The Revolution has been assigned a central role towards the American democratization and freedom but the revolutionary struggles in the United States brought lesser democratic gains than did the regime before that. The belief that the American revolution and resistance to the British rule brought about freedom and democracy conflicts with the historic claim that the former colonial rulers exercised the “most democratic governance in the British Empire and perhaps the world” (Spenser 1). This regime was characteristic of democratic tradition that can be traced from the founding of the colonies-a century before. “Profound alterations” in the political developments occurring during the revolution are not consistent with the dominant claim that the results of the revolution replaced an era of tyranny. Non-violent actions associated with the revolution have been unfairly attributed to resultant for more democratic advance in the country, and this evidence has been provided by research (Spenser 1). The description of the American Revolution as contributing to more freedom and democracy makes the history synchronous with other revolutions and independent struggles and has been instrumental in portraying the importance of civil society in developing democracy.
The documents provide substantial information as relates to the American struggle for freedom and independence. More importantly, it reveals the truth behind the issues relating to democracy. The document links the historical research on the levels of freedom “available during 1584-1800” in 13 colonies that gained independence in 1776-among other documents; to the conception that the revolution brought about freedom and democracy to replace a regime of tyranny. The article is relevant to both the understanding of the place of the British colony’s place of freedom and democracy, and the literature that nonviolent activities were vital to bringing democracy. The documents record relevant happenings that led to war: violent activities in resistance to the British rule resulted in war (out of a “primarily nonviolent political struggle” (Spenser 1) and made opposition to rebellion to be more toughened. The nonviolent approach of the colonialists was more democratic-achieving because they “worked out the details” on replacing services provided by Royal appointees (Spenser 1). The document contradicts the opinion that democracy was achieved through revolution activities and struggles. The author thinks that overall greater democracy and freedom would have resulted if the colonists maintained a nonviolent discipline because it would have created “bigger problems for leading politicians in Britain and elsewhere” (Spenser 2). The document links well with the readings in the lecture because it discusses the causes of the American Revolutions and gives a wider understanding of the matter, the issues surrounding the development of democracy in the United States, and the revolution in detail.
The document provides a framework that can be used to test the place of violence in achieving freedom and democracy as compared to nonviolent activities. The wisdom behind exhorting the idea that force had been used to achieve democracy is dangerous because it may encourage the people to “support violence” to fight for freedom and democracy in certain situations; in addition to it being “inconsistent with the available evidence” (Spenser 3). Several issues can be understood relating to the revolution. The pre-revolutionary era before 1776 was characterized by the exercise of rights in areas such as voting and newspaper rights. The democracy level in the 13 colonies that did not rebel (possibly Bermuda excepted) “more than in England” indicating that there was the practice of freedom in the colonial times (Spenser 12). Signs that the revolution did not result in more freedom indicate the fact that the number of “adult men who could vote in 1987” (Spenser 13). However, the document provides the democratic results of the revolutions such as in the areas of Bills of Rights e.t.c. (Spenser 13), introduction of state constitutions, among others.
Works Cited
Tully, Alan. “Political Development of the Colonies after the Glorious Revolution” in Greene, Jack and Pole J. R. A Companion to the American Revolution. Malden: Blackwell, 2000.
Spencer, Graves. “Violence, non-violence, and the American Revolution”. Nonviolence & the American Revolution. 2005. Web.