"Radicalism of the American Revolution"

Paper Summary:

A review of Wood's book, which covers the American Revolution and the radical thought that led up to American independence. It explains how Wood indicates where the Americans began to break with the British and how radical thought was common in free Britain, so it is no surprise that American Colonials would continue this type of thought in the New World. It shows how Wood's theories differ from straight history because he looks at the social and economic factors that helped leaders look, first, toward a new Republic and then toward a more radical democracy.

From the Paper:

"The author breaks the book down into three main sections that logically follow the steps of the revolution: Monarchy, Republicanism, and Democracy. Within this framework, the author illustrates the differing stages in the American thought process, from breaking with the monarchy, to creating a workable Republic, to finally a democracy that was created for equality for all. Wood's research shows that at this time in American history, Americans were extremely open to change, and they were accepting of anyone who wanted to live in the country. Wood writes, "The truth was, said Thomas Paine in Common Sense, that Americans were the most cosmopolitan people in the world. They surmounted all local prejudices. They regarded everyone from different nations as their countryman" (Wood 223). He feels the ideals Americans used to create their new government may seem "commonplace" today, but at the time they were "momentously radical" at the time (Wood ix). The author uses a variety of research and evidence to reach his conclusions, from papers and books to library research and peer-reviewed journals and thesis. It is clear the author used every available resource to conduct his study, and wanted this book to represent the most exhaustive research on this topic, so there would be no questioning of his results."

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