The American Revolution: An Economic Revolution

The word “revolution” is defined in the dictionary as: a forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system. The Revolution was clearly forcible, beginning with The Boston Massacre, The Boston Tea Party, and many other revolts involved, fitting the initial criteria. Still, critics argue that the American Revolution was not truly revolutionary because it was simply an economic revolution. The social order was not necessarily changed at all. While there were major economic alterations during the War of Independence, it can be argued that the American Revolution should only be referred to as the War of Independence. From the perspective of an American, the American Revolutionary was groundbreaking, freeing the colonies from Britain. Compared to the Americans, from the perspective of ethnic minorities, specifically the slaves and Indigenous people, the American Revolution was not truly …show more content…
According to A Different Mirror by Ronald Takaki, the African American population was 5 percent of the colony’s population in 1675 and skyrocketed to over 40 percent by 1715 (61). Throughout the extension of over 200 years of slavery, these people were traded, separated from their family, beaten, raped, and even forced to reproduce. Experiences of these people were described in Angelina Grimké Weld 's speech at Pennsylvania Hall. She states, “I have never seen a happy slave.” African Americans held absolutely no rights in the country and were not considered citizens. The American Revolution was the catalyst for a slow and difficult journey to the abolishment of slavery. The first anti-slavery society was founded during the first year of the war, 1775. Due to the fact that the American Revolution was focused around freedom, many people in the North changed their mindset of slavery. This realization began to change American citizens view of slavery. Although these changes were occurring, from the viewpoint of a slave, the