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American Revolution Dbq

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Recommended: The american revolution and its effects on society

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION’S EFFECT ON AMERICAN SOCIETY Zachary Zion AP US History Mr. Stream October 10, 2016 The American Revolution was very influential in shaping the new society that came as a result of its success. America’s Revolution fundamentally changed American society most noticeably by replacing an authoritarian government with one that acknowledged individual rights for the first time in history. This is proven by the laws and ordinances written to protect the individual rights of Americans, the different movements intended to limit the power of government, and America’s retaliation to the multiple rights violations from Britain. The Revolutionary War was fought in retaliation to a series …show more content…

Document D shows a statute from Virginia protecting an individual’s right to practice or to not practice religion: it says that an individual cannot coerce others or be coerced into practicing a religion. Document H shows an ordinance banning slavery in the Northwest Territory of 1787. An individual has the right to his own thought, being it's not a violation of anybody else's rights when he thinks. This individual right is protected by the Virginia statute, and that this right is specifically mentioned and defended by the government is proof that the government admits to their responsibility to protect it. The ban on slavery on the Northwest Territory north of the Ohio River, as noted in Document H, is yet more proof that the government is assuming the role of the guardian to individual rights. A slave’s rights aren’t acknowledged, and that the government banned the practice of slavery in this region is proof yet again of their commitment to defending individual rights. The government passing these ordinances and statutes reflects the theme of the United States government: to protect individual …show more content…

Document G is part of a letter from Abigail Adams to Thomas Jefferson written in the context of Shay’s Rebellion in 1787, which was fought as a response to government taxation in a barter economy. Document I quotes James Madison in The Federalist, where during the move for a constitution he defends the idea as well as limits on the government to protect individual rights. Document G is a criticism of Shay’s Rebellion, undermining the legitimacy of the revolutions concerns. The criticism is irrelevant in the context of the rebellion’s motivation, but it is evidence towards the idea that the rebels themselves thought they were fighting for similar principles to the American Revolution. The rebels thought their individual rights were threatened to a high enough degree that they had the right to overthrow their government. In Document I, James Madison is quoted as saying “...you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.” in context to regulating a government. The Federalist is a written defence for and part of a constitutional movement that calls for a stronger federal government that also limits itself and protects individual rights. Shay’s Rebellion was a retaliation to a government outreach. It sought to overthrow their government which was oppressing them by imposing taxes that they were unable to pay.

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After the rebellion was squashed, many americans were alarmed that a mob of farmers were able to take over the Massachusetts government - even for a short time. The “commotions sufficiently shocked (George) Washington to set him on the road to Philadelphia” (Larson, 236 ) to rewrite the Articles of confederation and to make a new constitution. During the constitutional convention, the authors of the document gave lots of power to the central government to prevent another mob from taking over a government again. Because of the constitution, the federal government also received the power to tax all the states and pass laws that could hurt farmers (“Article I:”). This shows that Daniel Shays rebellion was unsuccessful because it went against the goals of the rebellion of getting taxed less and having having pro debtor laws.

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That paragraph stating, "In the wake of Shays Rebellion...many among the 'rich and well-born' agreed with Washington that the nation was tottering. The time had come to empower the national government to bring social order and economic stability." From the way this narrative is presented, George Washington wanted to put more power in the hands of the central government with the people of the nation standing with

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In 1786, Daniel Shays, like other farmers, was with his inability to pay high debts. So, out of anger, formed a group of farmers who were frustrated too. The national government didn’t have a right or means to raise any army, so the governor of Massachusett formed an army on his own. New laws were drafted, which offered welcome relief to all of the debtors. But in the end, the rebellion helped highlight issues with the articles of confederation.

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In 1775 the British believed that they could beat the colonists quickly, considering they had more resources, more money, an army, and outnumbered them 6 to 1, but they were wrong. They still got fought into a stalemate in the North after 5 years! After losing the battle of Saratoga, the british feared French intervention. Therefore, they had to take the South, before it was to late to win the war. They believed that there were Loyalists down there that would rise up, rally together, and fight with the British army, if only they came down.

