Ideological Origins Of The American Revolution By Bernard Bailyn

The history of colonial America and the colonists’ erudite actions to gain their independence from Britain has served as a microcosm in history to display how the American Revolution was crucial and influenced several movements around the world such as the French Revolution. Some might even argue that the French Revolution also inspired European revolutionary movements and the Russian Revolution around the 1940s. The thirteen colonies altered the way they were being run and developed a unique form of a democratic government after colonists saw interference by the British as denial and restriction of their simple rights that other British subjects possessed without any limitations. The entire world was in awe after witnessing the thirteen colonies …show more content…
Bailyn did so by pointing out several legacies that he considered to be “intellectual”, such as the …show more content…
Bailyn argues that this was more so a democracy that started many social movements that reformed the electoral system. Bernard Bailyn often referred John Locke as the “intellectual godfather” of the revolution throughout the book (Bailyn 27-33). The way of Locke’s way of thinking was considered “liberalism” by historians and gave Locke credit due to the fact that his ideology was one of the biggest factors influencing American independence. Mr. Bailyn also talked about Jean-Jacques Rousseau, which was mentioned during class when Dr. Glass lectured on the ‘Social Contract’. Mr. Rousseau developed this contract in 1762. He characterized the social contract as a “voluntary union, not an act of submission on the part of society’s weak members (Schmoop Editorial