American Revolution

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that the American Revolution has traditionally been taught as if it was one single, unified movement. The writer points out that, according to this view, all Americans rose heroically as one to challenge tyranny, motivated by their love of freedom and desire for self-governance. However, the writer maintains that more recent interpretations have challenged this simplistic interpretation. It is argued in this paper that it is more correct to see the American Revolution as "many revolutions," in that there were many contributing ideas and factors, rather than one simple movement.

From the Paper:

"Now, while many Americans clearly agreed with this idea, the point is that the frameworks within which they agreed with it were highly diverse. For example, Calvinists in New England were searching through the Bible for indications of the will of God, while at the other extreme, rationalists in Virginia were studying nature to discern divine mechanics. The only thing that united these diverse approaches and ideas about the nature of reality was a shared belief that every event was meant to be, and was given meaning by God ... "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Marston, Daniel. The American Revolution, 1774-1783. New York: Routledge, 2003.
• Middlekauff, Robert. The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789. New York: Oxford University Press, 1985.
• Miller, John C. Origins of the American Revolution. Boston: Little, Brown, 1943.
• Wahlke, John C., ed. The Causes of the American Revolution. Revised ed. Boston: D. C. Heath and Company, 1967.

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