good thesis for american revolution essay

Thesis Statements

What is a thesis statement.

Your thesis statement is one of the most important parts of your paper.  It expresses your main argument succinctly and explains why your argument is historically significant.  Think of your thesis as a promise you make to your reader about what your paper will argue.  Then, spend the rest of your paper–each body paragraph–fulfilling that promise.

Your thesis should be between one and three sentences long and is placed at the end of your introduction.  Just because the thesis comes towards the beginning of your paper does not mean you can write it first and then forget about it.  View your thesis as a work in progress while you write your paper.  Once you are satisfied with the overall argument your paper makes, go back to your thesis and see if it captures what you have argued.  If it does not, then revise it.  Crafting a good thesis is one of the most challenging parts of the writing process, so do not expect to perfect it on the first few tries.  Successful writers revise their thesis statements again and again.

A successful thesis statement:

• makes an historical argument
• takes a position that requires defending
• is historically specific
• is focused and precise
• answers the question, “so what?”

How to write a thesis statement:

Suppose you are taking an early American history class and your professor has distributed the following essay prompt:

“Historians have debated the American Revolution’s effect on women.  Some argue that the Revolution had a positive effect because it increased women’s authority in the family.  Others argue that it had a negative effect because it excluded women from politics.  Still others argue that the Revolution changed very little for women, as they remained ensconced in the home.  Write a paper in which you pose your own answer to the question of whether the American Revolution had a positive, negative, or limited effect on women.”

Using this prompt, we will look at both weak and strong thesis statements to see how successful thesis statements work.

While this thesis does take a position, it is problematic because it simply restates the prompt.  It needs to be more specific about how  the Revolution had a limited effect on women and  why it mattered that women remained in the home.

Revised Thesis:  The Revolution wrought little political change in the lives of women because they did not gain the right to vote or run for office.  Instead, women remained firmly in the home, just as they had before the war, making their day-to-day lives look much the same.

This revision is an improvement over the first attempt because it states what standards the writer is using to measure change (the right to vote and run for office) and it shows why women remaining in the home serves as evidence of limited change (because their day-to-day lives looked the same before and after the war).  However, it still relies too heavily on the information given in the prompt, simply saying that women remained in the home.  It needs to make an argument about some element of the war’s limited effect on women.  This thesis requires further revision.

Strong Thesis: While the Revolution presented women unprecedented opportunities to participate in protest movements and manage their family’s farms and businesses, it ultimately did not offer lasting political change, excluding women from the right to vote and serve in office.

Few would argue with the idea that war brings upheaval.  Your thesis needs to be debatable:  it needs to make a claim against which someone could argue.  Your job throughout the paper is to provide evidence in support of your own case.  Here is a revised version:

Strong Thesis: The Revolution caused particular upheaval in the lives of women.  With men away at war, women took on full responsibility for running households, farms, and businesses.  As a result of their increased involvement during the war, many women were reluctant to give up their new-found responsibilities after the fighting ended.

Sexism is a vague word that can mean different things in different times and places.  In order to answer the question and make a compelling argument, this thesis needs to explain exactly what  attitudes toward women were in early America, and  how those attitudes negatively affected women in the Revolutionary period.

Strong Thesis: The Revolution had a negative impact on women because of the belief that women lacked the rational faculties of men. In a nation that was to be guided by reasonable republican citizens, women were imagined to have no place in politics and were thus firmly relegated to the home.

This thesis addresses too large of a topic for an undergraduate paper.  The terms “social,” “political,” and “economic” are too broad and vague for the writer to analyze them thoroughly in a limited number of pages.  The thesis might focus on one of those concepts, or it might narrow the emphasis to some specific features of social, political, and economic change.

Strong Thesis: The Revolution paved the way for important political changes for women.  As “Republican Mothers,” women contributed to the polity by raising future citizens and nurturing virtuous husbands.  Consequently, women played a far more important role in the new nation’s politics than they had under British rule.

This thesis is off to a strong start, but it needs to go one step further by telling the reader why changes in these three areas mattered.  How did the lives of women improve because of developments in education, law, and economics?  What were women able to do with these advantages?  Obviously the rest of the paper will answer these questions, but the thesis statement needs to give some indication of why these particular changes mattered.

Strong Thesis: The Revolution had a positive impact on women because it ushered in improvements in female education, legal standing, and economic opportunity.  Progress in these three areas gave women the tools they needed to carve out lives beyond the home, laying the foundation for the cohesive feminist movement that would emerge in the mid-nineteenth century.

Thesis Checklist

When revising your thesis, check it against the following guidelines:

• Does my thesis make an historical argument?
• Does my thesis take a position that requires defending?
• Is my thesis historically specific?
• Is my thesis focused and precise?
• Does my thesis answer the question, “so what?”

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• Thesis Statements

What Is a Thesis?

A  thesis  is the main point or argument of an information source. (Many, but not all, writing assignments, require a thesis.)

A strong thesis is:  

• Arguable:  Can be supported by evidence and analysis, and can be disagreed with.

•  Unique:  Says something new and interesting.

•  Concise and clear:  Explained as simply as possible, but not at the expense of clarity.

•  Unified:  All parts are clearly connected. •  Focused and specific:  Can be adequately and convincingly argued within the the paper, scope is not overly broad.

•  Significant:  Has importance to readers, answers the question "so what?"

Crafting a Thesis

Research is usually vital to developing a strong thesis. Exploring sources can help you develop and refine your central point.

1. Conduct Background Research.

A strong thesis is specific and unique, so you first need knowledge of the general research topic. Background research will help you narrow your research focus and contextualize your argument in relation to other research. 

