Page |1 Vihanga Perera (6697) PSC2010 (N1) Question 2 The Domino Effect of the American Revolution The American Revolution, that ran from 1760s into the 1780s, is the uprising which resulted in 13 of Great Britain’s North American colonies gaining constitutional sovereignty, eventually forming the United States of America. It was a prominent period in the history of the nation, which was triggered by the colonies’ resistance towards a series of unpopular taxation such as the infamous ‘Stamp Act’ and ‘Sugar Act’ along with other unfortunate events such as the Boston Massacre. What began as a conflict initiated by the colonies demanding the same rights as the Englishmen, catapulted to an international war with France, Spain and the Netherlands joining against Britain. Over the years, however, this wider dispute eventually established their future. Crucial American victories, especially the final one at Yorktown, needed extensive support from associate nations. Once it was won, the consequences echoed far beyond American shores while ultimately commencing a radically new economic and social order through what we call the ‘U.S. Constitution’ (The American Revolution: A World War, 2019). The Revolution assured that America was the first nation to be liberated from possibly the most dominant colonist in history. In fact, it recognized the true meaning of republic, where the ordinary citizen’s interests were taken into consideration and completely abolished the old autocratic system that the British implemented. This same model went onto be replicated by states around the world 250 years down the line. No doubt, this uprising too paved way for a brand-new national identity where radical ideals such as gender equality, liberty of speech and religion as well as rights to fair procedures and trials were supported nationwide (Why the American Revolution Page |2 Matters, 2019). Although most of these notions were not enacted nationwide immediately, it created a progressive path for the government and civil activists to lead their nation towards a free society where the rights of all Americans were fought over for the past centuries. It was the Revolution that led to the two most crucial historic documents, the ‘Declaration of Independence’ and ‘U.S. Constitution’ which would go on to inspire many other nations to fight for their own independence from their respective colonies and enact their own constitutions, Canadian, Polish and Swiss Constitutions to name a few. The fundamental principles published in these documents, and later the 10 vital amendments described in the Bill of Rights reverberate in every American’s mind, then and now, regardless of their party affiliation. And so, arguably, we can say that, if America did not gain independence on the 4th of July 1776, they would not have dominated the 19th and 20th centuries, the way they have politically, economical and culturally. Politics and the right to vote was a major focus post-Independence for the United States as the Founding Fathers went onto establish an unprecedented framework at the time. There was a surge in political engagement across major states as women and people of color were finally granted the right to vote (Ambuske et. al., 2018). Major shift was experienced, as a result, in both local and state governance with voter turnout considerably rising. This ultimately helped enforce notable reforms across the hierarchy of the states causing the implementation of the famous system of checks and balances. Furthermore, they constitution was amended to ensure that there will not be any abuse of power, particularly by the president, and hence, presidential vetoes were introduced. All these changes were made possible because the Founding Fathers left the Constitution open to revisions and alterations if they are supported by the majority of the states. Additionally, Slavery, said to be America’s original sin, was not abolished the moment independence was declared, even though thousands were freed post-war. Nevertheless, it was Page |3 finally abolished in all 50 states when President Abraham Lincoln passed the 13th Amendment in 1865. Notably, slavery, at that point in history globally, was considered a trade norm despite the cruelty behind many slave owners. However, the minds of all Americans quickly began changing, with the rhetoric “all men being created equal” made them question this heinous act (Ambuske et. al., 2018). Therein, it is likely that it was the virtues of the Revolution instilled by the Founders that set the stage for the restructuring of the American ethics and thinking. From an economic perspective, the Revolution is quite possibly the main driver in the abolition of the mercantile system. Restrictions imposed on trade, settlements and production by the British were eradicated and the expansion of profit-making domestic markets and international trade relations took over. Establishment of settlements in the cleared up Western lands allowed domestic production to escalate rapidly, going on to becoming a stepping-stone for America to become the prosperous, unified market and the industry giant that ruled the global economy for the most of the preceding three centuries. In drawing to a close, the Revolution can arguably be considered the event that put the United States on the path to becoming the great nation it is today, with the help of the fundamental ideals that were put forth by the Founding Fathers. These radical standards aided the hardening of the first modern constitutional democracy of its kind and inspired all its citizens to continuously fight for their natural rights. And so, as the economy progressed, America blazed towards free labor, wealth and equality, with myriad promise and untold perils (Ambuske et. al., 2018). Consequently, this American Revolutionary War may have took place as a means to merely cut ties with the Great Britain, but it effectively left America in a socioeconomic order that quite possibly changed the course of history. Page |4 References Ambuske, J. et al. (2018). The American Revolution. In M. Hattem (Ed.), THE AMERICAN YAWP (Vol. I). essay, Stanford University Press. "Influence of the American Constitution Abroad ." Encyclopedia of the American Constitution. Retrieved June 16, 2021 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/politics/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-andmaps/influence-american-constitution-abroad The American Revolution: A World War. (2019, July 12). Retrieved July 14, 2021, from https://americanhistory.si.edu/american-revolution Why the American Revolution Matters. (2019, February 18). Retrieved July 13, 2021, from https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/why-the-american-revolution-matters/
