How Radical was the Revolution?

This radical?

Please remember to review Common Sense before next class. If you didn't get a chance to do so in class, please mark the passages that stick with you about arguing for separation. That is what we will start with.

We are skipping over the military history of the Revolution, so that we can start to talk about what it actually did. The answer may not be as clear as you think. Here are some questions for your consideration:

1. What effect did the Loyalist departure have on the new United States?
2. What evidence does your book present to show that society was really changed by the Revolution?  This is a big question and you can look on pages 158 and 159 for answers. Think how broad the term society is. Think about slaves and women, lower classes and upper classes. Be prepared to devote several sentences to this answer.
3. What innovation did Massachusetts add to the flurry of constitution making in the states?
4. What was different about the American conception of constitutions and the British one?
5. Why did many state legislatures move their capitals westward? Do you think this is important?
6. What were the economic drawbacks of the Revolution? How did Britain react?
7. What were the biggest economic problems facing the country?
8. "Prospects for erecting a lasting regime were far from bright." Elaborate; provide context.

Common Sense Revolution: 134-142

T-Paine!

Your reading opens in early 1776, when the rebellion was still contained in New England. It is really important to remember that not everyone in the colonies was a revolutionary, especially during the early phases of the war. Keep that in mind as you answer these questions:

1. "Why did Americans continue to deny any intention of independence"? That is to say, why were many American leaders eager to frame the Boston rebellion as a misunderstanding, and not reflective of a broader movement? What are some things that changed public opinion in favor of separation? (Two part question.)
2. What is republicanism (you should already know this)? Did everyone share Paine's vision of a republican society? Why or why not?
3. Why is the Declaration of Independence referred to sometimes as the "explanation" for independence?
4. What arguments did Jefferson set forth in the Declaration?
5. What impact did the Declaration have, at home and abroad?
6. Who was a typical Loyalist, and who was a typical Patriot (meaning what kinds of people would be one or the other, occupation, background, etc).
7. What did you learn in the section "Patriots and Loyalists" that changed your understanding of the Revolutionary War, and of American History in general?