The American Revolution, Research Paper Example

Introduction

The American Revolution was one of the most influential times in U.S. history, there were a lot of things that made America the great country that it became. Slavery was on the brink of being abolished for good, the British grip on America might still be evident today not to mention the concept of independence would’ve just been that; a concept serving no real purpose of becoming more than just an idea.

It has been documented that the American Revolution/American Revolutionary War was a necessary evil in order for America to be the land of the free, some might argue that all that was needed was some form of compromise and the war might not have been necessary, the thousands of people who died in the war didn’t have to die but enjoy the freedoms that they fought the British so hard for.

The time for kings and queens ruling over everything they surveyed was, in fact, coming to an end. The American Revolution opened doors to a future in America that was hardly thought possible, the war made it so the founding fathers could build a country based on their ideals and establish a nation where people didn’t get taxed.

It is also a known fact the American Revolution didn’t just change the things that were evident at that time, it changed history. The American Revolution brought about positive changes in America, changes people thought they wouldn’t get to live long enough to see.

Body I

As previously stated, the American Revolution brought about change in the United States that made it possible for the America that people know, and love today to be the country that thousands died defending. One thing that happened as a result of the American Revolution was that the people had independence, it was a very significant time in the nation’s history. People at that time were ruled by King George III and the British, peoples’ freedom was dictated by the king; people did things only because the king allowed it. Hattem explained, “American history is central to understanding America and the war that was necessary to make it a great country and the necessary measures that were taken to make it a great country” (Hattem).

An integral element that ensured the freedoms of not just the people but the colonies as well, was the Treaty of Paris that was signed in 1783. It allowed people living in the colonies to eventually come together and form the United States. For the first time in history, people were finally able to live their lives like they wanted to and their lives were better for it; never again having to answer to monarchy rule.

This event also gave birth to two additional things that made America destined for greatness, one was the establishment of government. People could create their own government without retaliatory consequences from the British and the people could make their own laws which allowed them to administer their own brand of justice.

Two, the creation and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This document made it possible for people to do the things that they couldn’t do under British rule such as practice religion or any religion that they wanted instead of being told what to think or get unpleasant looks for possibly doubting the existence of God. It also gave people a right to life, and that of their children.

Body II

Another thing that happened as a result of the American Revolution was that besides regular people at that time, other people could vote. Back before the American Revolutionary War, there were people that could not vote for their congressman or elect presidents; only those in power were able to vote because of their understanding of what was at stake. At the end of the American Revolutionary War, it was decided that since America was being rebuilt on the concept of the land of the free then it was only fair that everyone got their say or got to vote for who they wanted. Crews explained, “Voting was restricted to only knowledgeable people, some felt it was a mockery of American freedoms; everyone deserved the chance to pick their president” (Crews).

It can’t be argued that the best and most positive step toward the right direction of establishing a free nation was the right to settle or start settlements wherever people desired, the British had to give the people back the land that they took from them forcibly. With the land back in American hands, people were free to live and settled where they wanted. Schocket reported, “American history talks of the past to enlighten the future, people must never forget the vital part and role that the American Revolution played in establishing our great nation” (Schocket 578).

On another note, there were some people post American Revolution that still could not vote despite the changes being made in the American government. While it’s true that most people were able to vote because of the changes, there were Native Americans, African Americans (slaves) as well as women who were seen as second class citizens without a voice. This ultimately meant that the aforementioned could not vote, but neither could white men who didn’t have any land. Prominence was a requirement.

Body III

The end of American Revolution allowed the nation to take a more prosperous turn in the direction of people being able to acquire their own capital and build their own futures, an example of this is people being able to gain their own wealth instead of giving it to the king to pay taxes. For the first time in history, people could accumulate their own wealth and live like nobility; people were able to enjoy the finer things in life at that time. People were able to grow their own food and use that food to make a profit. Taylor reports, “The trade route that was occupied by the British was the key to American prosperity” (Taylor).