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These rebellions were important to early American political thought because it emphasized the need for a powerful federal government to collect taxes. Shays' Rebellion showed the weaknesses and shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation and which eventually contributed to the Constitution and granting the central government more power. The Whiskey Rebellion’s

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“Analysis of the Declaration of Independence” and Thomas Jefferson’s letter on Shay’s rebellion are two documents that help validate Thomas Jefferson’s likelihood of supporting modern day rebellions. The quote “‘All men are created equal’, writes author Thomas Jefferson. And everyone has basic rights that cannot be taken away” from “Analysis of the Declaration of Independence” shows that since everyone has rights everyone can sate their opinions about the way others and themselves are being treated and what the government needs to improve on. “Any government that tries to deny those rights to its people is a government that should not deserve to exist.

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This constitution was extremely weak, leading to the states bullying the Continental Congress and ignoring the plight of many poor farmers throughout the US. Daniel Shays, through his rebellion, helped spark the cause for reformists to shape today’s centralized

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Fernbach, Reece History Per.5 Thomas Jefferson I believe that using the information from the Declaration of Independence and the latter about shays rebellion, Thomas Jefferson would agree with today’s rebellions that happen in our society. Thomas Jefferson says in his letter to his friend on shays rebellion that “God forbid we should ever be 20 years without such a rebellion”. He is saying that why should a rebellion be taken as this horrible thing, it should be used to tell the leaders of their country that something is wrong and we need to see what they are rebelling about to fix it. If a rebellion isn’t a bad thing back then, then why should it be a bad thing now we are only doing what Tomas Jefferson wants in order to improve the

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Georgina Casillas 10/19/17 Block 6 Were American colonists justified in fighting a war to break away from Britain? With a great sense of nationalism and pride in the year of 1763 colonists were celebrating the victory from the French and Indian war. This war left the British government in debt. The British tried to pay off the debt

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On one hand the fledgling government strived to apply considerably fair republican and Enlightenment ideas to the new system. Through this strong belief in the natural rights of life, liberty, and property, the colonists were able to unite and connect under one American identity. No longer did they identify with the despicable British, the colonists were now free, American men ready to reap , as stated in Document B, “the sweets of independence.” People were ready for the new promise of equality, with no all-powerful aristocracy or church to govern the day to day lives of the common. For example, Document D describes the freedom of religion in Virginia and thus showing a moderate progression toward the separation of church and state.

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Introduction The American Revolution began in 1775 when rising tensions between the British and the American colonists escalated beyond repair. The American colonists had become fed up with the way the British ruled over the colonies, they felt they needed more direct action than what could be provided by the British monarchy that was 3,000+ miles away. Many of the colonists wanted freedom of religion and judicial freedom.

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The American Revolution was a fight for independence by the colonists that occurred in the 18th century. Britain abused the colonies with it's power, creating laws that made life unbearable for America. Colonists were taxed for everyday items and had to provide housing for British soldiers without pay. This unfair British rule led to the colonies revolting in an attempt to separate themselves from the control of the British Crown. This political upheaval is known as the American Revolution, and any American today would say that this rebellion changed this country immensely.

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The Whiskey Rebellion, an event where citizens violently protested a tax on whiskey, was an avoidable confusion that could have been solved peacefully. Washington saw this and commented that “If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution designates.” When people have problems with the government, they should look to the Constitution to see a way that it can be fixed. Washington wanted to remind citizens that they have the power to shape the ways of the nation, but that they must first find a legal way to make proposals about the government. Following the Constitution was, and is, crucial to the nation’s

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Impact of American Revolution through time Almost all aspects of the lives of Americans were somehow affected by the spirit of the American Revolution. The attitudes of American people towards religious life, women’s rights, voting and slavery were changed forever because of it. There was a drastic change in social and political life after independence.

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All things considered, there are innumerable amounts of reasons that combined to create the American Revolution such as taxation without representation, mercantilism, British self-government, and so much more. Overall, the underlying reason for the revolt was the poor treatment of colonists in the Americas. Self-government was the idea that, typically within a colony, there would be elected rulers that are free to make a majority of decisions without having the need to refer to the official imperial power of the colony. It was established in the Britain, saying that British Parliament, rather than the king, had the absolute authority in government. In the 1730s, the Parliament started passing taxes, regulating the British colonies in the Americas.

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