History of USA (1) American Revolution and Historiography? Ans-: The American Revolution was a political revolution that separated American colonies from Great Britain and led to the formation of the United States of America. The revolution took place from 1775 to 1784. According to historians, the colonists just wanted to protect their right. The causes of the American Revolution can be traced to the military, religious, political and economic interactions between Great Britain and the colonies. In this conflict, Liberty came to represent the revolution's top priority. One argued that the Revolution was "the most radical and most far-reaching event in American history," while their opponents claim that it was "culturally, politically, socially, and economically a conservative movement. Historians have argued about whether the American Revolution was revolutionary or not. The revolt, according to some historians, was motivated by a desire for independence from Britain. Others contend that a "violent social upheaval" was the cause of the Revolution. These historians said that the lower classes during the colonial era wanted a more democratic society. After the American Revolution was the nationalist school. According to the nationalist school the main theme of American history was the quest for liberty. The Revolution was started only to achieve self-rule. This school saw the revolution as a selfless patriot rebellion against an overbearing Britain and a defence of liberty against tyranny, unaffected by competing interests or rivalries. The nationalist school of historiography was led by George Bancroft and wrote a thesis 'History of the United States'. According to Bancroft the revolution was represented as a phase of a master plan by God. He argued that the revolution was achieved within the colonies in the beginning because the American people were united in their decision to fight for freedom. In the twentieth century, the issue of Barcroft ultra-nationalist historiography was raised. Barcroft ideas were updated by academics from two major schools during the 1890s and 1940s, that is the Imperial school and the Progressive historians. These two groups of historians disagreed with Bancroft. The imperial school was led by Geroge L. Beer, Charles M. Andrews and Lawrence H. Gipson. Imperial school believes that the political and constitutional issues caused the revolution. By the 1920s, historians like Beer and Andrew claimed that the British government had not intentionally oppressed the colonies but had instead reacted to their provocations and worries about French influence. According to Andrew, the country's social, economic, and environmental circumstances gave rise to "new wants, new desires, and new points of view that over time led to a new order of society." The British, according to Andrews, "protected America's products and ships." Because British blood was divided and money was spent "defending the North American colonies in
the Great War for Empires," according to Gipson, the taxing of the colonies was fair. These historians, however, thought that "constitutional difficulties" were what caused the conflict between Britain and the colonies. They claim that conflicts between Britain and the colonies resulted from the colonies' conflicting demands for self-government and the British's increased authority over the colonies. According to the Progressive school , social and economic problems led to the revolution. The disputes between the lowest and higher classes were stressed. Progressive historians held the view that "materialistic factors not ideological factors were the major determinists in history," including Carl L. Becker, Charles A. Beard, Arthur M. Schlesinger, and J. Franklin Jameson. According to Carl L. Becker the American Revolution should be considered not as one revolution but two. The first was an external revolution—the colonial rebellion against Britain that was caused by a clash of economic interests between the colonies and the mother country. The second was an internal revolution—a conflict between America's social classes to determine whether the upper or lower classes would rule once the British departed. 'The economic interpretation of the constitution' by Charles A. Beard claims that the disputes between "rich and poor" and "creditors and debtors" during the time "mirrored a split within American society." Schlesinger in his work argues that merchants got angry about the British policies enforced after the French and Indian war, though they failed to act against the British for fear they might lose power to the lower classes. They actively participated in the newly formed government after independence, nevertheless, and helped to draft the constitution in order to take "control of the government." J. Franklin Jameson viewed the American Revolution as a great social revolution that transformed colonial society. It was demonstrated that the aristocratic and democratic ideologies had a significant collision throughout the Confederate Period. The historical consensus viewed the Revolution as a socio-economic occurrence, the result of a struggle within the colony between "aristocrats" and "democrats," with the constitutional dispute with Britain being of minor consequence. After World War II, Neo-Conservative school of historians formed to contest the progressive historian's view. The Revolution was a "conservative act" that was started in order to preserve the way of life the colonists had started to live. They disregarded the notion of a class struggle. In The Genius of American Politics, Daniel J. Boorstin stated that the American Revolution was once more recognised as "a victory of constitutionalism." According to Boorstin, the British constitution was violated when Britain attempted to tax them for the French and Indian War. The colonists were defending a right they already had when they refused to pay taxes without representation. Boorstin said the
