In terms of the social change that happened, American Revolution is a truly

radical one. The true radicalism of the American Revolution is evident from the book
Conceived in Liberty written by6 Murray Rothbard. American Revolution was
considered to be the greatest revolutions in the history. Thomas Paine, the great
democratic, and supporter of the both the American Revolution as well as the French
Revolutions, believed that the American Revolution is more radical than the French, and
he enthusiastically participated in both the nations. (The Jefforsonian Libertarian)
The American Revolution was evolved out of the radicalism of the English
Levelers of the English Revolution that took place during the mid 17 th century. Radical
thinkers like John Milton, James Harrington, Henry Marten, Richard Rumbold, and John
Liliburne led the way for libertarian philosophy. Later, freethinkers like John Locke,
John Toland, Matthew Tindal and other freethinkers and deists led the battle in Britain
against state-sponsored religion, and led the fight for civil liberty. (Roark, Johnson and
Cohen)
The experiences of Colonial America seem to be a secluded past which has very
diminutive association with the daily lives of the people in the 21st century. Though the
various groups of the Colonial America like the Pennsylvanian German Pietists, New
England Puritans, Virginia planters, indentured, slaves of Native Americans, Quakers,
Anglicans, Methodists, Swedish farmers, Dutch traders or French Huguenots are not
immediately identified by todays individuals, the fact that needs to be accepted is that
these groups have very highly contributed to the tradition and inheritance. (Oates')

Yet, social change and the political Revolution are so inherently entwined that it is
next to unfeasible not to connect the two. While it is perhaps true that social change
would have taken place even without the Revolution, there is no assurance that this
would be so, and basing a historical theory on assumptions is an uncertain attempt. On
the contrary, it is more than fair to state that the American Revolution acted as a gigantic
catalyst of social changes in the colonies.
One of the more fascinating areas of studying the American Revolution
concerning its radicalism is the impact it had on slavery. Slavery and Black oppression
are some of the most significant aspects of American history, and it was this Revolution
which had initially placed these issues in the forefront of the American society. In the
wave of democratic feeling which flounced the colonies as an outcome of the revolution,
the call for the liberation of the slaves justly found its influence. The number of AfricanAmericans enjoying liberty increased enormously under the pressure of the
revolutionary transformation. The number of liberated African-Americans grew from a
few thousand in the late 1760s to approximately 200,000 by the end of the initial years
of the 19th century.
Even though there was increasing emancipation response in the North by the
year 1863, there was no harmony as to how slavery should be eradicated.
Furthermore, as Vorenberg points out, the elimination of oppression did not essentially
bestow any rights on persons at liberty or institute cultural equality. Even people who
supported the amendment had varied views about what supplementary rights, if any,
liberty would entail. In unfolding the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment by the
United States government, the author proficiently weaves intriguing embroidery of legal

hypothesis, unrefined politics, ethnic prejudice, and concerns for the stability of federalstate power (Vorenberg).

Works Cited
Oates', Stephen B. Portrait of America. Houghton Mifflin College Div, 2002.
Roark, James L., et al. The American Promise, Volume I: To 1877: A History of the
United States, 4th Edition. Bedford: St. Martins, 2009.
The Jefforsonian Libertarian. The American Revolution - The Most Radical. 17 March
2009. 30 November 2010 <http://jeffersonianlib.blogspot.com/2008/12/americanrevolution-most-radical.html>.
Vorenberg, Michael. The Emancipation Proclamation: A Brief History with Documents.
Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.