The Revolution is over! But who won?

After all the fighting, the suffering, the triumphs and loses, the American Revolution was a success. But who was reaping the Benefits? The Declarations of Independence speaks of the inalienable rights of Man, but one specific breed of man: The White man. The White American Man was flying high, grabbing land, enjoying his new liberties and making money left and right. But what about the rest of the American population? What about the white women? The American Indians? The African Americans? Did they benefits from this supposedly wonderful thing that was the revolution? Some did, other did not.

American women, you would think, would be enjoying their new freedoms as Americans just as their husbands were. No. They were just as oppressed as before. The Woman’s place in America was not a good one in the beginning. Zinn speaks of women serving specific purposes in coming to the American colonies. “…women were imported as sex slaves, childbearers, and companions… many came as indentured servants” (104). But as time went on, as war went on, they gained bit of ground, and found their places as Americans, and even showed their patriotism. “…war brought women out into public affairs. Women formed patriotic groups, carried out anti-British actions and wrote articles for independence” 109. After the war, changes were taking place everywhere. Women were bound to experience some sort of change. And they did. This new America was quite different from colonial America. The demands on women increased, Zinn states this did much for their quest for equality: “In preindustrial America, the practical need for women in a frontier society had produced some measure of equality; women worked at important jobs” (111) But this “intimate” revolution was recognized by society, and was not being digested well. Many men saw these free thinking independent women as a threat. There was a significant push back. “There was a significant pressure for women to stay home where they could be more easily controlled. For the most part though, Women did benefit from the revolution. All though their true freedom would take much effort, the revolution opened the door for them.

African Americans initially did not see many benefits of the revolutions. Many had fled to the British, who had promised their freedom. But now, they faced the multi-faceted slave trade in America. In the North, Slavery was on its way out, in the south, it was going strong. But the bold ideals of the revolution sparked the confidence of black freedom. Eric Foner, in his book Give me Liberty, expresses that this was a time of change for the blacks and how they were viewed: “It was during the revolutionary era that slavery for the first time became a focus of public debate” (223). With much effort from the black community, they began to sway society, challenging the words of the revolution. “ Throughout the Revolutionary period, petitions, pamphlets and sermons by blacks expressed ‘astonishment’ that white patriots failed to realize that ‘every principle from which America has acted’ demanded emancipation.” (225). These efforts proved effective towards the north, but not in the south. While many states in the north banned slavery, the southern cotton plantations stood firm in their position on slavery. So the African American advancements after the war, were contradictory.

The American Indians, in no way, shape or form, benefited from the revolutionary war. The government continued to bribe or force them out of their lands. Zinn recalls the list of treaties made by Mr. Andrew Jackson, some of these being with the Creek Indians: “Jackson’s 1814 treaty with the Creek Indians granted them individual ownership of land, thus splitting Indian from Indian, breaking up communal landholding…” (128). Seems friendly enough, but this was just the beginning. “Every time a treaty was signed, pushing the Creeks from one Area to the next, promising them security there, whites would move into the new area and the Creeks would feel compelled to sign a new treaty, giving up more land in return for security elsewhere” (129). When the Indians tried to retaliate against the actions of white settlers, Jackson would order the villages to be destroyed. Jackson was met with much resistance from the Indians; he had to find a different approach. “The Indians would not be forced to go west. But if they choose to stay, they would have to abide by state laws, which destroyed their tribal and personal rights… if they left however, the federal government would give them financial support and promise lands beyond the Mississippi” (133). With the use of empty promises and trickery, the Indians were swindled out of their lands, and suffered much loss.