Wood, "The War for Independence Was a Social Revolution" R

In “The War for Independence Was a Social Revolution”, Gordon Wood states that the American Revolution was, indeed, a social revolution. The American Revolution set ideas into motion, and radically changed the social environment in the world at that time.

Some historians believe that the American Revolution was a rather conservative movement compared to the French Revolution, but the differences in the setting of the two revolutions contribute to why the French seemed more revolutionary than the American. The French Revolution was more violent than the American, but the American Revolution was not a peaceful one either. The American revolutionaries had fewer burdens and more freedom than the French did, and they were also not in Britain as the French revolutionaries were in France. Since the French revolutionaries were in the mother country, they could impose more acts of violence and violently overthrow the French government.

The American Revolution is typically viewed as an example of political radicalism, not social radicalism. It has elements of both views in it. Politically, this type of by the people for the people government had never been tried before. Socially, people in this time period had never had any say in government unless they were of the aristocracy or the monarchy. Society apart from government had never been conceived before then. By overthrowing monarchy and replacing it with a republic, ordinary people now could experience freedoms that they never had before. This was the first time in history were the government valued the individual and what the individual had to offer, and protected the individual.

The statuses of women was said to have not changed significantly after the revolution. However, the women had more freedom and a greater role in society than they had ever had before. The idea of all men being created equal was transferred over to the women, and they too began to develop the idea that they were equal as well. Though women were not considered equal until later on in America’s history, this idea aided in the progression of women’s rights.

This new government also encouraged rising through social ranks. Now any man could acquire an education if he was able, and everyone was taught the values of the republic. No distinct classes had existed yet, and occupation and wealth did not put people against one another. Indenture servitude was eventually ended under the idea of all men being created equal, and this contributed to the abolition of slavery in the North and eventually the Civil War. Heredity was no longer a basis on leadership or ownership, leaders where chosen by the people by their virtues.

Wood, Gordon S. "The War for Independence Was a Social Revolution."
Viewpoint 2. 255-267. Print.