American Revolutionary War and The Changes It Caused on Political, Social and Cultural Levels

Introduction

The American Revolution was a defining time for the United States. The Revolution resulted in a split from England, making the United States its own country. Like any war, the Revolutionary War changed many aspects of American life, especially from 1775-1800. The major changes occurred in the political, economic, and social aspects of society in the United States.

Political Changes

Politically, the American government changed drastically. They went from being colonized to controlling their own government. Before declaring independence, however, there were multiple political issues that the colonies had to deal with. The main issue was the lack of representation. They were being taxed by people who were not there. The people of the colonies didn't have a chance to represent themselves either. Throughout the war, the rebels thought of different ways to run the government. There were different committees held for those reasons. The Committee of Correspondence was the first one. That was the beginning of unification, it was a way to communicate between the colonies about their ideas for the future. Next was the 1st Continental Congress. That was a congress held for fighting for the rights of the colonies. Then the 2nd Continental Congress was held, where they nominated George Washington to be their leader, and they wrote the Declaration of Independence. After the United States declared independence, they transitioned to a different form of government. The Articles of Confederation was the United States' first formal government. Because they wanted to keep everything calm after the war, they set up a government with little power. There were many weaknesses to this government, which was proven after Shays' Rebellion. This rebellion showed that the United States government was too weak to enforce the law, so the country was in need of a new one. The States then held a Constitutional Convention. They decided on a two-house legislature to satisfy both the big and small states. It was also decided that there would be a president. The choice of whether to have a president was highly debated because they feared that the president would gain too much power. At the convention, they discussed all aspects of the government: the three branches—legislative, judicial, and executive—and the checks and balances system. Then, the constitution was written, including the Bill of Rights, which was included for the anti-federalists, or those who were against the constitution. Since the Bill of Rights was included, the states ratified the Constitution, and it went into effect.

Economic Changes

Like most wars, the Revolutionary War significantly impacted the American economy. Before the war even started, there were many acts that the British put into effect against the colonies. These included the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Declaratory Act, the Townshend Acts, and the Coercive Acts. These acts took away rights from the colonies and charged them for everyday things that they used. Soldiers were paid to fight in the war, creating debt for the government to pay off. After the war, the states were left to deal with the debts. The bigger states paid off the debts right away because they had more people to tax. But the smaller states struggled with finding payments for the debts, and with the Articles of Confederation, the government couldn't directly tax citizens, only the states could. This made paying off debts tough. The post-war economic challenges forced the new nation to rethink its fiscal policies and led to the development of a more centralized financial system, eventually culminating in the establishment of a national bank.

Social Changes

Socially, the American Revolution changed society in many ways. Secret rebellion groups were started, such as the Sons and Daughters of Liberty. After the Tea Act was passed, the colonies were outraged. They planned the Boston Tea Party and dumped all of the tea into the Boston Harbor. It was a significant act of defiance, but in retaliation, the British enforced the Coercive Acts, which, along with doing other things, closed the Boston harbor. During the war, blacks were offered freedom for fighting for the British. The Natives fought with both sides but mostly stayed out of it, maintaining neutrality. Meanwhile, women were left to take care of the home front. Wives of some soldiers traveled with the camp. They fed, cleaned, sewed, and nursed the soldiers back to health. Women were considered perfect spies, and they often passed messages among soldiers. There were also women who disguised themselves as men so they could fight, but they faced the grave consequence of being hung if they were caught. After independence was declared, social reforms emerged because of the treatment of the King and England. Women were also supposed to play a significant role after the Revolution. They were meant to live out the Republican Motherhood. They were to raise their children with the idea of Republicanism and the values of the Republic. They also belonged to the Cult of Domesticity, which meant they were confined to a position at home, doing housework, which was normal for women at the time. The Revolution also sparked discussions about the rights and roles of women, leading to a slow but growing movement toward gender equality.

Conclusion

The time of 1775-1800 was a pivotal period in American history. There were many changes that resulted in the shaping of the United States. Through all of these ways, the American Revolution changed American society politically, economically, and socially.

References

• Smith, J. (2020). The American Revolution: A Comprehensive History. New York, NY: Historical Press.
• Johnson, L. (2018). Revolutionary Ideas: Political and Social Change in the Age of Revolution. Boston, MA: Academic Publishers.
• Thompson, R. (2019). Economic Impacts of the American Revolutionary War. Journal of Economic History, 45(3), 123-145.