The Radicalism of the American Revolution

Gordon Wood is Professor of History at Brown University. He is one of
the leading scholars researching issues of the American Revolution in
the country. In 1970, his book “The Creation of the American Republic
1776–1787” was nominated for the National Book Award and received the
Bancroft and John H. Dunning prizes. His outstanding book, “The
Radicalism of the American Revolution” won the Pulitzer Prize in 1993.
It is considered to be one of the most engaging scientific books among
the classic works on the social, political and economic consequences of
the Revolutionary War. This book has a power to redirect historical
thinking and well-established knowledge about the Revolution and its
place within the national consciousness. In the book “The Radicalism of
the American Revolution”, Professor Wood represents for readers a
revolution that transformed almost feudal society into a democratic one,
whose emerging realities sometimes confused and disappointed its
founding fathers. Professor Wood has written a wide range of interesting
books. He was also involved in Ken Burn’s PBS production on Thomas
Jefferson, and is contributing his knowledge and understanding in the
National Constitution Centre that was built in Philadelphia and on a
regular basis dedicates a share of his time teaching history to high
school students around the country.

The values and lessons of the American Revolution seem to be so
“natural” and also have become so deeply integrated in American politics
and social life that they are irrefutable. We may state that actually no
one today seriously supports a monarchy and hereditary aristocracy for
the United States. Thus far, the political and social theories behind
the American Revolution were as radical as, for instance, the ideas of
Mao and Lenin seem to us. In this masterpiece of a history book,
Professor Wood analyzes the comprehensive social changes set free during
the developments of the American Revolution. He tries to show the
process of rapid transformation of a near-feudal society into a
democratic society with guaranteed liberties and freedoms, such as
freedom of speech, belief, and many others that are even today, in times
of modern world are unknown in many countries. Author’s device is to let
a reader look at the American Revolution through an entirely new
perspective and appreciate its significance with all the seriousness.

The talented author Professor Wood offers a fresh current in modern
history on the formative years of the United States, giving description
of the astounding transformation of distinct, quarrelling and fighting
colonies. In fact, historians have always had some problems researching
revolutionary nature of the American Revolution. In this brilliantly
represented and convincingly argued book, one of the most celebrated
American historians renovates the radicalism, brings it to the debate
and define as one of the greatest revolutions the world has ever known.

As one of the specialists said “The Radicalism of the American
Revolution” is the most important study of the American Revolution to
appear in over twenty years. This work is also considered a breathtaking
social, political, and ideological analysis of crucial historical events
of the American country. Historian professor Wood depicts in this
impressive and incalculably readable mixture of historical, political,
cultural, ideological and economic analysis much more than just a break
with England. He represents for his audience a revolution that resulted
in serious changes within the country. Once again, we may say that
almost feudal society was made a democratic one.

The work “The Radicalism of the American Revolution” is in fact a
continuation of Professor Wood’s earlier work “The Creation of the
American Republic, 1776-1787”. We as readers may claim that this is a
magnificent study and fully deserves the Pulitzer Prize it had actually
received. “The Radicalism of the American Revolution” covers different
issues and gives answers to different problems. It researches somehow
the same challenges as Bernard Bailyn’s “The Ideological Origins of the
American Revolution” (Harvard University Press, 1967), but in contrast,
Professor Wood develops a much more detailed, precise, and persuasive
representation of a society transformation from one of feudal
relationships to the other that was predicated on democracy,
republicanism, and capitalism based on a market economy.

We see that primary Gordon Wood argues that the American Revolution was
beyond doubt a radical chapter in world history and in history of the
United States in particular. He states, “The republican revolution was
the greatest utopian movement in American history. The revolutionaries
aimed at nothing less than a reconstitution of American society. They
hoped to destroy the bonds holding together the older monarchical
society – kinship, patriarchy, and patronage – and to put in their place
new social bonds of love, respect, and consent. They sought to construct
a society and governments based on virtue and disinterested public
leadership and to set in motion a moral government that would eventually
be felt around the globe” (p. 229). Wood represents this as “a single
and most powerful and radical ideological blow in all of American
history” (p. 234). He calls all these ideas utopian, for had little
trust in what was planned. He has little belief in a completion of all
the radical steps that were undertaken. He comments, “Perhaps nothing
separated early-nineteenth-century Americans more from Europeans than
their attitude towards labour and their egalitarian sense that everyone
must participate in it” (p. 286).

