analysis, but also conveys this analysis in a clear way so that reader can comprehend further. ThroughoutRead MoreThe French Revolution And The Revolution1221 Words   |  5 PagesWhen people think of the French Revolution, they immediately think of the country of France and how the Revolution affected it. What most people do not think about however, is how the Revolution affected other countries, specifically the country of England. England was affected positively and negatively by the Revolution in that there was an increase of political involvement, but there was a collapse in the economy due to war declared by France. The French Revolution created a battle of conflictingRead MoreRadicalism and Revolutions Essay1112 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout history, revolutions have started because of new ideas that change thinking and disrupt what has come to be considered normal. During 1700s, the American, French, and Haitian Revolutions were no exception. The Enlightenment ideas that were spreading around this time lead people of these three nations to question their ruling elites, and to begin considering breaking free. Of these three, though, no one revolt can be seen as more radical when compared to the other two. Each was faced withRead MoreRadical and Reform Movements in American History1999 Words   |  8 Pagesconflict over the inability of a foreign power to govern an overseas territories without proper representation in the foreign power’s government. This conflict, The American Revolution, may be the first significant radical movement in the history of the United States. However, the American Revolution led to unprecedented reforms in North American society. The Civil War, another significant example of a radical movement in the United States, began as a conflict over the issue of states rights. However, itRead MoreHegels Contradiction in Human History Essay1243 Words   |  5 Pages Ideologies are born as human’s interpretation of the world and belief system, also an endeavor to seek the truth of human nature. Ideologies emerge throughout the periods of great changes: the Enlightenment, the English â€Å"Glorious† Revolution, the American Revolution, etc. They have become the motivations, the standards, and the roots to modern political systems. Their roots are the philosophies developed by famous philosophers throughout the time. However, as each ideology is developed, its own