2. Narrow the Research Topic. 

Ask questions as you review sources:

• What aspect(s) of the topic interest you most?
• What questions or concerns does the topic raise for you?   Example of a general research topic:  Climate change and carbon emissions Example of more narrow topic:  U.S. government policies on carbon emissions

3. Formulate and explore a relevant research question.  

Before committing yourself to a single viewpoint, formulate a specific question to explore.  Consider different perspectives on the issue, and find sources that represent these varying views. Reflect on strengths and weaknesses in the sources' arguments. Consider sources that challenge these viewpoints.

Example:  What role does and should the U.S. government play in regulating carbon emissions?

4. Develop a working thesis. 

• A working thesis has a clear focus but is not yet be fully formed. It is a good foundation for further developing a more refined argument.   Example:  The U.S. government has the responsibility to help reduce carbon emissions through public policy and regulation.  This thesis has a clear focus but leaves some major questions unanswered. For example, why is regulation of carbon emissions important? Why should the government be held accountable for such regulation?

5. Continue research on the more focused topic.

Is the topic:

• broad enough to yield sufficient sources and supporting evidence?
• narrow enough for in-depth and focused research?
• original enough to offer a new and meaningful perspective that will interest readers? 

6. Fine-tune the thesis.

Your thesis will probably evolve as you gather sources and ideas. If your research focus changes, you may need to re-evaluate your search strategy and to conduct additional research. This is usually a good sign of the careful thought you are putting into your work!

Example:   Because climate change, which is exacerbated by high carbon emissions, adversely affects almost all citizens, the U.S. government has the responsibility to help reduce carbon emissions through public policy and regulation. 

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American Revolution Essay – Example & 153 Topics

The American Revolution was a pivotal event that shaped the course of history. Delving into its intricacies, you can open up a world of fascinating controversies. We offer a collection of the best American Revolution essay topics to hook your curiosity and critical thinking. Don’t miss an example of the American Revolution essay we’ve prepared for you!

