Impact of the Revolutionary War: Women, Native

Americans, Enslaved Peoples

Analysis

Objective Analyze the impact of the Revolutionary War on

marginalized (historically oppressed) groups.

Directions: Complete the historical context activity below by re-writing the preamble of the Declaration of
Independence in your own words. When you are done, read the three primary source documents
attached and answer the relevant analysis questions to investigate the impact of the American
Revolution on three marginalized groups.

Historical Context: The Declaration of Independence was written and agreed upon in 1776 by political
representatives of the 13 colonies. While the document was meant to represent the sentiments of all
Americans, it was not the standard by which all Americans were treated by the American society.
Before learning about the experiences of women, Native Americans, and enslaved African
Americans, translate the Declaration of Independence below into your own words. What would
America in 1776 have looked like if these words had been taken literally?

Original Text
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the governed.

Your translation

We define that all the people are created equal, and self-evident. They have received the right by the
god, that nobody can take or offend it. For this honoarble right, government should protect every men’s
right and should know that the government has the power by the people.

Primary Source Document 1: Abigail Adams to John Adams - March 31 1776

 1 I long to hear that you have declared an independency from England -- and by the way in the
2 new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would
3 Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors.
4 Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would
5 be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies we are
6 determined to foment a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we
7 have no voice, or Representation.
8
9 That your Sex are Naturally Tyrannical is a Truth so thoroughly established as to admit of no
10 dispute, but such of you as wish to be happy willingly give up the harsh title of Master for the
11 more tender and endearing one of Friend. Why then, not put it out of the power of the vicious
12 and the Lawless to use us with cruelty...Men of Sense in all Ages abhor those customs which
13 treat us only as the servants of your mankind. Regard us then as Beings placed by destiny
14 under your protection and in imitation of the Supreme Being make use of that power only for
15 our happiness.

Analysis Questions:

1) Close Reading: According to lines 2 - 3, who is Abigail Adams asking John Adams to remember
when making the new laws for the new country, the United States of America?

Women who also participated in American revolution, who directly helped and eventually led the
13 colonies become independent from England.

2) Analysis: From this letter, what kind of power do you infer men in 1776 had over their wives?

Men mostly determined everything, whether it is a family thing or an outside thing related to their country
or the society. So compare to the men, women had almost no chance to participate in national politics.
As Men determine and did most of the important things, women were restricted and limited from certain
important things such as politics, government and also suffrage.

3) Close Reading: According to lines 6 and 7, what is Abigail warning John Adams of if the founders
do NOT give women equal rights?

Womens will gonna make a rebellion if the men do not attention to their words about the women’s right.
As the United States made an revolution against the England as they do not provide any rights or
representation only forcing them to pay taxes for the England.

4) Close Reading: How does Abigail Adams describe men in line 9?

Men and Women are all equal and its true that all people deserve their own right. So, we should not
restrict women from anything as they have their own right.

5) Analysis: What does this source suggest to you about how women were viewed in America in
1776?
In 1700s or even in the early 1800s, women were restricted from participating in national politics or
outdoor political activites, being limited by men. This led the women suffrage movement in the late 1800s
in the United States.
 6) Analysis: When the Declaration of Independence was written, the first few lines written by the
founding fathers read: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are equal…”. Based
on this document above, do you think the founding fathers meant literally males only or do you
think that “men” was a term that included women as well? Why or why not?

I think that men literally meant the all people, but I think it is also true that men cared about only men as
they did not think women in politics, plus thay do not think black slave men as their part and people.
However, still it is true that the Declaration of Indpendence meant all people are equal.

Primary Source Document 2: The Chickasaws Send a Message to Congress, 1783

1 ...we are yet in confusion & uncertainty. We also receive talks from the Governor of Georgia...the
2 Virginians Call upon us to a Treaty, and want part of our land, and we expect our Neighbors who
3 live on Cumberland River, will in a Little time Demand, if not forcibly take part of it from us, also
4 as we are informed they have been marking Lines through our hunting grounds: we are daily
5 receiving Talks from one Place or other, and from People we Know nothing about. We Know not
6 who to mind or who to neglect. We are told that the Americans have 13 Councils Composed of
7 Chiefs and Warriors. We Know not which of them we are to Listen to, or if we are to hear some,
8 and Reject others, we are at a loss to Distinguish those we are to hear...we hope you will also
9 put a stop to any encroachments on our lands, without our consent, and silence all those People
10 who sends us Such Talks as inflame & exasperate our Young Men, as it is our earnest desire to
11 remain in peace and friendship with our Brother: the Americans…
12
13 ...it is very hard when we have let the Americans have so much land for so little value, they
14 should want to cheat us in this manner of the small spots we have left for our women and
15 children to live on.

Analysis Questions

1) Close Reading: According to the document, how had the Native Americans been treated by the
Americans?

They are losing their lands by the Americans, and they are getting driven out to further lands as
Americans are not stopping their expansion over the continent, they started to settle in western regions
such as Great Lakes, keep moving to the west. As there are Native Americans who love there, the
conflicts started. Americans regared as savage and uncivillized humans that are weak and uneducated.

