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The American Revolution, occurring between 1775 and 1783, was a seminal event in world history that not only secured independence for the thirteen American colonies from British rule but also laid the groundwork for modern democratic governance. This revolution was driven by Enlightenment ideals emphasizing individual liberty, equality, and self-governance. The successful establishment of the United States as a republic, governed by principles enshrined in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, marked the beginning of a new era where democratic values began to flourish, influencing political systems around the globe.

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The American Revolution and the Beginning of Democracy

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The American Revolution and the Beginning of Democracy

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The American Revolution and the Beginning of Democracy

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Introduction: The American Revolution and the Origins of Democratic Modernity

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Introduction: The American Revolution and the Origins of Democratic Modernity was published in The Expanding Blaze on page 1.

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The Enlightenment and Revolutionary Literature

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The Enlightenment and Revolutionary Literature

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The Enlightenment and Revolutionary Literature

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In America in the early years of the 18th century, some writers, such as Cotton Mather, carried on the older traditions. His huge history and biography of Puritan New England, Magnalia Christi Americana, in 1702, and his vigorous Manuductio ad Ministerium, or introduction to the ministry, in 1726, were defenses of ancient Puritan convictions. Jonathan Edwards, initiator of the Great Awakening, a religious revival that stirred the eastern seacoast for many years, eloquently defended his burning belief in Calvinistic doctrine-of the concept that man, born totally depraved, could attain virtue and salvation only through God's grace-in his powerful sermons and most notably in the philosophical treatise Freedom of Will (1754). He supported his claims by relating them to a complex metaphysical system and by reasoning brilliantly in clear and often beautiful prose.

But Mather and Edwards were defending a doomed cause. Liberal New England ministers such as John Wise and Jonathan Mayhew moved toward a less rigid religion. Samuel Sewall heralded other changes in his amusing Diary, covering the years 1673-1729. Though sincerely religious, he showed in daily records how commercial life in New England replaced rigid Puritanism with more worldly attitudes. The Journal of Mme Sara Kemble Knight comically detailed a journey that lady took to New York in 1704. She wrote vividly of what she saw and commented upon it from the standpoint of an orthodox believer, but a quality of levity in her witty writings showed that she was much less fervent than the Pilgrim founders had been. In the South, William Byrd of Virginia, an aristocratic plantation owner, contrasted sharply with gloomier predecessors. His record of a surveying trip in 1728, The History of the Dividing Line, and his account of a visit to his frontier properties in 1733, A Journey to the Land of Eden, were his chief works. Years in England, on the Continent, and among the gentry of the South had created gaiety and grace of expression, and, although a devout Anglican, Byrd was as playful as the Restoration wits whose works he clearly admired.

The wrench of the American Revolution emphasized differences that had been growing between American and British political concepts. As the colonists moved to the belief that rebellion was inevitable, fought the bitter war, and worked to found the new nation's government, they were influenced by a number of very effective political writers, such as Samuel Adams and John Dickinson, both of whom favoured the colonists, and loyalist Joseph Galloway. But two figures loomed above these- Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine.

Franklin, born in 1706, had started to publish his writings in his brother's newspaper, the New England Courant, as early as 1722. This newspaper championed the cause of the "Leather Apron" man and the farmer and appealed by using easily understood language and practical arguments. The idea that common sense was a good guide was clear in both the popular Poor Richard's almanac, which Franklin edited between 1732 and 1757 and filled with prudent and witty aphorisms purportedly written by uneducated but experienced Richard Saunders, and in the author's Autobiography, written between 1771 and 1788, a record of his rise from humble circumstances that offered worldly wise suggestions for future success.

Franklin's self-attained culture, deep and wide, gave substance and skill to varied articles, pamphlets, and reports that he wrote concerning the dispute with Great Britain, many of them extremely effective in stating and shaping the colonists' cause.

Thomas Paine went from his native England to Philadelphia and became a magazine editor and then, about 14 months later, the most effective propagandist for the colonial cause. His pamphlet Common Sense (January 1776) did much to influence the colonists to declare their independence. The American Crisis papers (December 1776-December 1783) spurred Americans to fight on through the blackest years of the war. Based upon Paine's simple deistic beliefs, they showed the conflict as a stirring melodrama with the angelic colonists against the forces of evil. Such white and black picturings were highly effective propaganda. Another reason for Paine's success was his poetic fervour, which found expression in impassioned words and phrases long to be remembered and quoted.

