The True Ideology of the American Revolution essays

The True Ideology of the American Revolution essays With the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Americans went from colonial subordination to well-earned independence from England, but with that came the responsibility to foster a country based upon an ideology that had never before been done. The years following the Revolutionary War would be the true test of whether Americas republican experiment could succeed. The end of the War marked a victory for the Articles of Confederation-the government under which the Americans had defeated the British, who was the dominant world power at the time. So the leaders of the country embarked upon their journey into this new era with great faith and contentment in the guidance and liberty the Articles offered. However, when, by 1786, the Articles of Confederation failed to provide an appropriate environment for America to flourish, a belief spread among members of Congress and political leaders that something must be done about its inadequacies; a new government must be formed. This marked t he beginning of a political struggle between the creators of the Constitution, the federalists, and the defenders of the Articles, the anti-federalists. The Republican Ideology under which America was to be formed held a staunch rejection of hierarchal authority, monarchy and national government; a belief that the government should be representative of the viewpoints of the people; and, most importantly, a deep faith in public virtue. The republican belief recognized that, ...too much liberty could degenerate into political chaos, (Nash, 218). The ideology was not about pushing for democracy, but rather creating a balance of powers within the government. This is why the majority of objectives in Constitution did not betray the American Revolution, but instead created a government under which Revolutionary ideas could exist while still promoting order. Although the framers disparaged beliefs in public virtue and removed some authority fr...