⚔️ TOP 7 American Revolution Essay Topics

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• The American Revolution and the Russian Revolution
• The Causes of the American Civil War
• The American Civil War: Effects and Consequences
• Was the American Civil War Inevitable?
• American Revolution in Jonathan Boucher’s View
• The South vs. The North in the American Civil War
• American Revolution as the Turning Point in History
• The American Civil War Between North and South The American Civil War is one of the most important events that played a significant role in the creation of the United States.
• Conflict Theory Applied to the American Civil War The research question of the planned research will be as follows: How does the conflict theory inform the causes of the American Civil War?
• Texas in Connection to the American Civil War During the Civil War, even though the war was taking place outside of Texas, people were able to contribute. More precisely, many served in the Union Army.
• The Effect of Mercantilism on the American Revolution American mercantilism was an ineffective trading policy that fueled tension between American colonies and the British government, resulting in the American revolution.
• The War of 1812 as the Conclusion of the American Revolution Though the 1812 war was far not as popular as the Revolutionary War or Civil War, it had immense effects on the United States becoming a strong independent nation.
• Women in Nursing During American Civil War Women in Civil War adopted various approaches such as aggressiveness and perseverance to change the common perspective regarding women and the field of nursing.
• Upper and Lower Classes in the American Revolution Social groups, regardless of their similarities in either cultural, ethnic, religious, or economic backgrounds, were often divisive on the topic of the American Revolution.
• American Civil War and Western Expansion The civil war events awakened the US, creating opportunities that enabled Americans to live and explore new prospects resulting in westward expansion and economic growth.
• New Deal as the Second American Revolution It would not be an understatement to claim that the Great Depression was one of the darkest hours in American history.
• American Civil War History and Review Between 1861 and 1865 the north and South America states engaged in battle against each other. According to many Americans, the American civil war remains the deadliest in history of America.
• American Revolution: The Coming of Independence This paper answers questions associated with the history of the United States in the revolution period and the coming of independence.
• The American Civil War and National Divisions During 1790-1861, the American Nation experienced significant locational, political, and economic divisions that are analyzed in this paper.
• The American Revolution Period The British crown neglected the demands and needs of the American people, and the only way to build a great life on the solid of America is through revolution.
• Was the American Civil War Inevitable? The Civil War was a brutal American conflict dating back to 1861 – 1865 that revolved around slavery and freedom. The war became the reason for horrific bloodshed on American soil.
• American Civil War: Primary Documents Interpretation The American Civil War remains one of the greatest military conflicts occurring in the U.S., and its implications have been instrumental for human rights and democracy.
• Post-American Revolution Changes Over Time This essay will cover the broad changes in the newly-born state after the American Revolution. The aim is to trace the major political, economic, and social changes.
• The Material and Ideological Gains of the American Revolution and Civil War During a war or a conflict between countries, there is a set goal for why soldiers are sent to battlegrounds and commit to fighting until they get a victory.
• The American Revolution Period (1775-1784) This essay will consider some crucial questions about the essence of the American Revolution between 1775 and 1784.
• The American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence Cultural and geographic separation from Britain was a crucial cause of the American Revolution. The Declaration of Independence is a critical document for the foundation of the US.
• Patriots and the American Revolution Most challenges in the USA were encountered in the 18th century when the national struggle for independence and freedom from European colonial rule.
• Those Damned Rebels: The American Revolution as Seen Through British Eyes The paper discusses “Those Damned Rebels: The American Revolution as Seen through British Eyes”. It provides a perspective of the British on the American Revolution.
• New Technologies in the American Civil War This essay argues that innovative technologies had a substantial impact on the American Civil War, affecting military conduct and helping the North win.
• The American Revolution: A History Documentary The American Revolution would only burst in 1775, but for more than ten years, the prerequisites for its start would accumulate.
• The American Civil War: Inevitability Reasons The American Civil War between the Northern and Southern states was an inevitable consequence of the growing contradictions between the two social systems within the country.
• The Impact of the American Revolution Empire intrigues, dynasty conflicts, aspiration, money, and American concerns influenced the American Revolution.
• Preconditions of American Civil War The American Civil War can be considered one of the most important and iconic armed conflicts in the history of the United States.
• The Results of the American Civil War When it comes to the Civil War’s outcomes, these were monumental: the establishment of a stronger federal government, validation of the United States’ single political entity.
• Ethics and Civics of Patriots: The American Revolution During the 18th century, various groups were fighting for their country, which led to changes that greatly influenced Americans’ current state.
• Loyalist Perspective and the American Revolution
• Factors and Key Players in the American Revolution
• The American Revolution and the Development of America’s Individual Culture
• Slavery During the American Revolution
• Did the American Revolution Produce a Christian Nation?
• The American Revolution and Effects on a Socioeconomic Situation
• American Revolution and the American Civil War
• Could the American Revolution Be Avoided?
• Robert Morris and His Influence on American Revolution
• The American Revolution and Black Freedom
• French Revolution More Radical Then the American Revolution
• Reasons for English Colonization and American Revolution
• Political Rhetoric During the American Revolution
• England’s Colonial Policy Brought on the American Revolution
• George Washington and the American Revolution
• How Did the American Revolution Affect Slaves and Women?
• Social Attitudes and the American Revolution
• Significant Leaders During the American Revolution
• American Revolution and Iraq Democratization
• The American Revolution and a Political and Social Partition
• Mercantilism: American Revolution and Colonies
• The Early Republic and the American Civil War The United States of America was founded as a republic, defined as a government in which the people hold sovereignty over the government and rule through elected representatives.
• Individual’s Role in the American Revolution The Revolution began as a popular movement that impacted nearly every resident of modern-day American territory.
• The American Revolution Period The American revolution had several ideological, social, and economic reasons for its outbreak. In its foundation laid the vision for freedom and equality.
• Patriots in the American Revolution Although patriots played a crucial role in creating the United States of America, the new government did not fully meet their aspirations.
• Could the American Civil War Be Avoided? The American Civil War is well known, primarily because it started because of the institution of slavery. All people in the North and South were influenced by the brutal war.
• Reconstruction After the American Civil War This article gives an elaborate account of reconstruction and the underlying effects of the process in the post-reconstruction era.
• The Culture of Death in the American Civil War The paper discusses the perception of death during the Civil War era. It shows the contrast between people’s opinions about it in the past and the present.
• The American Revolution’s Analysis This paper emphasizes that the American revolution was a true revolution since its goal was to introduce a new approach to government and not just liberation from the king’s rule.
• The Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War The Union army initiated the Atlanta Campaign hoping that with the city’s fall, the Confederates would swiftly end the American Civil War.
• Who Started the American Civil War and Why? The American Civil War was a tragic event that resulted from long-standing indifferences between states in the North and Southern parts of the US.
• The American Revolution: Causal Issues and Results The American Revolution is an event that was born of a chain of causal issues that began with the Seven Years’ War in 1756 and ended in 1763.
• Discussion of the American Civil War The paper discusses the impact of slavery on American culture and politics, emerged issues and problems and to what extend American civil war resolved those problems.
• American Civil War: The New South The New South, as a concept that emerged after the end of the Civil War, promised a significant transformation of the country’s southern regions.
• American Revolution and Independence for Wealthy vs. Poor American Revolution is the key historical event that led to the creation of the USA. In pursuit of freedom, hundreds of people revolted against Britain.
• How Taxation Led to the American Revolution The most significant event that led to the American Revolution was the taxes imposed on Britain’s colonies to cover their after-war debt.
• The American Civil War: Expectations and Outcomes In this essay, the plans, expectations, and outcomes of the American Civil War will be discussed, taking into account both sides of the conflict.
• Chalmers’ Argument on the American Revolution The American Revolution is a contentious issue that resulted in a factional breakup between two groups, Loyalists and Patriots.
• The American Civil War’s Causes and Effects The American Civil War was a unique event that changed the lives of millions of people. It became a disaster and a new birth of the desired freedom.
• The Victory of Union in the American Civil War As this paper demonstrates, Abraham Lincoln applied several policies that ensured that the Union won the civil war against the Confederate states.
• The History of American Revolution An outstanding role in the development of American democracy and constitutionalism was played by the Declaration of Independence of 1776.
• The American Civil War and North-South Conflict The start of the American Civil War can be traced to the inflexible variations between the autonomous anti-slave North states and the enslaved states in the South.
• Runaway Slaves: The Embodiment of the Principles of American Revolution This paper assesses how the actions of the runaway slaves animate the principles of the American Revolution that included resistance, persistence, unity, and self-determination.
