The American Revolution: A True Social Revolution

The American Revolution was an extremely important event that helped shape the modern world, however, it was not a true revolution. According to Richard Price, a British Unitarian minister, "A true social revolution destroys the institutional foundations of the old order and transfers power from a ruling elite to new social groups." (Digital History ID 3222) During the 1700's, the American colonies had already been engaging in a form of self-government in their localities, which they largely fashioned in the English manner to which they were accustomed. At that time, the political leaders were the wealthy landowners and socially elite, such as Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, which reflected the same hierarchy of the British Parliament.