The new nation

In the postwar period some of these eloquent men were no longer able to win a hearing. Thomas Paine and Samuel Adams lacked the constructive ideas that appealed to those interested in forming a new government. Others fared better-for example, Franklin, whose tolerance and sense showed in addresses to the constitutional convention. A different group of authors, however, became leaders in the new period- Thomas Jefferson and the talented writers of the Federalist papers, a series of 85 essays published in 1787 and 1788 urging the virtues of the proposed new constitution. They were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. More distinguished for insight into problems of government and cool logic than for eloquence, these works became a classic statement of American governmental, and more generally of republican, theory. At the time they were highly effective in influencing legislators who voted on the new constitution. Hamilton, who wrote perhaps 51 of the Federalist papers, became a leader of the Federalist Party and, as first secretary of the treasury (1789-95), wrote messages that were influential in increasing the power of national government at the expense of the state governments.

Thomas Jefferson was an influential political writer during and after the war. The merits of his great summary, the Declaration of Independence, consisted, as Madison pointed out, "in a lucid communication of human rights...in a style and tone appropriate to the great occasion, and to the spirit of the American people." After the war he formulated the exact tenets of his faith in various papers but most richly in his letters and inaugural addresses, in which he urged individual freedom and local autonomy-a theory of decentralization differing from Hamilton's belief in strong federal government. Though he held that all men are created equal, Jefferson thought that "a natural aristocracy" of "virtues and talents" should hold high governmental positions.

Notable works of the period

Poets and poetry

Poetry became a weapon during the American Revolution, with both loyalists and Continentals urging their forces on, stating their arguments, and celebrating their heroes in verse and songs such as " Yankee Doodle," "Nathan Hale," and "The Epilogue," mostly set to popular British melodies and in manner resembling other British poems of the period.

The most memorable American poet of the period was Philip Freneau, whose first well-known poems, Revolutionary War satires, served as effective propaganda; later he turned to various aspects of the American scene. Although he wrote much in the stilted manner of the Neoclassicists, such poems as "The Indian Burying Ground," "The Wild Honey Suckle," "To a Caty-did," and "On a Honey Bee" were romantic lyrics of real grace and feeling that were forerunners of a literary movement destined to be important in the 19th century.

Drama and the novel

In the years toward the close of the 18th century, both dramas and novels of some historical importance were produced. Though theatrical groups had long been active in America, the first American comedy presented professionally was Royall Tyler's Contrast (1787). This drama was full of echoes of Goldsmith and Sheridan, but it contained a Yankee character (the predecessor of many such in years to follow) who brought something native to the stage.

William Hill Brown wrote the first American novel, The Power of Sympathy (1789), which showed authors how to overcome ancient prejudices against this form by following the sentimental novel form invented by Samuel Richardson. A flood of sentimental novels followed to the end of the 19th century. Hugh Henry Brackenridge succeeded Cervantes's Don Quixote and Henry Fielding with some popular success in Modern Chivalry (1792-1815), an amusing satire on democracy and an interesting portrayal of frontier life. Gothic thrillers were to some extent nationalized in Charles Brockden Brown's Wieland (1798), Arthur Mervyn (1799-1800), and Edgar Huntly (1799).

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American literature - Colonial, Revolution, Enlightenment

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American literature - American literature - Colonial, Revolution, Enlightenment: In America in the early years of the 18th century, some writers, such as Cotton Mather, carried on the older traditions. His huge history and biography of Puritan New England, Magnalia Christi Americana, in 1702, and his vigorous Manuductio ad Ministerium, or introduction to the ministry, in 1726, were defenses of ancient Puritan convictions.

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The origins of fictional narrative are deeply rooted in the history of human civilization and are intertwined with the evolution of language, culture, and society. Fictional narratives have been used as a means to explain the world, impart moral lessons, entertain, and preserve cultural heritage. Here’s a detailed exploration of how fictional narrative originated and evolved:

Prehistoric and Oral Traditions

1. Myth and Folklore: The earliest forms of fictional narrative can be traced back to myth and folklore. These stories were often shared orally, passed down from generation to generation. Myths explained natural phenomena, human origins, and the gods, while folklore included tales of heroes, monsters, and moral lessons.

2. Rituals and Ceremonies: Many early narratives were linked to religious or cultural rituals. Storytelling was an integral part of ceremonies, helping to reinforce community values and beliefs.

Ancient Civilizations

1. Epic Poetry: The Sumerians, Greeks, and other ancient civilizations created epic poems, which are some of the earliest written fictional narratives. Works like the "Epic of Gilgamesh," Homer's "Iliad," and "Odyssey" are monumental in their influence on the literary tradition.