• Abigail Adams and Her Impact on the American Revolution Abigail Adams is an excellent example of a woman who uses her status to improve social problems, she also was a woman who has been both mother and wife to two U.S. presidents.
• American Civil War and Abraham Lincoln’s Presidency The American Civil War was a watershed instant in the country’s history. Ten thousand battles were fought across the globe between 1861 and 1865.
• Discussion of American Revolution American Revolution in 1775 was the result of prolonged tensions with British Empire that lasted over a decade before ultimately resulting in the revolution.
• Tennessee During the American Revolution Settlers of the Tennessee territory contributed to the independence of the future United States of America. They fought the local Indian tribes and the British soldiers.
• Sectionalism and Road to American Civil War in 1861 The American civil war started due to many differences between the North and the South regarding economic development, social and political opinions.
• The American Revolution as a Historical Event The British approach to managing its colonies is the main reason behind the quest to gain self-rule by most of them.
• Influence of Enlightenment and the Great Awakening on the American Revolution The Revolution depicted a period of political and ideological transformation in North America between 1765 and 1783.
• The American Revolution and its Consequences The American Revolution took place in 1765, and it was necessitated by political, economic, and social developments.
• The Battle for Atlanta in American Civil War On September 2, 1864, Atlanta, also known as the gate to the South, fell. This day has become one of the significant turning points in the history of the Civil War.
• The American Revolution History Three main factors led the American colonies into the American Revolution. The inhabitants of the territories adherent to the given countries were affected in different aspects.
• The Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution The main reason for the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution was the British refusal to recognize the colonists’ right to life, liberty, and property.
• The Role of the Natives in the American Revolution This essay will provide a short account of the natives in the American Revolution and explain their reasons for siding with either party.
• American Revolution and Republic A lot has changed since the American Revolution, and the government is an enormous machine that does not derive its power from the people.
• American Revolution Overview and Analysis The American Revolution is one of the most well-known events in American history. The Boston Massacre was one of the inciting incidents for America gaining its independence.
• French and Indian War and American Revolution French and Indian War, which is also known as the Seven Years’ War, was the last in the colonial confrontation between England and France.
• American Revolution as a Social Process The American Revolution was not only a political process but also a social one because it led to significant and almost immediate changes in the social makeup of the country.
• The American Revolution: History of the United States The American Revolution was one of the most important military conflicts in the history of the United States, establishing the principles of independence from British rule.
• The Causes of Tension Before the American Civil War The Civil War has started as a result of uncompromising differences in the views of the North and the South on the issue of slavery.
• How Constitutional Developments Amounted to American Civil War The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the events that led to the American Revolution of the 1860s.
• The American Revolution: Triggers The American Revolution was primarily triggered and catalyzed by a series of events, which are the Stamp Act, the Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party.
• The American Revolution in the History of the United States The American Revolution is one of the most critical events in the history of the United States that led to the birth of a new nation and shaped the core principles of its citizens.
• The American Revolution: Causes Before speaking about the consequences of the American Revolution, it is crucial to learn what led to the American colonists’ rebellion.
• American Revolution: The Abolitionism Movement The abolitionism movement was a significant event in the history of the state, changing the views and legal treatment of slavery.
• Opposing the American Revolution The controversy of opinions regarding the American Revolution is due to different priorities and values ​​promoted by the warring parties.
• The American Revolution Influence on the World’s Political Course The colonial rule of England was overthrown; an independent, non-monarchical state was formed and further advancement to Western lands was permitted.
• The History of American Revolution and Revolutionists The revolution war placed ill-equipped, ill-trained American continental and the rag-tag army under the leadership of General Washington against the well-equipped British Army.
• The American Civil War: Key Information The American Civil War was a battle of interests, way of life between the North and the South where each fought to protect their values, different cultural and social aspects.
• America and Great Britain on American Revolution American Revolution refers to the war that was fought between Great Britain and its colonies between 1775 and 1783.
• American Civil War Aftermath The Civil War appeared to be a sectional War which affected and weakened the position of American nation in general.
• American Civil War Reasons The war between the Confederacy and the Union in 1861 was the consequence of an expansion of slavery, different events, and crises, which helped to intensify sectional animosity.
• The American Civil War: A History of the American Revolution The Southern states believed it is their right to own slaves and declared they do not want part of the Union. The government was forced to go to war to preserve the Union.
• Benedict Arnold as a Controversial Figure in the American Revolution In the article, the author highlights the role of Benedict Arnold in the American Revolution and tries to understand the reasons for his betrayal of the American side.
• The American Revolution: Was it Inevitable? The period of the American Revolution was marked by great transformations in the social and political consciousness of states. It led to the formation of the state and the nation.
• American Civil War and Iraq Invasion Comparison The civil war had the Republican Party has been the dominant party which was mostly dominating this war headed by Abraham Lincoln.
• Civil War: The Second American Revolution This essay describes the case of the American Civil War, the heroes created by it, a time of political, social, and economic chaos in a country.
• American Civil War and Its Complexities The Civil War remains the bloodiest in the history of the US. The losses of the northerners amounted to almost 360 thousand people killed and more than 275 thousand wounded.
• American Revolution and Its Justification The American Revolution was triggered by British taxation because the colonists were not willing to pay more for a wide range of products they required daily.
• Battle of the Bull Run in American Civil War The first biggest land clash in the history of the American Civil War is the battle of the Bull Run also popularly known as the First Manassas.
• American Civil War, Its Main Figures and Events Henry Jackson Hunt, the Chief of Artillery during the Civil War helped shape the results of the war. He recorded several success measures.
• The Relationships Between American Revolution and Cultural Diversity In the course of history, the status of women underwent several dramatic changes. The American Revolution gave rise to the debate about the rights of women in the community.
• North-South Gap as a Cause of American Civil War This paper discusses how the economic systems of the North and South contribute to a context of modernization that polarizes these societies and cause the American Civil War.
• American Civil War and Its Predetermination To date, the Civil War remains the greatest battle on the U.S. territory and one of the most significant events in the American history.
• American Civil War in Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address The American Civil War occurred between 1861 and 1865. Without a doubt, it is one of the darkest political upheavals in the history of the United States.
• American Civil War and North-South Confrontation The paper is to discuss the causes of the conflict between the South and the North of the country, which has evolved into a war and reviews the ramifications of the confrontation
• Radicalism Phenomenon During the American Revolution The main purpose of this article is to shed light on some of the aspects of the Revolution, which is typically viewed as a rebellion of the British colonies in North America.
• American Civil War and Reconstruction Era This paper looks at the different aspects of the Civil War and the Reconstruction era including the major figures, the political, judicial, social, and economic changes.
• The African American Soldiers in the American Revolution The slaves joined the military with a patriotic spirit. This revolutionary army also included free African-Americans who willingly joined the fighting force.
• The Impact of the American Revolution on the French The American colonies were against the British authority over them especially British overseas rule, which denied them any form of representation in the parliament.
• French Intervention in the American Revolution The American Revolution happened between the years 1775 and 1783. The revolution involved the United States, France, the Great Britain, Spain, and the Netherlands.
• Main Historical Events of American Revolution After the conclusion (end) of the Seven Years War in 1763, British, facing no immediate threat from the French turned her interest to the colonies.
• What Were the Key Causes of the American Revolution?
• How Did the French and Indian War Lead to the American Revolution?
• Who Started the American Revolution?
• Did the American Revolution Serve as the Inspiration for the French Revolution?
• Why Did France Support the American Revolution?
• What Are the Top 5 Reasons for the American Revolution?
• How Did Thomas Paine Influence the American Revolution?
• Could the American Revolution Have Been Avoided?
• What Changed After the American Revolution?
• Why Did Nova Scotia Fail to Join the American Revolution?
• How Did the American Revolution Make a Statement?
• What Were Human Rights During the American Revolution?
• How Did the American Revolution Affect Women?
• Was the American Revolution Primarily a Struggle for Power?
• How Has the American Revolution Changed the World?
• What Are the Decisive Events and Arguments That Produced the American Revolution?
• How Did the American Revolution Contribute to the Outbreak of the French Revolution?
• How Did the Seven Years’ War Influence the American Revolution?
• What Battle Began the American Revolution?
• Who Were the Winners and Losers in the American Revolution?
• To What Extent Did the American Revolution Fundamentally Change American Society?
• Why Did the British Lose the American Revolution?
• How Did Slavery Change After the American Revolution?
• Who Was the Main Leader of the American Revolution?
• How Did the Enlightenment Cause the American Revolution?

