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Essay / How revolutionary was the American Revolution? - 886
How revolutionary was the American Revolution? Revolution is briefly described as an attempt to overthrow a government and create a new one. The American Revolution took place between 1775 and 1783 and was a struggle for American independence from England. In 1764, the first of a long series of "intolerable acts" was adopted. The British Parliament began imposing taxes on the American colonies without representation, sparking the Great Conflict. The British continued to incorporate new ways to make more money. England was the most powerful country at the time with an intimidating army, so this was not a difficult task to accomplish. The American Revolution was very revolutionary because it sparked the abolition of slavery, it brought many political and social advances, and served as a stepping stone to democracy and a strong centralized government. The American Revolution was a “light at the end.” of the tunnel” for the slaves, or at least some of them. African Americans played important roles in the war on both sides. Lord Dunmore, governor of Virginia, promised freedom to any slave who enlisted in the British army. The colonists had previously refused to enlist with African Americans due to the South's response, but hesitantly changed their minds, fearing that the slaves would rebel against them. The North had come to despise slavery and wanted it gone. On the contrary, booming cash crops in the South brought huge profits to landowners, making slavery widely popular. After the war, slaves began petitioning the government for their freedom using ideas from the Declaration of Independence, including the idea of natural rights and the idea that government rested on the consent of the governed. (Keen 122). The north began to emerge... middle of paper ......the, Pennsylvania tried to limit voting rights to certain property requirements, but extended it to any male taxpayer who lives in the state for at least a year could vote. When each state wrote its own constitution, it was a spark for the newly independent colonies to launch their own democracy and set of laws that satisfied the majority of Americans. In conclusion, the American Revolution was very revolutionary. It was an important milestone in American history. The war not only gave America its own independence from the most powerful country in the world, it also gave the American government the basis for how it operates today and brought about many social and political changes. Although many historians view the war as a shift in power from one greedy power to another, Americans would not have a democracy and citizens would not have the rights they enjoy..