American History Revisited - What Can We Learn, Part I

Having been a teacher of American History for many years, I feel a need to use my blog to revisit the past with you. Please accept this in the light of a refresher - not as an insult to your intelligence. But let’s face it - when you were a teenager learning about the motives of the Founders and Framers, were you really paying close attention? While teaching this subject to 8th graders, I was forever concerned that my efforts were falling on deaf ears; it seemed that the timing of the instruction was misplaced. At least in my high school days, there was an actual class on the Constitution and the legislative process. Today, most public school students get a dose of American History in 5th and 8th grade, and then what the high schools address is really disjointed as well as revisionist. While the early presentation (5th and 8th) are critical, the ability of 10 and 13 year olds to use analysis, logic, have the interest and attention span required, is not fully developed. For most people, it’s not until adulthood that history seems relevant. Therefore, I am going to spend some blog time covering what I covered in my classes.

What led to the Revolution?

There is a tendency to oversimplify the cause of revolution to taxation without representation. Indeed, there was that, and that is the battle cry we remember from our childhood school days that becomes the marquee for the Revolutionary War officially beginning in 1775. If asked to draw a picture of an event leading to the War for Independence, most of us would probably attempt some depiction of the Boston Tea Party, and that event, indeed, is iconic.

However, this act of rebellion was a high water mark of frustration following 10 years of anger on the part of colonists. It’s important to view history as a sequence of cause and effect relationships as opposed to a “one frame event” which we often create in our minds to simplify and compartmentalize information. By failing to understand the cause and effect information, we fail to learn from history. After all, the real purpose of studying history should go beyond having a factual knowledge of our heritage; the real purpose should be to learn what works and what doesn’t, what to do and what to avoid.

Ten Key Concepts Leading to the Revolution

• England allowing colonists to take the risk of failure (often fatal, literally) and then taking credit for their success.
  
• England leading the colonists to believe that they were self-governing.
  
• Seeing the colonists as sources of salvaging England from its financial crisis.
  
• Treating the colonists as disrespected provincials and not equals.
  
• Attempting to collect revenue from the colonists without including them in the decision.
  
• Ignoring the peaceful petitions of the colonists who sought a “redress of grievances.”
  
• Labeling those who led the opposition to England’s political actions as disloyal, conspirators, dangerous, and traitors.
  
• England seeking to silence the voices of discontent and exchanges of alarm concerning England’s political actions.
  
• England passing increasingly restrictive laws attempting to control the behavior of the colonists.
  
•  Using force, military force, to bring about submission to England’s governance.
  

Do you sense any similarity between the above points and what is happening today in our country? In my forthcoming blogs, I’ll address each of these points in more detail, attempting to connect the past with the present. Humans are humans. The same responses which colonists felt almost 240 years ago are emotions we experience today. What led to rebellion? Stay tuned, and thanks for reading.