Below, we’ve composed a short American Revolution Essay example on one of the best titles – ‘Forgotten Heroes: Unsung Figures of the American Revolution.’ Check out this prompt and pay attention to the structure, length of introduction, conclusion, and body paragraphs. Let this essay sample serve as a springboard to explore American history’s complexities and illuminate the profound significance of this pivotal period.

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StudyCorgi . "American Revolution Essay – Example & 153 Topics." January 16, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/american-revolution-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2022. "American Revolution Essay – Example & 153 Topics." January 16, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/american-revolution-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on American Revolution were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on January 21, 2024 .

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The american revolution, eliga h. gould  |  university of new hampshire.

The American Revolution was a civil war in every sense of the word, a fratricidal conflict that divided men and women throughout the Empire, in Britain no less than the American colonies. For the metropolitan public, however, the American Revolution was a very different war from the one experienced by Britons in America. Despite the mounting burdens of taxation, military service, and economic loss, most Britons participated in the American Revolution at one remove. For this reason alone, newspapers were an important factor in the internal divisions that beset Britain during the 1770s and 1780s, conveying information, shaping opinion and—often—fomenting controversy. Government and Opposition Supporters and opponents of Frederick North's ministry were well aware of the importance of the press. In the late 1770s, there were nearly 35,000 newspapers in daily circulation in England, meaning that the reading public may have included as many as one in six adults. Throughout the war, partisans on both sides sought to turn this influence to their advantage, publishing petitions and addresses in the London and provincial press (notably during the summer and autumn of 1775), writing essays supporting or denouncing the government's management of the war, and attempting to control the way that newspapers reported events such as the County Association meetings of 1780. Often, the editors and proprietors of individual papers helped fan such differences of opinion. Under the editorship of Henry Bate Dudley, the  Morning Post  was a generally reliable pro-ministerial outlet; the  London Evening Post  and the  General Advertiser,  on the other hand, tended to side with the opposition. During the intense press coverage that greeted the court-martial of Admiral Keppel in 1779, all three papers sought to provide what William Parker of the  General Advertiser  called 'impartial and authentick intelligence' of the trial's proceedings, yet they also divided along predictable party lines in defending or attacking the famously (or notoriously) pro-American admiral. Parliamentary Reporting Despite such partisan divisions, the American Revolution witnessed a gradual decline in the acrimony that had long characterized relations between the government and the press. Following the House of Commons' failed prosecution of eight London printers in 1771, the government tacitly agreed to allow newspapers to publish parliamentary debates. Because visitors in both houses of Parliament were prohibited from taking notes until 1783, such reports were necessarily based on the recollections of newspapermen such as the  Morning Chronicle's  William "Memory" Woodfall rather than written transcriptions, and during especially sensitive debates, including those on America in 1774, the government insisted on clearing the galleries. Still, the newspaper publication of parliamentary debates became sufficiently routine for printers to contact politicians directly with requests for accurate information. On several occasions during the early 1780s, the  Morning Chronicle  published speeches and other information that Woodfall had received from the treasurer of the ordinance William Adam. In a letter to Secretary at War Charles Jenkinson requesting an official copy of the army estimates for 1780, Woodfall hoped that Jenkinson would agree that it was better to publish the correct account of a matter that 'by the mistake of a single figure might be grossly perverted'. Woodfall also noted that a rival, John Almon, had promised to publish an 'exact account' of the estimates in the  London Courant, presumably based on a communication that Almon had received from Jenkinson's office (Woodfall to Jenkinson, 9 Dec 1779, British Library Add MSS 38,212, f. 274). The War in America Unlike news of events in Parliament and Britain's provincial cities, newspaper reports from America inevitably depended on second (or, at times, third) hand accounts. In cases where more than one set of participants had access to metropolitan printers—the British merchants whom Admiral Rodney plundered after taking the Dutch Caribbean island of St Eustatius in 1781 are a good example—such reports could be critical of the government. Often, however, coverage of the war in America was one-sided in the government's favour. In the notorious case of Banastre Tarleton, whose brutal tactics in the Carolinas and Virginia earned him the enmity of Americans everywhere (including the future US president Andrew Jackson), the coverage was overwhelmingly favourable and consisted mainly of laudatory dispatches from Tarleton's military superiors, Sir Henry Clinton and Lord Cornwallis. When Tarleton returned to England in 1782, he received a hero's welcome. Anti-Americanism Similar biases were evident in the treatment that the British press accorded American patriots and the patriot cause. Although George Washington managed to transcend partisan differences, with even the pro-ministerial  Critical Review  admitting in 1779 to a 'high opinion' of the American general, the image of rank-and-file patriots was usually less generous. In reporting on the commencement of hostilities in 1775, many papers carried lurid accounts of rebel atrocities, leading to allegations that the British government was using the 'utmost industry. . .to inflame men's minds' against the Americans (anonymous letter to Robert Carter Nicholas, 22 Sept 1775, National Archives, CO 5/40/1, 22). With the outbreak of war with France and the North ministry's implicit recognition of American grievances in the Carlisle Peace Commission of 1778, the ministerial press moderated its tone, yet even the coming of peace did not dispel the impression of partiality. As Thomas Jefferson complained in a 1784 letter to the Netherlands  Leiden Gazette, many Europeans turned to British newspapers for information about America; all too often, what they found was neither fair nor accurate (Merrill D. Peterson, ed.,  Thomas Jefferson, Writings  [New York, 1984], 571-4). Gazettes to the World If Jefferson's words remind us of the partisanship of British newspapers, they also highlight the growing power and influence of the periodical press—an influence, moreover, that increasingly reached beyond Britain's borders. Even as Americans lamented the national biases of Britain's newspapers, much of the foreign news that appeared in American newspapers was based on stories that had first appeared in the British press. Significantly, British newspapers played a major role in the imperial humanitarianism that swept Britain in the Revolution's wake, keeping the plight of British India before an outraged public and building support on both sides of the Atlantic for the eventual abolition of the slave trade. Although not the only structure of power in late-Georgian Britain, the newspaper press was increasingly among the more important.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barker, Hannah.  Newspapers, Politics, and Public Opinion in Late Eighteenth-century England  (Oxford, 1998).

