Socioeconomic Aspects of the American Revolution

Abstract

The American Revolution was a complex process, the military and political events of which are well documented. This article focuses on the socioeconomic aspects of the process in which the 13 American colonies broke away from the British Empire. By this point, the colonies had reached a level of development comparable to that of the mother country. The population grew through immigration from Europe of people seeking to free themselves from feudal and religious restrictions, as well as through the mass importing of servants (white slaves under contracts) and slaves from Africa. The colonies had significant differences in the structure of their economies and traded industrial goods with the mother country. In the South, a highly developed plantation agriculture based on slave labour remained until the Civil War. The colonists’ love of freedom and the unsuccessful actions of the British government caused a conflict that resulted in the former adopting the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The armed actions of the American rebels under the leadership of George Washington were supported by the French crown, initially through secret deliveries of arms and equipment. France’s entry into the war against Britain and the fighting between the two European powers on the North American continent played an important role in the victory of the rebel forces in 1781. The creation of a new state based on democracy and free enterprise led to rapid economic development, although slavery remained in place for several more generations.