Conflict and
Consensus in
the American
Revolution
By Connor Fouks And Isaiah Lee
Conceptualizing the Text
● The conflicts within colonial america and
how they overcame them to throw off the
yoke of oppression and drink deeply of the
tea of truth
● It’s an important scholarship because it
helps us understand how we could
overcome our social and economic
differences and unite even under such
duress.
Significance?
● Overall Question: was there Social conflict
during the revolution, and how did it affect
the outcome?
● This is significant because it challenges
conceptions, and gives another view of the
revolution.
Format
●
●
●
●
Formated as a chapter in a book
Secondary source
Topical - doesn't follow the line of time.
Class and sectional conflict following each
other topically
● This text delivers the idea effectively by
broaching topics thoroughly and
separately, while maintaining the general
idea.
Does the format work?
This format I feel works the best for this
information as it describes separately
Class and sectional conflict then
summarises both together to solidify its
ideas, all while keeping the reader
interested in the text.
Highpoints
●
The fact that the loyalists gained members from the community who felt at odds with the
revolutionaries helped draw out a lot of people who would have otherwise caused problems
to the revolutionaries internally.
●
Disputes occurred among those who remained in the Revolutionary faction but the
extraordinary Social mobility of the eighteenth century stopped those conflicts from
hardening across class lines.
●
One clearly defined division did exist, the division between freeman and slave. this class
conflict only placed into the revolution in one incident when Lord Dunmore offered Virginia
slaves their freedom in exchange for fighting for the British.
●
since most laborers were in chains and the most discontent of the freemen were venting
anger at the loyalists there was little internal conflict within the revolutionary faction.
●
Americans of the revolutionary conflict were less successful in repressing Sectional
conflicts than class conflicts. westerners often came into conflict with the eastern colonial
governments which cared or knew little about their interests.
Is there anything in the reading that you were surprised to
see?
● The fact that governments and people
held in high esteem the idea that all men
are created equal while denying it to black
slaves and other groups.
● I was surprised at the fact that the west
and east americas were so divided. Some
men even believed that these two regions
would soon after the revolution concluded
split into two countries.
Good Quotes
● “In sum, the evidence of revolutionary class conflict
is scanty, and for good reason. with a majority of
laborers in chains and with the most discontent
freemen venting their discontent towards loyalism,
the struggle over who should rule who at home was
unlikely to bear many marks of class conflict.”
● “The creed of equality did not give men equality, but
invited them to claim it, invited them, not to know
their place and accept it but to seek and demand a
better place.”
Anything you will definitely remember beyond the oral report?
Beyond this report, what will go down in the
histories of my mind is the distinctions
between the colonies and what actually
divided them. The split between the east
and west being main among these, and
how the conflicts therein didn’t burst forth
and end the revolution before it began.
Edmund S. Morgan
● Edmund S. Morgan wrote in an eloquent style while
maintaining to clearly state his facts and convey
complex ideas in well written succinct paragraphs.
● Education: Harvard University
● Occupation: Professor of History - Yale
● Wikipedia page dedicated to him
●
Quotes about him from numerous other professors
“As a historian of colonial and revolutionary America,
he was one of the giants of his generation, and a
writer who could well have commanded a larger
nonacademic audience than I suspect he received,”
said Pauline Maier, a professor of American history
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Morgan Continued
● Morgan is most definitely an expert on the
materials that he is talking about, he
mined primary sources for the facts and
presented them in a logical fashion while
leading the reader to conclusions they
wouldn’t have hitherto come to.
● Morgan has no significant events in his life
that may create a bias in his writings other
than his own personal thoughts.
Effectiveness
● The text is effective in getting across the
points it wishes to prove if the reader is
willing to read critically.
● It is somewhat longer than the average
reading of todays world and therefore may
prove ineffective against the uninterested
uncommitted reader.
● It is however a good and information
packed text for those so inclined to read it
properly.
Bias?
● This selection Morgan presents to us
could not be called biased, Morgan stated
as many differing views as required for the
task while maintaining no preferences
among them.
● Morgan stated that the difference between
conservatism and radicalism is a relative
one which can only be measured in terms
of itself.
More BIAS?!?!?
● The author includes all relevant viewpoints
to the issue, easts vs wests, and loyalists
vs. patriots
● The author of this text is either not biased
or so lightly so that It is inconsequential.
Conclusion
● Edmund S. Morgan was truly an
outstanding author of our time, and this
reading selection is in no way an
exception to his genius in writing.
● This text is a good secondary source filled
with facts and against biased opinions,
simply stating the facts.
● Conflict and consensus is an excellent
scholarly writing as it orders and states
facts directly from primary sources and is
enjoyable to read as well.