Recorded Lesson: Revolutionary Stirrings II
During the global Age of Revolution & rebellion, numerous factions struggled against systems of
domination, exploitation, and suppression. Within this struggle, two general groups of people,
sometimes referred to as “classical liberals” and “radicals,” forged partnerships against the old
monarchal ruling class and the rule of European empires. Compare and contrast the liberals and
radicals of the revolutionary age, keeping in mind that they will form the basis of the rebel cause
during the American Revolution:
(classical) Liberals:
Radicals:
European Enlightenment: In sum, what was the European Enlightenment and how is it significant
to the American Revolution?
Adam Smith: Fed-up with the British Empire trying to direct the economic life of the colonies,
merchant capitalists in places such as Boston & New York became attracted to ideas that would
be articulated in the writings of Adam Smith, namely The Wealth of Nations and The Theory of
Moral Sentiments. Beyond the Revolution, Smith’s theories about capitalism would become
embraced by classical liberals, though selectively…
On what basis would colonial merchant capitalists find Smith’s philosophies appealing & inline with their own interests (what did Smith argue that would likely appeal to a colonial
merchant capitalist?)?
On what basis would many Americans, today, label Smith a “radical” or maybe even a
“socialist?” (keeping in mind that “socialist” is not the same as “liberal”)?
John Locke: Classical liberal philosopher, John Locke, made arguments about the role of
government & the existence of human rights as something that transcends government. These
arguments later became used to justify American independence and articulate the revolutionary
cause in this founding document (what is the name of the founding document that used Locke’s
arguments?):
Levelers: John Locke’s ideas about innate human rights were largely borrowed from radical
ideals that had been in circulation since at least the English Civil War among certain European
Christian dissenters and underclass rebels, most notably the Levelers (aka: Diggers/True
Levelers).
What does “leveler” mean as a symbolic action and belief system? (dual meaning)
What is the significance of the Levelers and leveling to the American Revolution.
Thomas Paine: Who was Thomas Paine, why is he significant to the American Revolution, and
what was so radical about his worldviews?
The Many Headed Hydra: In the decades leading up to the American Revolution and throughout
the broader Age of Revolution, the ruling class (both noble & capitalist) drew upon Greek
mythology to frame and discuss resistance struggles among the underclasses and efforts to
suppress these struggles. The “Hydra” became a metaphor for the underclasses of the
Revolutionary Atlantic World and “Hercules” became a metaphor for the ruling class and its tools
of suppression. With this in mind:
What groups of people constituted the “hydra?”
What did the so-called Hydra struggle for and against?
What happened when “Hercules” set out to decapitate it?
In what regards did pirates constitute a “radical” force in the Revolutionary Atlantic World? Be
sure to identify specific “radical” pirate behaviors.
Ultimately, the radical underclasses and classical liberal capitalists will form an alliance to throw
off the imperial rule of Britain and stamp-out remnants of the feudal order in what will become
the United States. Based on this lesson, where might tension and conflict ensure among these two
(very general) groups? Consider where they seem to disagree and where their interests are not
aligned?