Consent And Resistance In Revolutionary America

In Revolutionary America, the concepts of consent and resistance played a crucial role in shaping the events and outcomes of the American Revolution. The colonists' struggle for independence from British rule required both their consent to resist and their collective resistance to establish a new nation.

The Importance of Consent

Consent, in the context of Revolutionary America, referred to the colonists' agreement to resist British imposition of taxes and regulations without proper representation. This idea originated from the influential pamphlet written by Thomas Paine titled "Common Sense." Paine argued that the consent of the governed was essential for any legitimate government, and since the British monarchy and Parliament did not represent the interests of the American colonists, they were justified in resisting their rule.

The notion of consent became a rallying cry for the colonists, who argued that their natural rights were being violated by British policies. By invoking the concept of consent, the colonists aimed to legitimize their resistance and garner support from both fellow Americans and sympathetic European powers.

The Freedoms We Lost: Consent and Resistance in Revolutionary America

by Barbara Clark Smith(Kindle Edition)

4.2 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1043 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	290 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE

Forms of Resistance

The resistance against British rule in Revolutionary America took various forms. One significant example of resistance was the Boston Tea Party in 1773. In this event, colonists disguised as Native Americans boarded British ships and dumped tea into the Boston Harbor. This act of civil disobedience served as a powerful symbol of the colonists' refusal to comply with British taxation laws without representation.

Another form of resistance was the Continental Congress, which convened in Philadelphia in 1774 and represented the thirteen American colonies. The delegates of the Continental Congress used this platform to express their grievances against British policies and to coordinate resistance efforts. The Congress played a vital role in fostering unity among the colonies and ultimately declaring independence.

The Role of Consent and Resistance in the American Revolution

Consent and resistance were integral to the success of the American Revolution. The colonists' refusal to consent to British rule and their concerted resistance efforts eventually led to the Declaration of Independence in 1776. This document, drafted by Thomas Jefferson and based on the principles of consent and natural rights, declared the American colonies' separation from the British Empire.

Throughout the war, consent and resistance remained crucial, as the colonists faced numerous challenges and setbacks. From George Washington's leadership in the Continental Army to the formation of alliances with other European powers, the colonists' determination to resist British control played a significant role in securing victory.

The Legacy of Consent and Resistance

The concepts of consent and resistance in Revolutionary America left a lasting legacy on the newly formed United States. The idea that governments should be based on the consent of the governed became a fundamental principle embedded in American political thought. This belief influenced the drafting of the United States Constitution, which aimed to protect individual rights and prevent the concentration of power.

Furthermore, the notion of resistance as a legitimate form of political action persisted throughout American history. From the Civil Rights Movement to protests against government policies, Americans have continued to assert their right to resist unjust authority.

The concepts of consent and resistance played a pivotal role in Revolutionary America. The colonists' consent to resist British rule and their collective resistance efforts laid the foundation for the establishment of the United States. These ideas continue to shape American political and social discourse, reminding us of the power of consent and resistance in the pursuit of liberty and justice.

The Freedoms We Lost: Consent and Resistance in Revolutionary America

by Barbara Clark Smith(Kindle Edition)

4.2 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1043 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	290 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE

A brilliant and original examination of American freedom as it existed before the Revolution, from the Smithsonian’s curator of social history.
 
The American Revolution is widely understood—by schoolchildren and citizens alike—as having ushered in “freedom” as we know it, a freedom that places voting at the center of American democracy. In a sharp break from this view, historian Barbara Clark Smith charts the largely unknown territory of the unique freedoms enjoyed by colonial American subjects of the British king—that is, American freedom before the Revolution. The Freedoms We Lost recovers a world of common people regularly serving on juries, joining crowds that enforced (or opposed) the king’s edicts, and supplying community enforcement of laws in an era when there were no professional police.
 
The Freedoms We Lost challenges the unquestioned assumption that the American patriots simply introduced freedom where the king had once reigned. Rather, Smith shows that they relied on colonial-era traditions of political participation to drive the Revolution forward—and eventually, betrayed these same traditions as leading patriots gravitated toward “monied men” and elites who would limit the role of common men in the new democracy. By the end of the 1780s, she shows, Americans discovered that forms of participation once proper to subjects of Britain were inappropriate—even impermissible—to citizens of the United States.
 
In a narrative that counters nearly every textbook account of America’s founding era, The Freedoms We Lost challenges us to think about what it means to be free.