Brewer, John.  Party Ideology and Popular Politics at the Accession of George III  (Cambridge, 1976).

Bickham, Troy O. "Sympathizing with Sedition? George Washington, the British Press, and British Attitudes during the American War of Independence,"  William and Mary Quarterly , 3rd ser., 59, 1 (2002): 101-122.

Conway, Stephen.  The British Isles and the War of American Independence  (Oxford, 2000).

Gould, Eliga H.  The Persistence of Empire: British Political Culture in the Age of the American Revolution (Chapel Hill, N.C., 2000).

Rodgers, Nicholas. "The Dynamic of News in Britain during the American War: The Case of Admiral Keppel,"  Parliamentary History , 25, 1 (2006): 49-67.

CITATION: Gould, Eliga H.: "The American Revolution."  17 th and 18 th Century Burney Newspapers Collection . Detroit: Gale, 2007.

Related archive

SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURY BURNEY NEWSPAPERS COLLECTION

A well-known collection at the British Library, the original Burney volumes are in fragile condition and are restricted from reading-room use except as microfilm. This digitization includes more than 1,000 documents, allowing researchers to see the development of the newspaper as we know it today.

Any views and opinions expressed in these essays are those of the author in question, and any views or opinions from the original source material are those of the publication in question. Gale, part of Cengage Group, provides facsimile reproductions of original sources and do not endorse or dispute the content contained in them. Author affiliation and information within them are correct as of the original publication date.

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American Revolutionary War: Causes and Outcomes Essay

1. The sociopolitical climate in England in the 1760’s was marked by general conservatism. The 1600’s had been a time of great turmoil and upheaval in England.

The country had faced a bloody civil war, the temporary overthrow of the monarchy, religious battles between Protestants and Catholics, and finally the Glorious Revolution. As a result of this turmoil, the English ruling class was generally intolerant of any type of religious or political innovation.

The Anglican Church of England dominated English life, and other Protestant denominations were forced to pay taxes to subsidize the Anglicans (Middlekauff, 1982). Of course, Catholics and Jews fared even worse, and were denied basic political rights.

Unlike other European nations, England had mixed government as opposed to an absolute monarchy. However, most members of the House of Commons were more concerned about obtaining offices for themselves than about public policy.

The King selected his ministers and usually was able to implement his policies. Most English political leaders spent little time thinking about their American colonies, but naturally assumed that the colonies were subordinate to the mother country.

By the 1760’s England had become the most powerful country in Europe, and its leaders were more concerned about its rivalry with France than about the colonies.

In contrast, the American colonies were generally more tolerant of other religions. The colonies had been settled by people looking for the freedom to practice their religion. They had left Europe to escape religious persecution, and reacted angrily to what they perceived were affronts to their rights.

While most colonies did have an official religion, members of other religions were treated better than in England. Due to the great distance between England and North America, the colonies were largely self-governing.

The colonists did think of themselves as Englishmen, but believed that they would be left to govern themselves. To the colonists, this right of self-government was a basic English right.

Immigrants from other European countries poured into the colonies throughout the 18 th century, and they added to the somewhat rebellious character of the colonies. The Scotch-Irish were probably the largest immigrant group.

They were Presbyterians who had been barred from holding office in Ireland (Middlekauff, 1982). Many German Protestants also came to the colonies. Some Dutch, Swedish, and Scottish immigrants came as well. Of course, the largest “immigrant” group consisted of the African slaves, who obviously did not come willingly.

These immigrants helped create enormous population growth in the colonies (Brown, 2000). They also contributed to the growth of the American economy. Although there were many poor people in the colonies, there was likely not as much of a gap between the rich and the poor as there was in England.

