The Revolution of 1776 and Its Prerequisites

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Economic and Demographic Factors
Great Awakening
Enlightenment
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

The Revolution of 1776 is mostly attributed to the economic and demographic developments of the preceding decades. However, it is important to view them in the light of cultural, philosophic, scientific, and religious changes that occurred during the same period. These changes, described collectively as the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening, fostered the ideas of authority and independence and contributed to the Revolution.

Economic and Demographic Factors

The primary economic factor responsible for the initial setup of the conditions in America was the abundance of fertile land coupled with the relatively low density of the population. Early in the course of American history, it allowed the settlers to proliferate once the labor recourses were sufficient. As a result, the majority of the population enjoyed a relatively high level of life by 17th century standards. What’s more important, the distribution of wealth was equal, with most of the inhabitants qualifying as “the comfortable middle class” (Oakes et al. 132). Aside from the favorable social climate, this has led to steady population growth. Naturally, throughout the following century, the situation became less welcoming: each next generation needed to share the land it inherited, which undermined sustainability and prompted younger people to abandon the rural farming life and venture into cities in search of jobs (Oakes et al. 140). Naturally, this created a stratification of the previously uniform society: about 25% of the New York and Philadelphia population was below the poverty level (Oakes et al. 139). Such sharp contrast led to social unrest and tensions, which neared the Revolution.

The Southern colonies played a separate role in the formation of the independence concept. Being the most prosperous and resourceful states, they created the stratum of wealthy and independent individuals, “modeled after English country gentlemen” (Oakes et al. 141). For them, the theoretical authority of Britain was dubious, while their sustainability and power were tangible and real.

Great Awakening

Another contribution came from the Great Awakening – the religious movement, which became the basis for American Protestantism. Its main premise was the individual nature of faith. Aside from modernizing the religion and placing more responsibilities on the believers, it led to one important conclusion: the faith did not necessarily depend on the Church of England. As faith had a far greater influence on people’s decisions in the seventeenth century than it does now, it relieved them of the need to stick to the English authority and empowered them to create their own independent religious branch.

Enlightenment

However, the Enlightenment, a philosophical movement that emerged at around the same period, further transformed the understanding of the authority. The main premise of the Enlightenment was the central position of humanity in the Universe: human was no longer inferior to the forces of nature – instead, he could understand them and overcome them. Probably the most recognized example of such an approach is Franklin’s kite experiment conducted as a part of his studies of electricity. Previously, electricity was thought of as a “mysterious force, and lightning was a sign of God’s wrath” (PBS 1). Franklin’s experiment showed that it was not only knowable – it could be harnessed and controlled, giving more reasons to believe in individual power rather than providence and higher authority as determinants of life.

Conclusion

Obviously, both the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening also redefined the idea of government – the status of the English monarchy as a representative of the divine power was seriously challenged by the individual accountability suggested by the latter and the equality of human beings promoted by the former. Coupled with the very real economic difficulties created by the demographic layout and the growing social discontent resulting from it, these factors collectively shaped the readiness to pursue the national interests rather than humbly succumb to fate and providence.

Works Cited

Oakes, James, Michael McGerr, Jan Ellen Lewis, Jeanne Boydston, Nick Cullather, Mark Summers, and Camilla Townsend. Of the People: A History of the United States. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.

PBS. How Shocking. n.d. Web.

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The Revolution of 1776 and Its Prerequisites

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