The series of American revolutions aimed to support the ideas of liberty, federalization and independence of the colonies. These values are the key ones for the formation of the democratic society. The American patriots highly supported these ideas and therefore the revolution emerged bringing the series of new consequences to the social environment construction. The impacts of these changes were felt mainly is social, cultural, political and less in economic sphere of the new independent country.
The key role in the formation of American national played American Revolution of 1775-1783, although it had no French revolution’s terror reigning or shift of the ruling position to the working class, like it was in Russia.
However, almost every aspect of life of the American society has been changed because of the revolution. It expanded women’s rights and freedoms, slavery, the role of religion in the government’s life, supported the development of universal voting system. Revolution witnessed the beginning of the movement for abolishing slavery. Such British traditions as inherited land were diminished. The power of Anglican Church came to an end as its government was British monarch and therefore it could not have any impact on the newly formed American nation.
The great importance of the American Revolution has found its continuation in the following Constitutional Revolution of 1787-1788. However, a lot of historians claim that Constitution was a so-called counterrevolution. Jeffery Rogers Hummel defines Constitutional Revolution as the triumph of anti-federalists and this argument is quite reasonable as it gives the perfect explanation of the real processes that took place within the government at that period of time and what outcome it had for the American society (Balkin, Levinson, 2001). When the American Revolution emerged, there were two main groups within the ruling coalition.
The radicals supported the idea of federalization and excessive power in general. They were not concentrated in British ruling as the main threat, but underlined the importance of abolishing the soberly in the states situated on the North, while the Southern states required separation of the church and government of the state. They saw the necessity of destroying the old feudal laws and rules and the presentation of the new legislative basis of the republican state.
However, there was another part of rebellions that were called American nationalists. Their key interests were mercantile because they were concentrated on credits and land. They wanted to rule the strong American hierarchical state with the features of British analogue of 18th century, only without the British ruling.
Therefore, the new Constitution developed the value of independence and democracy, rights for freedom of mind and free speech. However, it created the society of the new country, not the separate independent states. More powerful centralized government gave the ability to control state taxation ad trade.
Society became more isolated from the outside world and concentrated on the financial problems and military sector to be economically independent and safe (Leuchtenburg 114). Serious discussions over the slavery and the rights of women signed the beginning of democratic changed in these spheres. The women’s education and right to work, as well as the rights of slaves were questions of serious importance in both Northern and Southern states.
The so-called “Jacksonial” revolution marked the beginning of the new period of changes within the American society. It began with the President election in 1828 that resulted in great success of Andrew Jackson. He called himself “the champion of the common man” as he was the first westerner to become a president. Moreover, he was the first head of the country that came not from Virginia or Massachusetts.
During this period, the great change was brought to the rights and freedoms of working class and the life within the country became much more democratic. One of the most important changes was the election system that finally gave nearly every white man a right to vote. This was also the beginning of the formation of Democratic party.
Industrial revolution supported the economic development of the young American state. It occurred between 18th and 19tyh century and in this period United States became a real urban industrial country. This revolution made a serious change in the machinery development and it gave more freedoms to the working class that began to develop and enlarge. The great enlargement of working people was followed by the necessity of the development of this specific sector of legislature within the State.
It improved banking system, the transport communications between different towns, cities and states. The education system gave ability to form a serious scientific community and society became more informed, educated and interested in technical progress and goods and services connected with the developing industries.
It was closely connected with the Transportation revolution that resulted in the increased communications development. The living conditions of American people improved. The development of communications was followed by the growth of farming. The implementation of such inventions as railroad in 1828 or the steamboats at the same time increased the necessity in competent workers.
The position of the middle class became more safe and secure. The development of business sector made state economy more dynamic and moving. The competitive struggle increased role of educated people. The rights of women were highly discussed. They also gained their place in the state academic institutions and had the ability to compete for the working places.
In the works of Manish Sinha the highest importance is given to the role of Counterrevolution of South and the Civil War (Sinha 114). Counterrevolution of South was the beginning of an end of slavery. The rights and freedoms of African Americans were finally approved and supported. The great role in this process played Northern states. After the Civil War of 1861-1865 the rights of black Americans were officially proclaimed by the government authorities. The same refers to the women’s’ rights. Women got right to get education and work places, to rule their business and to rule their own life. Therefore, the traditional social minorities achieved social equality and recognition. That changes the basis of the American society and this experience has been used in the series of European states and the ideal model of success of independent liberal democratic state.
The Counterrevolution had the serious impact on the development of the future American society. The diminishing of slavery system gave African Americans new position within the society. They got the ability to get paid for their work, to change their place of living and get education.
Civil War had the major impact on the balance of political power in the long run. Despite the fact the Southern stets’ population has been declining, the Southern representatives have effectively used their domination inside the Jefferson’s Republican Party and the following period of “Jacksonian” democratic revolution in order to get absolute control of power in the government.
During more than a half of the period from the Constitutional revolution until the Civil War all the Presidents were the representatives of the Southern states and for more than 40 years each President was a slaveholder. After the Civil War and Counterrevolution that views and values of the national has gone through such a serious change that next Southern President has been elected a century after these revolutions. Therefore, American citizens understood the importance of social equality of all the representatives of the nation, the weaknesses of the old feudal system and necessity of modernization of political sphere.
Works Cited
Balkin, Jack M., and Levinson, Sandford, “Understanding the Constitutional revolution”. Faculty Scholarship Series, 249. 1 Jan. 2001. Web. 2 Dec. 2014.
Leuchtenburg, William E. The Supreme Court Reborn: The Constitutional Revolution. New York: Oxford University Press. Print.
Sinha, Manisha. The Counterrevolution of Slavery: Politics and Ideology in Antebellum South Carolina. CA: The University of North Carolina Press. Print.