Of course, there were many differences among the 13 colonies. The coastal cities seem to have had more social stratification than the backcountry. There were many wealthy plantation owners, but most colonists in the backcountry were middling farmers.

The cities contained many wealthy merchants, as well as large numbers of the urban poor. Slavery existed in all the colonies in the 1760’s, but had become more prevalent in the South by that point. In general, the colonists thought of themselves as Englishmen first, and then as residents of their colony.

There was little sense of a unified colonial identity. This only started in change during the 1760’s, as the colonists saw the English government imposing indignities on all the colonies.

2. Following the French and Indian War, England faced the task of paying off its large national debt. Fighting a war thousands of miles away in North America was extremely expensive.

Winning the war actually added to England’s costs. England gained the colony of Canada from France after the war, but the loyalty of the largely French-speaking Canadian colonists to England was doubtful. England also felt the need to protect the 13 colonies from Indians in its newly acquired Western territories (and often to protect the Indians from the colonists).

As a result, the British House of Commons decided to maintain a standing army in North America. Englishmen had normally been wary of standing armies, but there was surprisingly little though about how the colonists would react. This may have been the first sign that Parliament regarded the colonists as something less than full Englishmen.

Of course, maintaining a standing army is also expensive. The English government recognized that keeping a standing army in North America would benefit the entire British Empire, and England actually planned to pay most of the costs (Middlekauff, 1982).

Since the troops were supposedly being kept in North America for the colonists’ benefit, though, the ministry believed that the colonists should pay a portion of the costs.

Because of this, the House of Commons imposed taxes on molasses and stamps in the colonies. The taxes on stamps were later repealed, but eventually replaced with new taxes on tea.

The colonists vehemently objected to all the taxes, and claimed that Parliament had no right to impose taxes on the colonies since the colonists were not represented in the House of Commons.

The colonists admitted that England had the right to receive tax revenue from the colonies, but they claimed that the taxes needed to be imposed by the colonial legislatures themselves.

At the time in England, the prevailing idea was that taxes were a “gift” from the people to the King. Since they were a “gift,” they could only be imposed by the people themselves in the House of Commons (Middlekauff, 1982).

The British economic problems could only have been avoided with a less bellicose foreign policy. At the time, the British and the French were battling to gain as many colonies as possible. Besides the prestige involved, both countries believed that trade with colonies would make their countries more prosperous.

Even if this was true, fighting wars to gain new colonies was expensive enough to cancel out any economic gains. Imposing taxes to pay for the costs only angered the colonists, which required more troops in the colonies to keep the peace.

The political fallout in the 13 colonies was largely the result of the arrogant attitude of British officials. They looked at the colonists as wayward children rather than as fellow Englishmen.

When the colonists objected to the Stamp Act, the British government refused to even listen to the colonists’ arguments about representation. By the 1770’s, King George III believed that England always had to maintain at least one tax on the colonists simply to “keep up the right” (Middlekauff, 1982).

The taxes only angered the colonists, and many colonists decided to no longer purchase British goods. Forgetting about the taxes and simply continuing an active trade with the colonies would probably have generated more revenue for England.

The government was more flexible with its new Canadian colony, likely because it did not take Canada’s loyalty for granted. The British respected the language and Catholic faith of French-Canadians.

3. The colonists reacted furiously to British taxes in the 1760’s and 1770’s. When the Stamp Act was passed in 1765, several colonial legislatures passed resolutions claiming that the House of Commons had no right to impose taxes on the colonies. Riots broke out in the colonies over the taxes, and the homes of several British officials were burned down.

The colonial reaction only stiffened Parliament’s resolve. Supporters of the taxes claimed that the colonists were “virtually” represented in Parliament. The Stamp Act was eventually repealed, but only on the grounds that the tax was inexpedient.

At the same time, a Declaratory Act was passed stating that Parliament had the right to bind the colonies “in all cases whatsoever (Middlekauff, 1982). The Townshend Acts were passed later to impose new taxes and punish the colonists for their defiance.

The Townshend Acts imposed taxes on tea, and used the revenue to pay the salaries of colonial officials to assert control over them. The Acts also suspended the New York colonial legislature until it agreed to quarter British troops.

Colonial resistance only increased in response to the Townshend Acts. Many colonists started boycotting British goods. More riots broke out in Boston, and British troops were eventually sent in to occupy the city and enforce the Townshend Acts.

Continued unrest eventually resulted in the Boston Massacre in 1770 (Brown, 2000). Most of the Townshend Acts were eventually repealed, but the tax on tea remained so Parliament could “keep up the right” to tax the colonies.

This tax was the motivation for the Boston Tea Party in 1773. Parliament reacted to the Boston Tea Party by closing Boston’s port and bringing the government of Massachusetts under British control with the Coercive Acts.

By this point, the political break between Great Britain and the 13 colonies was nearly complete. The colonists called for the First Continental Congress in 1774 in response to the Coercive Acts. At the Congress, colonial representatives agreed to boycott British goods and to support Massachusetts in case of British attack.

The battles at Lexington and Concord the following year completed the break, and marked the start of the Revolutionary War.

The main grievance of the colonists – taxation without representation – was legitimate. The fact that the colonists made this argument shows that they initially considered themselves to be Englishmen, with all the rights of Englishmen.

The British reaction to the protests demonstrates that they looked at the colonists as children in need of punishment rather than as fellow Englishmen. Even after repealing some of the taxes, the British imposed new taxes simply to assert their authority over the colonists.

The Townshend Acts were one of the main turning points in the crisis. The Stamp Act had already been repealed, and the controversy in the colonies was dying down. The Townshend Acts reignited the debate. Beyond the tea tax, the suspension of the New York colonial legislature showed that England had little respect for the colonists’ political rights.

