Would You Have Supported The American Revolution?
An invitation for a thoughtful discussion about political realignments then and now.
Right now in America, we are undergoing an undeniable change in our culture and political landscape. There is a shifting in the political parties, and while in some cases Americans are very divided, I am also seeing a new sense of unity and energy emerge that I feel has been lacking in our culture for quite some time. It has been truly interesting to watch prominent and lifelong Democratic Party members now find common values with Republicans, and vise versa.
We are also seeing our news and media landscape change completely with independent journalists raking in millions upon millions of engaged viewers/listeners, and our mainstream news channels hitting all time lows. If the media industry is a river, information has now leaked out and formed several tributaries that the people are flocking to, rather than the main river itself.
As a history lover, it is amazing to be bearing witness to these events because I know that whatever the outcome, this will be a very notable time in American History. While recently reflecting on this, it made me look back to the founding of our nation….
Even though they are almost always depicted as old men, most of the founders of our country were actually very young in 1776 (I won’t lie, this was an absolute shock to me, and American kid, when I learned it). The average age of the signers of the Declaration of Independence was 44 with more than twelve of them being below the age of 35. Even more shocking, our most famous Founding Fathers were also incredibly young. Thomas Jefferson was 33, James Madison was 25, Alexander Hamilton was 21, Aaron Burr was 20 and James Monroe only 18. As for the old men, Benjamin Franklin was 70 (but absolutely wild), George Washington was 44, John Adams was 40 and Paul Revere 41….Again, not all that old. It made me wonder, if my youngest brother and his friends were leading a radical political movement, would people get behind them in numbers large enough to overthrow the all powerful British Government? (I’m not sure I would! Ha!) On the other hand, perhaps because they were such young men, they were the ones that had the right mix of foolhardiness and inspiration to actually lead a seemingly insurmountable movement that many secretly supported. Of course, in Colonial America there was enough popular support for the Revolution, and similar to today, word about the revolution did spread outside of the mainstream news. Opposing the Revolutionaries, there was a large number of British Loyalists that wanted to stick with the comfortable or at least “known” institutions.
I think that most Americans today would like to think they would have been a diehard supporter of the American Revolution… but when you think of it in today’s terms (following the lead of a bunch of 25 year old men), would you really have? Would you have stepped away from what you knew, (even if it seemed mildly oppressive) and supported a band of 25 year old men and their wild friend Ben Franklin? I am a descendent of colonists who did in fact fight the British Army in the American Revolution, I just can’t help asking myself, how would I have felt if I was living in 1776? Would I have been on the “right” side of history? But then, didn’t both sides think they were on the right side? And isn’t that the exact same case in America (any anywhere else) today?
I would love to hear your thoughts on these types of political adjustments now and throughout history. How do you predict this time will be looked back upon in the future? For my British/European friends, what are you all taught about the American Revolution in school? What does America look like right now? Do you see realignments happening in your own country too?
I can’t wait to see what everyone has to say, so please join in! Also, please keep in mind, this is not a place for political policy debate or anything like that, but this is more a prompt to look back into history and compare it with today, and then to have a thoughtful and interesting discussion.
Until Next Time,
McKenzie
I'm so glad I stumbled upon this post! I am reading now about the pre-revolutionary period. Something I had not realized is that the colonists regarded themselves as British subjects loyal to their king, up until the very last. Not until right before the war for independence began did the revolutionaries, along with the American patriots, decide to completely break with Great Britain. It's a simple thing but understanding that brought new context to the story.
I'm not sure I was taught about the Revolution at all at school. My 18th century history was mainly the Agricultural Revolution (seed drills! crop rotation!), the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution. My second-year university course was very whistlestop and I ended up focusing on bits that interested me and were especially well taught, like the rise of Prussia (the sadly departed Hamish Scott). But then, I was an early modernist by instinct. I imagine I would have been four-square behind my lawful sovereign HM The King.