We are bound to say that Gordon S. Wood opposing earlier
historiographies disagrees that the American Revolution represented a
truthfully radical movement. Formerly historians had regarded the event
as rather conservative in action and extent. Professor Woods takes
courage to disagree with this traditional interpretation.

In fact, it is also relevant to say some words about the Revolution in
general. The exact nature and scope of the revolution is a matter of
great speculation. It is generally agreed and excepted that the
Revolution originated around the time of the French and Indian War
(1754–1763), and finished with the election of George Washington as the
first President of the United States in 1789. Further the theories vary.
On one hand is the supposition that the American Revolution was not
“revolutionary” at all, that it did not radically reorganized colonial
society, but just replaced a distant government with a local one. One
the other hand is the opposite view impling that the American Revolution
was a unique and radical event, representing bold changes that had a
deep and strong influence on world history. That is why the work of
Professor Wood “The Radicalism of the American Revolution” is
academicaly important for us, especially in view of existence of
numerous interpretations of the event.

In the progress of his study, Professor Wood leads his audience in
chronological order through the developments leading up to, throughout,
and following the War for Independence attempting to picture the
advancement of intellectual thought during the particular period.
Analysing the study we may say that Wood asserts that the American
Revolution did more than smooth the progress of separation of the
colonists from the English monarchy, but he adds that also it served to
destabilize and demoralize the tyrannical and out of date earlier regime
qualities of benefaction, dependence, and strict hierarchy. The author
notes that all these social transformations, matching with the break
from the monarchical system, produced radical and empowering changes
that in a straight line influenced the unique path the young American
nation would follow. Subsequently, Wood claims that the radical nature
of the American Revolution produced comprehensive, influential and
shapeless consequences unforeseen by the revolutionary founding fathers
who were the authors of the idea of Revolution.

Within his study, Gordon Wood shapes his research in three major
segments; he speaks first about Monarchy, then about Republicanism, and
at last about Democracy. Professor in this work dismisses widespread
misconceptions regarding the ground and character of the colonists’
relationship with England, moreover he represents the revolutionary
intellectual and social organizations of colonial society along with the
clear description of the monarchical system. The author pays attention
to the fact that before the beginning of the American Revolution
proliferation of its intrinsic republican ideals, the noticeable
splitting up between the aristocracy and ordinary people lent colonial
society to the system of privilege benefaction and patronage represented
under the auspices of a monarchical system.

Nonetheless, it is important to point out, as progressive ideas extended
by means of pamphlets, political tracts and books, the American
colonists paid attention to republican ideals and started their
questioning of communal and political divisions. The republicanism
manifesting itself in accepted colonial society resulted in the final
termination of close and strong bonds to the monarchy. Presenting the
republicanism of colonial society, Professor Wood disputes that such
newly born ideas attained radical significance by providing a perceptive
and significant defy to the monarchical system. Though, the author says,
the move forwards for independence advanced uncertainly to some extent,
it symbolized thus far the culmination of a new social optimism
resonating now and then within the colonial population, including also
revolutionary leaders themselves that is also very important to state.
Wood also pays much attention to the Democracy. He considers that such
political phenomenon existed in absolute opposition to the monarchical
organization of the society. Despite the fact that democracy brought to
the reality many of the ideals proposed by the founding fathers,
Professor Wood believes that its ultimate and absolute shape represented
a higher grade of equality unexpected and possibly even unpredicted by
the revolutionary leaders. However, to make such conclusion randomly is
impossible. That is why Wood carries out a comprehensive research on the
reorganization of American society that had taken place since the War
for Independence. The author also speaks about the developing role of
government within the society and the involvement of common people in
state affairs. Professor Wood says that it symbolized a radical concept
change. According to Wood, American individualism was an inevitable
result of the possibility of social mobility. Furthermore, the
development of commerce and suspension of conventional relationships
serve as the evidence to verify this claim. Consequently, by describing
the progression of the young American state, Wood asserts that a radical
break was the result not only of the American Revolution, but possibly
was achieved trough greater domination of the radical intellectual ideas
of the time in the course of development.