Of course, it is impossible to defend all the actions of the colonists. In retrospect, rioting, burning down houses, and tarring and feathering British officials cannot be condoned.

However, most of the violence only happened after the British government completely dismissed colonial protests over the taxes. The occupation of Boston by British troops only served to further provoke the colonists, and set the stage for the American Revolution.

4. The main argument in the Declaration of Independence was that Great Britain had denied the colonists their natural rights. It argued that Britain and the colonies had a fundamental understanding defining their relationship, and that Britain had violated that understanding (Middlekauff, 1982).

Not only had Parliament imposed taxes on the colonies without their consent, but it had also disbanded colonial legislative bodies and brought colonial officials under its control. The Declaration of Independence stressed these repeated injuries, and argued that these acts had broken the political chains between Great Britain and the colonies.

The Declaration of Independence also emphasized the colonists’ repeated attempts to seek the peaceful redress of their protests. Delegates at the Second Continental Congress knew that declaring independence was a controversial step. Right up to July 1776, many supporters of the colonial cause were uneasy about taking this final step.

The Declaration of Independence lists these petitions for redress, and discusses how they were brutally rejected by King George III and his ministers. Instead of listening to the colonists’ views, the King had sent troops – including foreign Hessians – to North America to crush the colonists.

As a result of these repeated injuries, Great Britain had violated the unwritten contract between the mother country and the colonies. Therefore, the Declaration of Independence argued that the colonists were justified in taking the extraordinary step of renouncing allegiance to the British crown.

Of course, the most well-known phrase in the Declaration of Independence is the assertion that “all men are created equal.” Even at the time, many Britons mocked the idea of slaveholding colonists claiming that all men were created equal. Today, the hypocrisy of the statement is obvious.

In the colonists’ defense, many of them were also uncomfortable with the contradiction. In the original draft of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson unconvincingly attempted to blame King George III for the expansion of the slave trade to North America (Middlekauff, 1982).

The Second Continental Congress though it best to avoid the subject altogether, and deleted the references to the slave trade. This acceptance of slavery is the most obvious way that the United States failed to live up to the ideals in the Declaration of Independence.

However, it should be noted that the United States in 1776 did live up to the ideals in the Declaration of Independence in many ways. The colonists were fighting for the right of people to be governed by their own chosen representatives.

Great Britain viewed the colonists as subordinate to the mother country, and claimed that it had the right to bind the colonies in all cases. Also, while there were obviously great disparities in wealth in the colonies, the United States had no formal aristocracy. In these ways, the United States already lived up to the ideal of all men being created equal.

The Declaration of Independence was obviously a revolutionary document, but in some ways it was merely a re-assertion of rights already existing in the English constitution. The right to choose one’s own representatives was a uniquely English right.

The idea that taxes were the “free gift” of the people to the King was also an English concept. The colonists thought that Great Britain had grown corrupt and decadent and had forgotten these ideas. In the colonists’ view, declaring independence from Great Britain was the only way they could maintain these English principles.

5. American troops fought the Revolutionary War in an untraditional manner. Traditional European military ideas called for large armies to meet one other in battle head-on. However, General Washington knew that the Americans were severely outnumbered and lacking in military expertise.

Fighting the Revolutionary War in a traditional manner would have been disastrous. Meeting the British army in massive battles would have resulted in the destruction of the American army.

As a result, Washington fought what he called a “war of posts” (Middlekauff, 1982). This strategy called for a defensive approach. The Americans sought to hold on to territory that they already held. Early in the war, though, the Americans made little effort to recapture territory that they had lost (such as New York).

Instead of battling to retake New York City, Washington concentrated on withdrawing his troops successfully so that they could live to fight another day. This was for several reasons. Washington obviously realized that the raw, untrained American troops could not defeat the British army alone.

However, he believed time was on his side. More time would allow him to train his troops. He also knew that the British were operating on the Americans’ territory. To win the war, Great Britain had to crush the rebellion and destroy the American armies. On the other hand, the Americans merely had to stay alive to continue the war.

While the American troops used a largely defensive strategy, Washington was perfectly willing to take the offensive when his troops had the advantage of surprise. At the Battle of Trenton, American troops crossed the Delaware River and caught Hessian troops by surprise.

This victory inspired the Americans when it appeared that the war might be lost. Washington also sought to react quickly to British campaigns. At Saratoga, the British campaign failed, and the Americans captured British General John Burgoyne.

The Battle of Saratoga was a key turning point in the Revolutionary War, since it persuaded France to enter the war on the side of the Americans. It is possible that America would not have won the war without French support. At the very least, the war would have dragged on for many more years.

Obtaining the support of France was part of American strategy, though. This was one reason for Washington’s defensive posture early in the war. The Americans realized that Britain and France were ancient enemies, and that France was eager to avenge its defeat in the Seven Years War.

At the same time, the French did not want to support a hopeless rebellion. Washington realized that France would be more likely to enter the conflict as the war dragged on, so he sought to avoid early crushing defeats.

He also knew that if France entered the war, the British would be likely to focus less on America and more on French colonial possessions, such as the French West Indies.

Once France entered the war on the side of the Americans, the two sides were relatively equal in strength. At this point, the Americans adopted a more aggressive military strategy. By 1781, the Americans (along with French troops) were able to march to Yorktown and confront British troops head-on.

The Battle of Yorktown clinched America’s victory in the Revolutionary War. In the final analysis, though, American success was based more on Washington’s strategic adaptability than on any particular battle. Washington avoided overconfidence early in the war when things looked bleak, and became more aggressive once the odds were on his side.

Brown, R. (2000). Major Problems in the Era of the American Revolution, 1760-1791 . Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Middlekauff, R. (1982). The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789 . New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

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