Myths of the American Revolution - Essay Example

What was revolutionary about the American Revolution and what was not? The American Revolution is globally considered to be a highly important political commotion which generated huge uproar during the last half of the 18th century and made history. It was a momentous effort put forward by a large number of overzealous and liberal-minded Americans which is considered by many to be truly revolutionary. When the ideas of freedom and self-representation picked up momentum, the North American settlers found themselves left with the only options of rebellion and war. What was particularly revolutionary about this political movement was the achievement of liberty, dignity, and self-representation. Still many others opinion that the American Revolution cannot be considered as mighty a revolution as the ones witnessed in France or China because a true revolution results in distribution of power and demolition of old law and order which cannot be safely said about the American Revolution. The purpose of this essay is to contemplate the nature of the American Revolution in order to identify what was really revolutionary about it and what was not. Masses of North American settlers in this historical event gathered to break free from the British Empire in order to give themselves a proper and dignified identity. In order to fulfill this noble purpose, thirteen colonies in North America invested prodigious amounts of hard work and enthusiasm as a consequence of which the United States of America came into existence. This makes this critically important movement a true revolution because it gave the Americans that glorious identity which forms the hallmark of any nation. No nation in the world can claim to have any solid power without the safety of self-representation and independence. The American Revolution and the national war of independence which followed determined the nation Americans would become in the future and gave them the face without which a nation is lost in the depths of anonymity and defenselessness. It was the result of myriad revolutionary efforts put forward by North American colonists that the rebellion against tyranny and oppression won and garnered respect. This movement should be considered truly revolutionary because it formed a defining moment in American history and effectively changed the pattern of life that would be lived by generations of Americans afterwards. It would not be a hyperbolic statement if said that this very revolution often forms any American child’s first encounter with history which says much about the credibility, authority, and influence of this historical movement. The Americans who participated in this late 18th century revolution were quite determined and defiant revolutionaries. Though they were loyal to the system of English law, still they wanted all their rights appropriately recognized and the right of independence made to top of the list. The unity between North Americans who started the movement of independence and participated in the war was extremely revolutionary. It was the result of that momentous unity that scintillating light broke through the dense darkness and the British Empire’s tough attempts at crushing the American Revolution met failure. It was also very revolutionary that a large percentage of defiant protestors did not lose courage and become repressed when the British legislation labeled the groundbreaking efforts as provocative actions and decided to punish the colonies for claiming rights. The British rulers indisputably miscalculated the perseverance and unified power of the American revolutionaries who had neither an army nor a navy and even lacked experienced commanding officers. In contrast to the American warriors, historical evidence suggests that the British possessed a properly structured professional army and the kind of navy which could not be found anywhere else in the world (Ferling). Added to that the world’s finest weaponry left little room of defeat but the way masses of courageous liberty-seeking Americans got able to break through that kind of power is mesmerizing and revolutionary. Despite myriad arguments which lend the American movement for independence from the British Empire truly revolutionary colors, there are still many which consider the statement of the American Revolution as being the most important event in the history hideously hyperbolic. Such critics claim that whenever there is a true social revolution, roots of the old legislature and official system are not left behind and power is effectively transferred from ruling groups to new less powerful groups. Money is not monopolized by the elite social class but distributed to curb corruption and create a proper balance in the society. None of this can be satisfactorily said for the American Revolution which did create the United States and brought along the invaluable prize of liberty and identity, but mostly transferred power from one elite group to other largely leaving new social groups out of the picture. Also following the revolution and war of independence, when American victory did not turn out quite successful in guaranteeing freedom and distribution of rights, some less privileged and resentful social groups even sought to stand with the enemies to achieve the desired objectives which suggests that despite all the glory and glitz, the American Revolution had its share of weaknesses. Also, not everybody who participated in this revolution had a noble cause because many colonial elites took action against the British for monetary gains by casting off British creditors and boycott exports in order to inflate crop prices which cannot be considered very revolutionary or respectful. Concluding, this much becomes clear from the above discussion that striking rebellion against hugely domineering British rulers and commencing war of independence without possessing large armies, weaponry, and experience is quite marvelous and revolutionary. Also, the North American colonists had virtually no history of standing together or cooperating with one another for long periods even in the face of oppression. But the level of unity and agreement which they displayed during the American Revolution and the following War of Independence is very distinguished and extraordinary. Actually this revolution did not quite effectively distribute power between different social groups and allocate equal rights to all citizens, but it nevertheless provided an opportunity to expand on rights and liberties that had been defined before the revolutionary movement began. Work cited: Ferling, John. “Myths of the American Revolution.” Smithsonian.com. Jan. 2010. Web. 15 Oct. 2013. Read More