To support his claims and conclusions Professor Wood uses a wide range
of principal source material. The author employed different sources
preparing his work: political tracts, diaries of prominent American
people, popular literature, letter correspondence, and pamphlets. The
author incorporates in his study economic and financial data, in order
to back all the statements and give them true status. To support his
theories throughout the work and to give exact and clear explanation to
his thoughts Professor Wood uses the large amount of textual notes. Wood
possibly could have advantage by making available models that are more
direct and exact in order to demonstrate the significance of his claims
regarding the radical nature of the American Revolution.

We realize that the significance of the information relayed within the
book cannot be overestimated, for it makes possible for a reader to
grasp the sense of intellectual and social undercurrents existing within
society before during, and after the War for Independence. It also
presents a clear picture of the development of the consequential
democratic government. Along with all the advantages, we are bound to
point out the moment that is supposed to be an omission of the author.
Analysing the work we see that Professor Wood gives a detailed
description of the American revolution from the top down, but it is
essential to say that he somehow have not given a precise picture of the
position of lower social groups. However, Gordon Wood writes about the
status of slaves, women and Native Americans. Unfortunately, the
importance he attaches to the questions of equality and social grading
brought about by the intellectual advancement of the Revolution regards
only white population, property holders (males) leaving aside lower
classes that compose the majority of society. Wood’s style along with
clarity of his language and good researching skills make a skilful
scholarly discourse on the radical ideology of the American Revolution.
Moreover, being so skilfully written and presented the work entertains
the audience throughout the pages.

This work is really a best synthesis of the questions relating to
America’s transformation from paternal colonialism unrestricted
democracy. Professor Wood also argues successfully that the American
Revolution as a historical event is very often neglected even within the
world history that is worthy to have a prominent position along with
French and Russian Revolutions.

In closer consideration, and having researched the problem we may state
that Professor Wood swindles a little drawing out his theories. In other
words, he a exaggerates little bit. In order to support his thesis about
the development and impact of American Revolution, he has to offer a
“before and after” depiction of American state. He does this by
representing rather incomplete or prejudiced vision of the North
American colonies before the start of Revolution. He repeatedly mentions
the insignificance of the colonial cities, their economy, aristocracy
and existing institutions. It is understandable that it forms
synthetically diminished role of the colonial society and its
institutions.

On the other hand, Gordon Wood rather truthfully illustrates the
changing early colonial scenery. At first Professor says that primary
the society was arranged and structured around hierarchy and individual
relationships that progressed to a unrestrictive culture based on
contacts. Wood clearly explains in his chapter on patronage that the
early colonies principally had no other option than to function on an
individual relationship basis. There was even no paper currency in use
and rather small population kept personal book accounts of numerous
debts they owed each other. Gordon Wood writes that “such credits and
debts worked to tie local people together and to define and stabilize
communal relationships” (p. 68). The author does not instantly connect
this with the growth of population in the New World that represented
actually a major reason for the transformation in the colonies that has
led to the Revolution. The author says that by the middle of the
eighteenth century, the colonists had accepted paper money. Professor
claims that they needed it because colonies had expanded their inland
trade. For example, they were no longer just dealing with their
neighbours but also with across-the-ocean countries. These advancements,
Wood stresses, offers the various ways in which common people were
becoming more and more independent and liberated from conventional
patron-client relationships (p. 142).

