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National Park Service Website for
Teachers of American History
Sponsored by Valley Forge National
Historical Park
There is perhaps no other period in American
history where so many people felt both compelled and entitled to
reshape their society as during the American Revolution.
It is easy to forget that the outcome of the
Revolution was by no means certain. Yet, it was a time when people
acted on their convictions in a world ripe with promise. Thomas
Paine captured the spirit of the time when he wrote, "We have it in
our power to begin the world over again....The birthday of a new
world is at hand." People in all walks of life sought to ensure
freedoms for the citizens of their new world.
Fighting a war for independence against one of
the mightiest military forces on the planet was a formidable enough
challenge. But American colonists, or at least many of them, had
other freedoms in mind: to purge society of slavery, to uncouple the
right to vote from land ownership and to expand the limited roles
and rights of women. The dream and struggle for political
independence had changed the nation. "We are now really another
people" Paine wrote, "and cannot again go back to ignorance and
prejudice. The mind enlightened cannot again become dark."
Some freedoms were implemented; others took
shape only in part, or in some states and not in others. A few
freedoms, such as a technicality permitting women to vote in New
Jersey, was later revoked. The essays here explore the origins of
the ideas and describe how they were applied, blocked, or postponed
to become causes for later generations. The ideas for reform were
radical and comprehensive, but not centrally coordinated. The essays
recall key figures; the individual men, women, and organizations ?
some famous, some forgotten and only recently discovered--who
championed the causes.
Educators will find the essays
useful to stimulate discussions on topics such as, "How
revolutionary was the American Revolution?? and ?Are there people
who should be remembered for their roles in shaping American society
beyond the familiar founding fathers?" The essays will also be
helpful for student projects on revolutionary era reforms and on the
contributions of individuals in the causes of American freedom.
Gary B. Nash
Director of the National
Center for History at UCLA
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