The Influence Of Gordon S. Woods: A Radical American Revolution

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The Revolution was a movement toward independence and the creation of a republic. Scholars today look at the events, feelings, and motives that took place during the period. From looking at the information, many ask themselves one thing; was the Revolution radical? Gordon S. Woods has the best argument as to whether the Revolution was radical or not. He argued that the Revolution was in fact radical because it impacted everyone’s lives now and with its legacy. It made it where all white men were equal regardless of class or region and altered the ideas and views people had on blacks and women equality. This change in ideas eventually led to future radical movements. His argument is best because it is strongly supported by evidence like primary and secondary sources. …show more content…
In the Deceleration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson clearly states that exact phrase “all men are equal”. The deceleration is what declared the colonies free and set the basic foundation of the United States of America. It brought the ideas of the Revolution together and informed the whole world what the colonies stood for. Woods idea is backed yet again by the Virginia Stamp Act Resolution, that states all white men, regardless if they own property or not and regardless to whether they are elitist, have the right to protest. Smiliarly, Breen argued protest specifically boycotts allowed all men to participate in a common cause. All white men were encourage and informed why they should get involved in how through Thomas Paine’s book Common Sense. The book allowed everyone not just ellist to have access to revolutionary literature letting them all become informed and able to join. All the sources point to Woods key argument that all white men became equal due to the Revolution impacting them in a radical