England made it impossible for the colonies to trade with anyone outside of England and its people, the American Revolution made it possible for the American people in the colonies to use that trade to their advantage to do things like provide for their families as well as trade with other countries to get things not found in the U.S. at the time. This became even more advantageous because the trade allowed people to get things like spices etc.

It can be argued that the worst part of the American Revolution was that the British taxed everything from the food they ate to the things that drank, the concept of the trade made it possible for American people to export goods without a tax being levied on it. It is a known fact that the nation took a very positive turn for the people to live their own lives, the trade and the new opportunities that opened up in America allowed the people to live like the nobility that they were forced to serve.

It can be said that there wasn’t any negatives about the current situation with America after the American Revolution, the people were on the fast track to living a life of luxury and living with purpose as well as everything that they had done to get to that point. There were things being returned to the American people, land was one of those things.

Body IV

It can be argued that the American Revolution took a lot of things away from a lot of people, it left some people without some things and left them without the most important thing of all, land. Having land during the American Revolution was practically against the laws of the British, this prevented many Americans from living on land without being taxed or being forced to pay taxes on land that the king let his people “borrow”.

After the American Revolution, the British people were forced to give back the land they took from Americans as well as Indians. The end of the war meant people could get their land back and live upon it peacefully, everything that used to belong to Indians or Indian nations were return to them so their families could live upon that land and raise their children on that land as well.

People living in the colonies weren’t allowed to leave the colonies to travel or move out west because the land was being guarded by those who wanted to keep it for themselves. The American Revolution overturned that and people in the colonies were able to freely settle in other places, it is also a known fact that the loyalists felt entitled to be repaid on things that they had to return; the loyalists didn’t receive any money or stood to inherit anything left over from the war.

Ultimately, the American people quickly realized that life was going to indeed change for the better because they were no longer bound by the laws and watchful eyes of the British and they noticed very quickly that the impact that the American Revolution had on the nation was the most irreprehensible there ever was. Everyone got to benefit from it and people got to own as much land as they wanted to, it gave people rights that they thought they would never get unless they were living somewhere else.

Conclusion

The American Revolution was the one of the most monumental times in America’s history and it can’t be argued that people did benefit from the war or the thousands of lives that were lost in attaining those benefits, the American Revolution allowed people to vote and choose their congressman. This was a very huge step in being able to elect a president, an opportunity that many wanted take full advantage of because they felt it was their constitutional right. It is also a known fact that people got to live like the kings that ruled them for years, the ability to trade and acquire various things made this possible.

Also, the American Revolution made it possible for people to worship however they wanted for as long as they wanted instead of being told what to think or why their thinking was wrong or isn’t on the same level as those of their people. The Declaration of Independence protected people’s right to their basic freedoms and basic rights, the colony people knew that the future looked bright for them because of the new changes that were taking place.

Despite the fact that the American Revolution touched people’s lives in different ways, there’s no denying that their descendants got to live upon the land that they fought so hard to take from the British. It can be said that people growing produce and selling it for a profit is partially what made the nation so wealthy, but the American people got a chance to obtain some of that wealth and live like they never have before.

There has never been a war that was as hard fought than the American Revolution because lives and history were forever changed, the British’s power over the people were weakening and their grip was completely severed. The American Revolution made this possible because people at that time deserved change and they deserved a nation ran by their own government instead of that of nobility.

Work Cited

Crews, Ed. “Voting in Early America.” The Colonial Williamsburg. 2007. Web. 12 Dec. 2015.

Hattem, Michael. “The Historiography of The American Revolution.” Journal of the American Revolution. 27 Aug. 2013. Web. 12 Dec. 2015.

Schocket, Andrew. “American Revolution: New Directions for a New Century.” Scholar Works 38.3 (2010): 578. Print.

Taylor, Alan. “The New Nation 1783-1815.” The Gilder Lehrman Institue of American History.2015. Web. 12 Dec. 2015.