As for the negative moments, we again are bound to say that Wood
obviously overstresses the extent to which the colonies, just before the
Revolution, were hierarchical and old-fashioned, conventional cultures.
The evidence he uses to support the idea is unreasonable. The author is
speaking about the prevalence of Christian churches in this connection,
and that this prevalence does not necessarily is a sign of a hierarchy
(p. 18).

Repeatedly Professor Wood speaks about great freedom and equal
opportunities in the colonies, but contradicts his opinion with further
statements. For instance we may find within the book the statement that
Englishmen on both sides of the Atlantic boasted of their independence”.
But further he writes the contradictory “most colonists, like most
Englishmen at home, were never as free as they made themselves out to
be”.The Radicalism of the American Revolution also contains many
unrelated quotes. Therefore, some of Wood’s stories are conflicting and
of little importance as evidence to support his theories.

It is difficult not to conclude that the radical transformations
chronicled by Wood were the outcome of plain population growth. It was
neither the goal nor the result of the Revolution. Wood emphasizes
several times that the modifications in American society were due to
economics and demographics. Ultimately, Wood remarks that the Founders
were stunned by the society in which they died. Wood writes that “This
democratic society was not the society the revolutionary leaders had
wanted or expected. No wonder, then, those of them who lived on into the
early decades of the nineteenth century expressed anxiety over what they
had wrought. All the major revolutionary leaders died less than happy”.
(p. 365). So even accepting the thesis that newly born America was the
result of the Revolution, according to Wood’s verification was not the
objective. Ignoring Wood’s arguments and evaluating his evidence, it
looks like the radical changes in American society were neither the goal
of the Revolution nor its product.

Again as for the critiques, one issue raised by critics is the
relationship among the three cultural phenomena – monarchy,
republicanism and democracy. In addition, the author described changes
that took place between the middle of the eighteenth century and the
early decades of the nineteenth. The author is not persisting that these
cultural models were patterns that displaced each other, republicanism
displacing monarchy and democracy displacing republicanism. As an
alternative, these models overlapped each other in time in the way that
two or even more cultural forms could exist at the same time. However,
the author says that it is difficult for a number of specialists to
imagine a society structure possessing simultaneously unlike, even
irreconcilable and contradictory cultural characteristics.

Nevertheless, with this book thousands of people were introduced to the
colonial society. Wood’s book provides the kind of illustrative detail
that will enable readers to participate imaginatively in colonial life.
He has summarized the mounts of information about the colonies, mixed it
with the commentaries of dozens of contemporary witnesses and rather
skilfully submitted an interpretation of different fact he had in
possession. Wood’s tendency throughout the book is to imply rather then
to clarify, to put forward or advocate rather then argue, now and then
pointing out how extremely dramatic were the social developments he
described in his book. For the wide-ranging reading public, Professor
Wood’s rhetorical mixture suggests the brilliant representation of early
America and its development.

“The Radicalism of American Revolution” is a powerful and motivated
work. Many call it a synthesis that aims reinterpret events that
American people have long regarded as essential to their identity as a
nation. Gordon Wood states his purpose right in the title of the book.
His book explains the ways in which American Revolution was radical,
stating that it was actually as radical and as revolutionary as any such
disturbance in all history. But if the radicalism of the era is crucial
to Professor Wood, it remains in his hands an allusive and unproductive
characteristic. Revolutions of the seventeenth century aimed at
overthrowing the kings and based on the startling and innovating ideas.
Revolutions of the eighteenth century went far up to abolishing slavery
and took into consideration rights of women as full-fledged citizens of
the republic. In the light of such transformations in the world how are
we to understand Wood’s stress on the radicalism of the American
Revolution. He obviously does not mean that it presented substantive
change in the group of those who were oppressed, sustained under strict
control or marginal in the society. Professor Wood credits the
Revolution with ending slavery in the North and, in the long run,
raising the status of all African Americans and women. Professor
highlights that Revolutionary events created concepts of social
gradation among population. However, these events are not central to the
subject.

