Historiography #3: The American Revolution

Each historian, depending on their diverse influences and viewpoints, has interpreted the debate over the origins of the American Revolution in different fashions. Each historian either believed that the foundation for the Revolution was a political and intellectual event, a social and economic phenomenon, or a radical event that had a profound effect on the society. My belief is that Gordon Wood, who wrote The Radicalism of the American Revolution, is right in believing that the Revolution was a genuinely radical event that led to the breakdown of such longstanding characteristics of society as deference, patriarchy, and traditional gender relations. The radical federalists, which included George Washington and Sam Adams, were huge public figures in America and they helped convince most people to believe in their ideals. It grew the Federalist Party; the radical group that was the most vocal in wanting a complete break from Britain.