2. Written Records: With the advent of writing systems, stories could be recorded and preserved in a more permanent form. This allowed for more complex and longer narratives, as seen in ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman texts.

Classical and Medieval Periods

1. Dramatic Works: Greek and Roman playwrights like Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Plautus expanded the scope of fictional narrative through drama. These plays often explored human nature, societal issues, and the divine.

2. Religious Texts and Allegories: During the medieval period, religious narratives, such as the Christian Bible, Hindu epics like the "Mahabharata" and "Ramayana," and Islamic texts, were crucial in shaping fictional narrative. Allegorical stories like Dante's "Divine Comedy" also emerged, blending religious themes with fictional storytelling.

Renaissance and Early Modern Period

1. The Novel: The Renaissance saw the birth of the novel as a literary form. Works like Cervantes’ "Don Quixote" and later, the novels of Daniel Defoe and Samuel Richardson, established the novel as a medium for exploring complex human experiences and social commentary.

2. Literary Flourishing: This period experienced a flourishing of fictional narrative across Europe, with the development of various genres, including romance, adventure, and satire.

Modern and Contemporary Period

1. Expansion of Genres: The 19th and 20th centuries saw an explosion of genres, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, and detective fiction. Writers like Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, and Arthur Conan Doyle pioneered new narrative possibilities.

2. Global Perspectives: The 20th and 21st centuries have seen an increasing inclusion of diverse voices in fictional narrative. Authors from previously marginalized communities and cultures are now contributing richly to the tapestry of global literature.

3. Digital Age: The advent of the internet and digital technology has transformed storytelling. New forms like hypertext fiction, interactive narratives, and transmedia storytelling have emerged, redefining what fiction can be.

The Role of Fictional Narrative

Throughout history, fictional narrative has served multiple roles:

Entertainment: Providing a means of escape and enjoyment.

Education: Offering moral lessons and knowledge about the world.

Cultural Preservation: Maintaining and transmitting cultural values and traditions.

Social Commentary: Critiquing societal norms and sparking discussion on various issues.

In conclusion, the origins of fictional narrative are as old as humanity itself, evolving from oral traditions to complex written forms and now into digital media. Fiction has continually adapted to the needs and technologies of the times, reflecting and shaping human experience across the ages.

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1. The American Revolution marked a turning point in political history, establishing one of the first representative governments in the modern world. Through the creation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, American settlers implemented democratic principles that prioritized individual rights and popular sovereignty, laying the foundation for future democracies around the world.

Yelenin Vargas

2. The success of the American Revolution inspired numerous democratic and revolutionary movements in other countries. The idea that a people could overthrow an oppressive government and establish one based on equality and natural rights resonated globally, influencing revolutions such as the French and independence movements in Latin America.

Yuliana Baso

3. The American Revolution contributed significantly to the evolution of political thought, highlighting the importance of the rule of law, separation of powers, and civil rights. Philosophers and politicians of the time, influenced by the ideals of the Enlightenment, promoted a model of government that limited centralized power and guaranteed citizen participation in decision-making.

Willema Garcia

4. In addition to its political impact, the American Revolution was crucial to the formation of an American national identity. The revolutionary process and the fight for independence unified the colonies under a common cause, fostering a sense of belonging and unity that would be fundamental to the development of the United States as a democratic and cohesive nation.

Derek Von-Allen

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Books

Bailyn, B. (1992). The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. Harvard University Press.

Wood, G. S. (1991). The Radicalism of the American Revolution. Vintage Books.

Articles

Appleby, J. (1984). Liberalism and the American Revolution. New England Quarterly, 57(1), 51-70.

Rakove, J. N. (1996). Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution. Alfred A. Knopf.

Web Sources

History.com Editors. (2010, September 9). American Revolution. History.com. https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/american-revolution-history

Gordon, L. (2020, July 4). How the American Revolution Spurred Independence Movements Around the World. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-american-revolution-spurred-independence-movements-around-world-180975228/

Edited Collections

Pocock, J. G. A. (Ed.). (1985). Three British Revolutions: 1641, 1688, 1776. Princeton University Press.

Academic Journals

Murrin, J. M. (1983). A Roof without Walls: The Dilemma of American National Identity. In Kammen, M. (Ed.), The Past Before Us (pp. 333-348). Cornell University Press.

Primary Sources

Jefferson, T. (1776). The Declaration of Independence. The Papers of Thomas Jefferson.