It is important to explore what exactly Wood means by radicalism. What
were real and actual characteristics that made the Revolution radical?
The obvious explanation is that Wood implies that this Revolution was
extensive and sweeping.

Nothing speaks better of the fundamental patriotism and comparative
unity of the American nation than recognition of people that the
Revolution was an achievement and very good thing. In contrast, nothing
makes it so difficult to remedy the failings of the Revolution than that
widespread reluctance to believe in the very possibility that it was
really a failure. Nonetheless, the author does not present his argument
in this austere fashion. Gordon S. Wood’s brilliant book, “The
Radicalism of the American Revolution”, offers us the opportunity to
step back and weigh up the tragic scope of what was supposed to be a
conservative republican revolution but turned into a liberal democratic
and, consequently, radical one.

From the very beginning, Professor Wood makes it clear how scrupulously
republicanism had penetrated British thought and writes “Republicanism
did not belong only to the margins, to the extreme right or left, of
English political life. Monarchical and republican values existed side
by side in the culture, and many good monarchists and many good English
Tories adopted republican ideals and principles without realizing the
long-run implications of what they were doing. Although they seldom
mentioned the term, educated people of varying political persuasions
celebrated republicanism for its spirit, its morality, its freedom, its
sense of friendship and duty, and its vision of society. Republicanism
as a set of values and a form of life was much too pervasive,
comprehensive, and involved with being liberal and enlightened to be
seen as subversive and monarchical” (p. 18). One more interesting
citation I would like to present is “The pride, the glory of Britain,
and the direct end of its constitution is political liberty” (p. 27).
Well, critically thinking we conclude that evidently what made the
American Revolution radical it is not its republicanism for sure.

So let us analyse what republicanism consists of. Professor Woods offers
the following interpretation. According to the classical republican
practice, man by nature is a political being, a citizen who attained
moral realization by involving yourself in a self-governing republic.
Public or political liberty as we now call it meant then partaking in
government. Consequently, the virtue that classical republicanism
encouraged was public virtue. Public virtue was the sacrifice of
personal needs and interests for the public interest. Republicanism thus
put an enormous burden on individuals. Individuals were expected to
restrain their personal desires and interests and expand
disinterestedness as Professor Wood calls it. In particular, for the
reason that republics required civic virtue and disinterestedness among
their citizens, they were very easily broken polities, predisposed to
any kind of influence. Wood says that republics demanded far more
morality from their citizens than monarchies did.

As Professor Wood tells us, however noble the Founders’ visualization of
construction of a new republic, it was predestined, for the most part
once the control of a exceptionally disinterested and ultimately
authoritative monarchy was removed. Today we can only speculate, as
Gordon Wood considers.

In any case, despite the fact that the Founders Fathers evidently should
have known better than to place their faith and faith of the huge
country in human virtue, Professor Wood expressed how they went on to
devastate what he calls the “links that had held aged monarchical
society together”; according to Wood these links are patronage and
kinship.

Gordon Wood proceeds saying that the image of the revolutionary leaders
is amazing. Hardheaded and intolerant they perceived that by becoming
republican they were expressing nothing else than a utopian expect for a
new moral and social structure led by progressive and honourable men.
Their dreams as well as their eventual disappointments made them the
most amazing generation of political leaders in American history
Professor Gordon Woods considers.

Wood states that even Jefferson considered being hopeful and rather
confident was in despair. He even detested the new democratic world he
saw growing and strengthening in America. He called and considered this
world a world of rumour, banks, paper money, and evangelical
Christianity. Unfortunately, we learn from Wood’s book that the future
and the new generation were not what he had expected previously.

