Was the American Revolution actually a revolution?

A detailed Summary of Was the American Revolution actually a revolution?


How exactly would one define a revolution? According to Dictionary.com, a revolution is a sudden or momentous change in a situation. So, therefore, it is easy for most to place the American Revolution into the distinction of actually being a revolution. This is a statement that historian Howard Zinn would rebuke and laugh at. Zinn's book, A People's History of the United States: 1492- Present, offers plenty of evidence of why the American Revolution was, in fact, not a revolution. "Tyranny is tyranny," Zinn says in the title of his fourth chapter. Although Zinn's political standpoint is a bit socialist, he still offers many valid points to defend his argument. Had the United States gone from one tyrant to another? To say this would be inaccurate. However, there were many ways in which life, for the most part, remained the same. Not only does Zinn think that this "revolution" was unchanged in the aspect of the structure of government, but he also voices his views on how the social status and greed for money also remained the same.

Prior to the American Revolution, the colonists were, of course, controlled by King George III and England. The King had complete control over these colonies and his word was supreme. Howe


After reading two pages of Howard Zinn's text, one can figure out that this guy is extremely socialist; he is more left than Lenin. Thus, it is clear why Zinn argues so much for the case that the American revolution was not actually a revolution: he is a man for the people. The name of the book gives it away, "The People's History of the United States..." America did not change significantly after the American Revolution, this is clear after reading Zinn. Not only did the structure of government remain the same, yet the social classes and the demand for economic profits also remained the same. Therefore, Zinn's title for his section on the American Revolution, "Tyranny is Tyranny," seems to make a lot more sense. America traded high-income white males for high-income white males. Thus, according to Howard Zinn, there is no way that the American Revolution could be characterized as a revolution.

...They did not want a balance, except one which kept things as they were, a balance among the dominant forces at that time. They certainly did not want an equal balance between slaves and masters, propertyless and property owners, Indians and whites (101).



Some common words found in the essay are:
American Revolution, Charles Beard, Founding Father, Revolution Post-Revolution, Thomas Jefferson, King Parliament, Paine Society, Thomas Paine, Tyranny Tyranny, Alexander Hamilton, american revolution, indentured servants, federal government, slaves indentured servants, slaves indentured, high-income white males, revolution tyranny, life remained, tyranny tyranny, war rich, history united, book people's history, strong federal government, people's history united, structure government,

Approximate Word count = 1265
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

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