2) Close Reading: According to lines 3 and 4, what is slowly happening to Native American lands?

Native Americans were losing their lands in the entire American continent, as the Americans started to
migrate over the western region for more resources and lands to live, trying to make a large territory. In
this process, it made the native Americans and Americans to crush, making conflicts and crisrs.

3) Analysis: How would you describe the tone of this message?

Native Americans are so concerned about the American expansion kept dominating their own lands.
They know that the Americans won’t stop their expansion and stop intervention over their lands. Thats
the main reason they are so worried and sad.

4) Analysis: From the excerpt of this primary source, what do you infer was the general stance or
position for the Americans towards Native Americans immediately after independence?

They do not consider native Americans as their people, just regarding them as the savages or obstacles
which is blocking their expansion over the western regions. Their general stance to the Native
Americans is just ignore and kept expand over western and additional regions that are not conquered
yet.

5) Analysis: When the Declaration of Independence was written, the first few lines written by the
founding fathers read: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are equal…”. Based
on this document above, do you think the founding fathers and Americans at this time thought
that Native Americans were included in the general category of “men”? Why or why not?

NO, as you know, Thomas Jefferson the writer himself had tons of black slaves. His word “men” means
literally the people of the American 13 colonies who are able to have individual social activity in the
colonies. So it can conclude women but not black slaves or native Americans, as they do not care oe
think that they are part of them.

Primary Source Document 3: Petition from Enslaved Peoples to Council and House of Representatives
for the State of Massachusetts-Bay in General Court assembled January 13th 1777.

1 The Petition of a great number of Negroes who are detained in a state of Slavery in the Bowels
2 of a free and Christian Country Humbly ask:
3
4 That your Petitioners apprehend that negroes have, in common with all other Men, a natural
5 and unalienable right to that freedom, which the great Parent of the Universe hath bestowed
6 equally on all Mankind, and which they have never forfeited by any compact or agreement
7 whatever—But they were unjustly dragged, by the cruel hand of Power, from their dearest
8 friends, and some of them even torn from the embraces of their tender Parents, from a
9 populous, pleasant and plentiful Country—and in Violation of the Laws of Nature and of Nation
10 and in defiance of all the tender feelings of humanity, brought here to be sold like Beasts of
11 Burden, and like them condemned to slavery for Life...
12
Your Honors need not to be informed that a Life of Slavery, like that of your petitioners,
13
deprived of every social privilege, of every thing requisite to render Life even tolerable, is far
14
worse than Non-Existence….They cannot but express their astonishment, that it has never
15
been considered, that every principle from which America has acted in the course of her
16
unhappy difficulties with Great-Britain, pleads stronger than a thousand arguments in favor of
17
your Petitioners.
18
19 They therefore humbly beseech your Honors, to give this Petition its due weight and
20 consideration, and cause an Act of the Legislature to be passed, whereby they may be
21 restored to the enjoyment of that freedom which is the natural right of all Men—and their
22 Children (who were born in this Land of Liberty) may not be held as Slaves after they arrive at
23
 the age of twenty one years.

Analysis Questions

1) Sourcing and Contextualization: Who wrote this? Was it written before or after the Declaration of
Independence?

In 1773 version someone whose name is Felix wrote this. As the Declaration of the Independence was
signed in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson, it was written before the Declaration of Independence, but we can
see these works about slavery petition continued until 1777.

2) Analysis: Where do you see the influence of the Declaration of Independence in this document?
Cite evidence from the text to support your claims.

“Violation of the Laws of Nature and of Nation and in defiance of all the tender feelings of humanity,
brought hither to be sold like Beasts of Burden, and like them condemned to slavery for Life—Among a
People professing the mild Religion of Jesus—A People not insensible of the sweets of rational
freedom…” This Quote is from the four petitions of slavery 1777 version. In this quote we can find similar
quotes with the Delclaration of Independence, mentioning all people are equally created under the god.

3) Analysis: From the excerpt of this primary source, what do you infer was the general stance or
position of Americans towards enslaved peoples immediately after independence?

They regarded the slave (mostly black from Africa) as savages and uneducated men who are only
laborers and workers that work for them being not payed or extremely low. It was general stance for
Americans to think slaves as savage. However, as the declaration of independence stated all men are
equal, this started the general stance to change. However until late 1800s, people’s general stance
regarding black slave as an object or good did not change.

4) Analysis: When the Declaration of Independence was written, the first few lines written by the
founding fathers read: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are equal…”. Based
on this document above, do you think the founding fathers and Americans at this time included
enslaved peoples in the general category of “men”? Why or why not?

Frankly speaking Thomas Jefferson, who is the writer of the Declaration of Independence, was a white
man who owned over 300 black slaves and as general stance regarding the slaves did not change
dramatically during the indepence movement and the war. So, I think the men mentioned in the
declaration of the independence does not include balck slaves. As it does not make sense to have a
slavery even though Thomas Jefferson wrote all men are equal.