Source 1
“The primary causes of the American Revolution were not economic, nor were they about a constitutional struggle for power. Rather, they were fundamentally ideological. The colonists had developed a radical and deeply held set of political beliefs, rooted in British Oppositon thought. This ideology emphasized the concept of ‘liberty’ being constantly threatened by ‘power,’ particularly in the form of a corrupt and conspiracy-ridden British government. When Britain began to implement new taxes and regulations after 1763, the colonists interpreted these actions through this intellectual lens, viewing them not as fiscal policies but as part of a systematic plan to destroy their freedom and enslave them. The Revolution was, at its heart, a crisis of ideas and a struggle to preserve their existing radical form of liberty.”
Bernard Bailyn, historian, The Ideological Origins of the American
Revolution, (1967)
Source 2
“To understand the Revolution, we must look beyond the abstract theories of elite intellectuals and focus on the economic and social anxieties of ordinary colonists -artisans, farmers, and laborers. The central causes of the colonial upheaval were economic, born from a growing inequality and a struggle for social mobility. Ordinary people were hit hard by a series of economic downturns, rising poverty, and a growing land crisis. Their grievances were not against an abstract concept of ‘power,’ but against a very real economic system that favored the wealthy. The protests against British policy, while initially triggered by taxes, provided a mechanism for the lower and middling classes to challenge the existing social and economic hierarchy. The Revolution was, for many, a war for social justice and economic opportunity.”
Gary Nash, historian, The Unknown American Revolution, 2005
Respond to parts (A), (B), and (C)
(A) Briefly explain ONE major difference between Bailyn’s and Nash’s interpretations of the causes of the American Revolution.
(B) Briefly explain how ONE specific historical event, development, or circumstance from the period 1754 – 1776 that is NOT explicitly mentioned in the excerpts could be used to support Bailyn’s argument.
(C) Briefly explain how ONE specific historical event, development, or circumstance from the period 1754 – 1776 that is NOT explicitly mentioned in the excerpts could be used to support Nash’s argument.
ANSWERS – Let’s take a look!