argued that colonists9 arguments about constitutionality were not only genuine but that they were central to the Revolution. Neo Whig School is an additional ideological school. The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution by Bernard Bailyn is among the most important publications of this new ideological approach (1967). The so-called "radical Whig" republican heritage in England, according to Bailyn, gave rise to the ideology of the colonists and instilled in them a deep fear of tyranny and conspiracies against their freedom. The Revolution, in Bailyn's opinion, was primarily an The process of abolishment of slavery in New England was started during the American Revolution. The Vermont Constitution of 1777 prohibited slavery, as did the Massachusetts Constitution and in the space of twenty years after the war New York, New Jersey and others also abolished it. The first anti-slavery society in the world was formed in Philadelphia in 1775. According to radical views "all men are created equally". The concept of abolishment was opposed in the South, due to the fact that slavery had been the main source of the South9s economic importance. For many years after the Revolution, slavery in the South gradually became recognised as a necessary evil. The defeat of Britain in the War of Independence led to the migration of the Loyalists throughout America. Approximately 80,000 Loyalists left British America during the Revolution. Thus, their absence would prove to have a dramatic effect on American society. Wallace explains the more prominent members of the Loyalist community, such as royal officials, wealthy merchants and landowners, fled to England in search of compensation; Whereas, the more
interaction between Great Britain and colonies. Historians and they have a good opinion about whether the American revolution was revolutionary or not. According to some historians, the revolt was motivated by a desire for independence from Britain. Others contend that a "violent social upheaval" was the cause of the Revolution. More than five schools were developed and represent different opinions on the theme of the American Revolution. There were many instances where one can see that the social divide was still present in America after the revolution. For example in the case of women, new legal rights were given to women. However, women continued to be excluded from politics. In the case of slave labour, various regions have abolished the slavery system but the South America was against the abolishment of slavery. For many years after the revolution slavery was a practiced in the south. In the end we can conclude that the revolution was not very much successful in bridging the social divide in the colonies. (2) Causes and Consequesnces of 1812? Ans-: The War of 1812 was a military conflict between the U. and Great Britain. As a colony of Great Britain, Canada was swept up in the War of 1812 and was invaded several times by the Americans. The process of naming the War of 1812 for its year of commencement, even though it lasted into 1814, developed slowly through the 19th century. The war of American independence was meant to militarily defeat the 18th century superpower of the world and formally declare their independence as sovereign nation. Causes At the outset of the 19th century, Great Britain was locked in a long and bitter conflict with Napoleon Bonaparte's France. In an attempt to cut off supplies from reaching the enemy, both sides attempted to block the U. from trading with the other. In 1807, Britain passed the Orders in Council, which required neutral countries to obtain a license from its authorities before trading with France or French colonies. The Royal Navy also outraged Americans by its practice of impressments, or removing seamen from U. merchant vessels and forcing them to serve on behalf of the British. In 1809, the U. Congress repealed Thomas Jefferson's unpopular Embargo Act, which by restricting trade had hurt Americans more than either Britain or France. Its replacement, the Non-Intercourse Act, specifically prohibited trade with Britain and France. It also proved ineffective, and in turn was replaced with a May 1810 bill stating that if either power dropped trade restrictions against the U., Congress would in turn resume non-intercourse with the opposing power. After Napoleon hinted he would stop restrictions, President James Madison blocked all trade with Britain that November. Meanwhile, new members of Congress elected that year - led by Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun - had begun to
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