Q1: Colonial life was tremendously hard and bitter. Life at the time of colonial British was challenging, and it took strong people to survive the ordeal. The winter season saw a majority of people suffered from colds and starvation while summer periods were infested with mosquitoes and oppressive heat. Work was an elementary necessity as the British reinforced their stakes. Conflicts would arise with the Indians, and it led to war as people’s homes got jeopardized. There was danger of wild animals and other lurking dangers. The British provided little or no rooms from slackers. John Smith during the time declared that those who did not work should not in the least eat (Andrews, 123). Men at the period outnumbered the ladies in a significant margin. This meant that family life was extremely unstable, and children would also help their children to work. The laws of the colonial British, however, required that man and woman fend for their survival.
Men were taken to work in mines, leaving behind women in their homes. The women at this stage were responsible for the welfare of the family. Women would cook, sew, take care of domestic animals and provide the necessities needed in the homes such as soaps, clothing’s or candles. Men at this stage were responsible for providing for their family by harvesting, plowing, fishing, hunting, repairing tools and protecting their families from unperceived threats such as wild animals or the Indians. The colonialist brought about the proper status of women and men. They made women get a general view of the weaker vessels, because of their physique. Their mental values got degraded while they got considered as emotionally weak. Men, on the other head, were the leading figure, and the ones who were to make the final decision of the family.
Life was mostly communal, with the inclusion of a leader normally the chief. He would either get appointed by the colonialist or recommended by the village people (Andrews 232). People shared the little they hard, and matters such as divorce or adultery got dealt with at a communal level. Learning of the children was normally informal but mostly through apprenticeship. Small boys would follow their fathers to hunt or fish while little girls would endure with their mothers, to try and learn the art of cooking, sewing or other household affairs. However, the responsibility of catering for the children happened to take a communal front. The colonial period also offered a space for the belief of a superhuman being (religion) as most people would pray to their God. The British organized the American natives into small communal villages for easier governance. They forced the people to do what they wanted and would harness raw materials from the people. In general, life was a working affair; it provided no forum for the rich or poor. Every person had to toil in order to subsist and survive. Many people died during this transition, but thousands survived none the less.
During the 1763-1776 periods, there were certain freedoms and limits set by the British Colonialists. The society at that time was much of a communal affair. Individuals had responsibilities and tasks. However, the British regime saw to it that responsibilities and governance got based on gender roles. While men had the outmost say, women were the weaker vessels. Women were not to vote under any circumstances as their thoughts got disregarded. Men, on the other hand, would vote, but only if they met certain qualifications. Bill Ainsworth states that for one to vote, he had to have a family and a job (Andrews 278). This outlines the pressure put on by the British colonialists. This period saw the war between the British and the French. The war left the British dented money wise, and it resolved to lose some of its colonies. It allowed people to plant crops and practice agriculture. It is also during this period when the Americans pushed further east as they noticed the vulnerability of the British. The British loosened their strands and allowed people to elect their own leaders and govern themselves. They also gave the natives permission to grow tea and other commercials crops apart from wheat. They were still limited as they were not allowed to form any sought of the governing body.
Q2: There were long-term challenges that surfaced between the British subjects and the crown. First of all, there was distrust among the subjects as they saw the British crown only worked to achieve their goals with no considerations of the subjects. The other challenge is that some people imposed trade barrier between themselves and the British (Johnson 98). This meant that most of their products got trade elsewhere as they did not want involvement with the British crown. A majority of the subjects had to change their governance structure as it relied mostly on the British one. The British structure saw to it that all credits got levied to the queen with the inclusion of parliament. However, the challenges came as the subjects tried to disassociate themselves with the tiny bits of the British governance. A good accomplishment that transgressed from declaring independence was that the nation now had its own governance. It was a step close to becoming a republic. This means that the nation would be no longer answerable to the crown, and it would be able to take charge of its own affairs under their own governance. The achievement got from declaring war is that it passed a message to the British Crown that the people were now ready to govern themselves, and they would do anything to acquire their freedom back. It was a sought of highlighting to the British to let the subjects rule themselves. Colonialists in this case underwent radical transition from candid rioters, to radicals and finally revolutionists (Johnson 113).While they were rioters, they got denied access to basic governance. This is because their education was poor and they lacked what their rights were. It was limited to a communal level. They became radicals after they received some education and governance skills. It was more of a society feeling than a communal feeling. At this stage, education had slightly improved, and people had learnt on what to expect. They became revolutionists when their educational level increased, and the feeling of liberation became a country wide affair. They would travel mile and miles ahead to educate other people of their rights and the need for liberation. This is what termed them as revolutionists, people who had a need for revolution (Johnson 154). They encouraged people to drop their old ways and follow their free spirit. They paved way for the American Revolution as we know it today.
Q3: I agree with the scholars that the American Revolution was a conservative event. This is because it did not spark a social vast upheaval like the ones in French, New England or Russian Revolutions. The revolution did not pit a certain class over one another like what happened in the southern territories. The men serving at the congress at that time or the ones who led the continental army were not of the opinion to restructure society. In as much as the shape of the American government took a different shape, it was still the same traditional principles and practices from the past (Morton 145). This are the events that make me consider the revolution as conservative rather than radical. It gave the revolution a unique shape and look at that time and to this modern area. In other colonies of the British such as the middle ones, the revolutions were radical and sought to change the whole structure of the government. The challenge that was to face the next generation of Americans was the incorporation of the British methods and practices to their own culture. The generation also faced the challenge of adapting to a society which took a toll of different past practices as it tried to live in a revolutionized nation. There also raised a significant challenge that faces us up to date. There emerged the presence of the Democrats and Republicans. The democrats had their own view of the economy while the republicans took on a different perspective (Morton 167). The future generation had to deal with this as they had to choose between being a republican or a democrat.
Works Cited
Andrews, Charles M. L. The Colonial Background of the American Revolution: Four Essays in
American Colonial History. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1977. Print.
Johnson, Clint. Colonial America and the American Revolution: The 25 Best Sites. San
Francisco, Calif: Greenline Publications, 2006. Print.
Morton, Joseph C. The American Revolution. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2003. Print.
