Like the American Civil War, the American Revolution is a subject too broad to be adequately addressed in a 20 page term paper.  There are the underlying causes to consider, which are based in ideological, religious, economic, and political philosophy of the day.  There are the various pre-war events, such as the French and Indian War, the various acts of Parliament to establish a firmer hold on the colonies, the refusal of Britain to accommodate the colonies’ wish for political representation in Parliament, and the misdirected actions of young King George III in his efforts to command the loyalty of the British citizens in America.There is the war itself, which lasted 8 long years and produced military heroes such as George Washington, as well as infamous traitors, such as Benedict Arnold.  There was the bitter war on land, where an inferior American army struggled for survival, as well as the war at sea, where a desperate American ship commander, John Paul Jones, shouted his response to the demand for surrender: “I have not yet begun to fight!”

The Revolution produced some of America’s most famous political leaders such as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin.  It produced great writers such as Thomas Paine and orators such as Patrick Henry, who famously proclaimed “give me liberty, or give me death!”

And what is the American Revolution without the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence?  The story of this documents’ origin, the ideals of liberty and republicanism it espoused, and the risks its signers took are a compelling story in itself.

Until a permanent, republican form of government was established the task was incomplete, so even after the guns fell silent in 1783, the Revolution was not over.  It was then that leaders such as James Madison, “The Father of the US Constitution,” and Alexander Hamilton came to prominence.  They led the national debate and were largely responsible for the successful establishment of not only the United States Constitution, but also the Bill of Rights.

The American Revolution is fascinating not only for what it DID accomplish, but for what it DID NOT.  It did not put an end to slavery.  It did not establish a fair method of dealing with Native Americans.  In failing to do these things, it guaranteed continuing political strife and war.

By now I hope it is obvious that students need to narrow the focus of their research papers.  Instead of trying to write a paper on the general topic of the American Revolution, they should  select an aspect of it and focus there.  Many books have been written on every one of the subjects mentioned above, and many websites address them as well.  The Outline of the American Revolution is an excellent place to begin online research on many of these subjects.

In future blog posts, I will suggest some specific topics to explore within the subject of the American Revolution, as well as strategies for researching them.