Growing up poor in the 1700 's meant being exposed to the callous discriminations among people and their rank in the social system. For George Hewes, who was forced into the occupation of being a shoemaker, life did not treat him kindly. No matter how hard he tried, whether it was before or after the war, Hewes was never able to catch a break or be treated equally. "Where you ended up in life depended much on where one started out" (15). The Revolutionary War was a call to action for those who became politicized by the events that were occurring all around them. For Hewes, his motivations started out as personal and then became political. There was a sense of empowerment and identity granted to some of those who had been treated impartially.
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Already aware of "how irritating it was to be challenged by British sentries after dark" (36), Hewes understood the struggle of the colonists. There was a man who attempted to collect an overdue bill from one of the soldiers. A disturbance then broke out that led to the calling of more guards and a formation of crowds. Fights ensued and some were killed. The man that was sent to collect the bill was a worker for a barber and otherwise considered lower class. Among those who were murdered that night, all five of them were working men. The Massacre was one of the many events that stirred the colonists to protest the government and demand for justice. Many citizens became involved and were politicized to act. Hewes "turned out because of a sense of kinship with his ‘townsmen ' in danger; he stood his ground in defense of his rights; he was among the people who delegated on their behalf; he attended the trial, and, as he remembered it, by testifying" (41). The events that led up to and ultimately contributed to the Massacre proved just how dangerous the soldiers and upper-class seemed to be. After that night, Hewes had become a political …show more content…
It was the moment for a nobody to become a hero in a town that never recognized him before. Truthfully speaking however, the war did little for George Hewes. When a journalist had found him sometime after, he was still struck down with poverty and wound up moving from house to house because he could no longer afford much. Americans though, wanting to celebrate the memory of the Revolution, honored George Hewes and he was celebrated for what he helped contribute to. Granted that the Revolutionary War did not grant full equality to everyone, the events that preceded, as well as the war, helped prove to the government that everyone should have an equal chance at achieving what they want. It was not just a matter of rank and power, it was fairness and integrity. For Hewes, being the common man that he was, the war meant a call for action against society 's ill will towards the lesser individuals. Hewes was a prideful yet poverty stricken survivor after the war because he knew that he was able to overcome and outlive all of those who outranked him many years
Already aware of "how irritating it was to be challenged by British sentries after dark" (36), Hewes understood the struggle of the colonists. There was a man who attempted to collect an overdue bill from one of the soldiers. A disturbance then broke out that led to the calling of more guards and a formation of crowds. Fights ensued and some were killed. The man that was sent to collect the bill was a worker for a barber and otherwise considered lower class. Among those who were murdered that night, all five of them were working men. The Massacre was one of the many events that stirred the colonists to protest the government and demand for justice. Many citizens became involved and were politicized to act. Hewes "turned out because of a sense of kinship with his ‘townsmen ' in danger; he stood his ground in defense of his rights; he was among the people who delegated on their behalf; he attended the trial, and, as he remembered it, by testifying" (41). The events that led up to and ultimately contributed to the Massacre proved just how dangerous the soldiers and upper-class seemed to be. After that night, Hewes had become a political …show more content…
It was the moment for a nobody to become a hero in a town that never recognized him before. Truthfully speaking however, the war did little for George Hewes. When a journalist had found him sometime after, he was still struck down with poverty and wound up moving from house to house because he could no longer afford much. Americans though, wanting to celebrate the memory of the Revolution, honored George Hewes and he was celebrated for what he helped contribute to. Granted that the Revolutionary War did not grant full equality to everyone, the events that preceded, as well as the war, helped prove to the government that everyone should have an equal chance at achieving what they want. It was not just a matter of rank and power, it was fairness and integrity. For Hewes, being the common man that he was, the war meant a call for action against society 's ill will towards the lesser individuals. Hewes was a prideful yet poverty stricken survivor after the war because he knew that he was able to overcome and outlive all of those who outranked him many years