The Conservative American Revolution - Essay Example

The discussion will include the major rights and powers that the Americans thought were denied to them and their evidence for believing so. The colonists, sooner or later, had been familiar with managing their own concerns and had been building provincial and local elected administrations. Traditions and institutions founded on the ideals of individual rights, free trade, and private property had progressed from the initial period of the colonies (Morison 1976). The most important question then is what are the justifications of the premise that the American Revolution is a conservative one? The English colonists who headed the revolution were remarkably knowledgeable of their natural rights and privileges as ‘free-born Englishmen’ (Wahlke 1962, 57). They would have abandoned their life in England to start anew or run away from religious discrimination and persecution, and per se were expected to think firmly about sustaining their virtual independence or sovereignty (Leach 1986).

Furthermore, they were predisposed to relate themselves with the tradition of the ‘Commonwealth Whig’ which had been powerful and influential in 17th century England, when a large number of them run away, a doctrine which stressed individual liberty and a viewpoint against despotism (Morton 2003). Lockean Whiggism of the 1600s and natural rights discourse was prominent in the pre-revolutionary dialogue (Morison 1976). The manner the colonies were structured and ruled differed significantly, and could barely be characterized as absolutely independent (Morton 2003): the New Englanders benefited from the absolute democratic structure, with the electorate having a right to make a decision on all issues of significance and elect local authorities in annual assemblies.

 The voters were apparently restricted to the white male elite, but due to the wealth and realizable property requirements, this select few was strangely huge. Since massive areas of land were obtainable, most of it belongs to free owners, who were destined to feel somewhat implicated in the political discussions impacting the colonies at the moment, with a threat in their prospects they tried to safeguard (Morton 2003). The colonists had benefited a lot from comparatively modest taxes from Britain, with almost all taxes defaulted due to prevalent corruption, fraud, and smuggling (Leach 1986). Apparently, most of the heads of the American Revolution were wealthy or propertied individuals, members of the select few that had ruled the colonies prior to the separation from Britain. They were affluent lawyers, traders, and property owners. They were by no means members of the aristocracy (Leach 1986). There was social mobility. Nonetheless, the individuals who ruled the fight for freedom and self-government viewed themselves as the natural rulers of a society that was essentially fair and reasonable.

Several of these individuals feared the social implications of the revolution. They still felt the same although they espoused the rationale of their political insights and motivated a broader group of people to take part in government (Morison 1976). These individuals exploited the extended opportunities and acquired top positions in the military, the government, and Congress (Swift 2002). John Jay articulated a similar apprehension when he stated that the revolution was “giving rank and Importance to men whom Wisdom would have left in obscurity” (Swift 2002, 16). The argument of Jay was supported by John Adams. He was also troubled that increasing democratization of the political domain would result in a degradation of the public sector (Morison 1976). He protested that a new batch of American rulers “will obtain an Influence, by Noise not Sense, by Meanness, not Greatness, by Ignorance not Learning” (Morison 1976, 6).    

Meanwhile, the seizure of American rights and privileges began when King George III ratified a declaration in 1764 that stated that Bank of England scrip would be the sole type of legitimate notes in the colonies (Leach 1986). Before this declaration, the colonies had released their own notes and had carried this out in a way that was proportionate to the projected level of business deals and trade occurring. The 1764 Currency Act substituted with the scrip of the Bank of England as an outcome, the colonists suffered poverty, economic failure, unemployment, and price increases (Morton 2003). Other violations of American rights and privileges took place, such as the tea tax that resulted in the Boston Tea Party, the Stamp Act, and the prohibition of direct trading transactions with the Caribbean colonies (Morton 2003). The Declaration of Independence on the fourth of July 1776 (Leach 1986), aimed to reinstitute those rights and privileges and give them back to the people. 

Evidently, the American Revolution is a conservative one as shown in the discussion above. Instead of a revolutionary transformation, it was an outcome of the interests of the colonists to preserve their natural rights, wealth, and power. This fact is apparent, with social, economic, and political claims. Within these various arrays of interests, the transformation had taken place slowly.