Major Problems in the Era of the American Revolution, 1760-1791

Chapter 1 Reflection

My biggest take away from this chapter is that there are multiple schools of general interpretation on
how the revolution came to be. With the main ones being Whig, Imperial, and Progressive.

Whig: the revolution was a movement for liberty against the tyranny of the British government

Imperial: Britain never intended to impose tyranny in the Colonies. The Colonies were a free people
under English rule and that independence resulted from transatlantic misunderstandings and
bureaucratic and parliamentary mismanagement.

Progressive: economic and political self-interests as the central motives propelling the revolution.

Previously I had never thought that there would be any cause for argument or discussion on the events
of the revolution and I was expecting this class to just be a fact book of events that happened during it.
I find it intriguing that we have history books and details of other events that have happened thousands
of years ago but be have conflicting views on the events leading to the American revolution which has
happened less than 300 years ago.

I found it slightly amusing that the increases in taxes, that the British were imposing on the colonies,
were implied that the colonies brought it on themselves. In the Essay “Boycotts Made the Revolution
Radical” by T.H. Breen, it was states numerous times that “...the colonists not only have lived too well
but had done so too publicly” To the visiting members of the British government and military they saw
this as the Americans having too much wealth and started adjusting the taxes accordingly. It also talked
about how the colonists were indulging themselves in the expensive British goods and trying to keep op
appearances with their neighbors or keeping up with the Jonses.