As a result, the America that was established as an outcome of the
revolution not the republic that its leaders projected and therein lays
its radicalism. Thus, there is an inexpressible sadness in the final
paragraph of the book where Professor Wood writes, “A new generation of
democratic Americans was no longer interested in the revolutionaries’
dream of building a classical republic of elitist virtue out of the
inherited materials of the Old World. America, they said, would find its
greatness not by emulating the states of classical antiquity, not by
copying the fiscal-military powers of modern Europe, and not by
producing a few notable geniuses of a man. Instead, it would discover
its greatness by creating a prosperous free society belonging to obscure
people with their workaday concerns and their pecuniary pursuits of
happiness–common people with their common interests in making money and
getting ahead” (p. 269).

And further Wood finishes “The Radicalism of the American Revolution”
with this statement “No doubt the cost that America paid for this
democracy was high with its vulgarity, its materialism, its
rootlessness, its anti-intellectualism. But, there is no denying the
wonder of it and the real earthly benefits it brought to the hitherto
neglected and despised masses of common labouring people. The American
Revolution created this democracy, and we are living with its
consequences still” (p. 269).

Especially, Wood comments that ideas and ideological issues matter in
the context of American history. Self-interest is very real and really
very essential, though ideas and ideals are powerful motivations for
actions and undertakings. We may affirm that this book is a strikingly
important that must be read by all who tries and wishes to understand
the origins of the United States.

In conclusion, we may say one more time that “The Radicalism of the
American Revolution” is a well-designed combination of historical,
political, cultural, ideological and economic analysis done by the
prominent scholar that is always in touch with the older, classic
questions that we have been arguing about for long. In fact, it is a
magnificent account of such a serious event within American history as
revolution that gave birth to the American republic.

The American Revolution not only had officially formed the United States
of America, moreover, had shaped and formed all the great hopes and
values of the American people. American commitments to freedoms,
constitutionalism, the welfare, happiness, equality and safety of
ordinary people, all American noblest ideals and aspirations were the
result of the Revolutionary era. We also know from the book the fact
that Lincoln understood that the Revolution had persuaded American
people in their speciality, convinced that they are the people with a
unique destiny, and that just the American people is a nation that is to
lead the world towards democracy and liberty. As a result Revolutionary
events produced a sense of nationhood and strong unity Americans have
now.

It is important to say that the history of the American Revolution, as
well as the history of the nation as a whole, should not to be regarded
merely as a story of rights and wrongs that reach us moral lessons and
shows negative consequences. The work of Professor Wooв is a complex and
sometimes even ironic chronicle that is supposed to be clarified and
understood. it is relevant to pay attention to such questions such how
this great revolution came about; what its character was; what its
consequences were and many others. The work’s success in writing such a
profound and absorbing research we attribute to Gordon Wood’s mastery of
his subject.

Of course, we should not neglect the fact that the American Revolution
really substantially changed the atmosphere in which slavery had existed
and flourished. For hundreds of years, slavery had existed in the
Western world without significant criticism. The Revolution outlined a
key turning point. It unexpectedly put slavery on the defensive. And
probably that is the point that is to be highlighted and emphasized. The
thing about the American Revolution is that it has created the ideology
that holds us together until now. To author’s point of view without that
revolution, we would be a nation without any kind of adhesive. Due to
the Revolution, we have an intellectual and ideological adhesive that
makes us a unit of people.

Speaking about potential audience of the book the author himself says
that it was designed for an educated reader who wants to know something
more about the American Revolution and has only maybe a indistinct
remembrance of the main events and wants to know some more particulars
of the event. Although, it does not convey any great knowledge. As
Professor Wood says this book is not written for experts in American
history, just for a general reader as we say.

Te first item is that Revolution is one of the most important events in
American history, since it not only legally shaped the United States of
America, but also infused into our culture and our consciousness almost
everything we believe in, and that holds us together. These things are
our belief in liberty, equality, constitutionalism, the welfare of
ordinary people. All of this the author considers comes out of the
Revolution. Therefore, this is the event that makes us Americans.
Consequently, in order to be an American you have to know something
about the history of this country and about the Revolution in
particular.

References:

1. Gordon S. Wood. The Radicalism of the American Revolution. Vintage:
March, 1993. 464 pages.

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