What do we mean by the revolution? The war? That was not part of the revolution; it was only an effect and consequence of it. The revolution was in the minds of the people, and this was effected from 1760-1775, in the course of fifteen years, before a drop of blood was shed at Lexington. The records of thirteen legislatures, the pamphlets, newspapers in all the Colonies ought be consulted, during that period, to ascertain the steps by which the public opinion was enlightened and informed concerning the authority of Parliament over the Colonies.
I agree with Adams that the "revolution" began well before the shooting started, so I'll defer to his judgment and take his word for choosing 1760. Nonetheless, I have to include the war, itself, in what I see as what made for the American Revolution. Accordingly, for my purpose with this piece, I think the best beginning and ending dates to put on it would be 1760-1788. The reason for choosing 1788 is that it is the year in which the U.S. Constitution was ratified and adopted.
Thus, I see the Revolution to include the dismantling the old system and the establishment of the new one. However, what I also want to say here is this: it was just the first revolution in this country.
The
second revolution, perhaps I should call it Revolution 2.0,
occurred in the mid-1800s, which should include the abolition of slavery, the
bloodshed of the Civil War and the Reconstruction Era that ended in 1877. When the second revolution started is harder to
pin down, but this time I'll opt for 1854, because that's the year the
notorious Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed. Many see that move by
Congress
as what made the Civil War's start inevitable in 1861, in that it expanded slavery in
wicked defiance of the burgeoning Abolition Movement. Plus, it should be noted that England, France and
other European nations had already abolished slavery.
Now I'll briefly explain why I believe the U.S.A. is about to go through an ordeal, which, in this context, might be viewed as part of Revolution 3.0. Using my characterizations of our first two revolutions as models, in October of 2020 we already have the two essential elements in place:
The Trump presidency, a time
in which great flaws in our system have been revealed and underlined,
has been the equivalent to the 15-year period Adams described that led
up to the Revolutionary War. Likewise, the last four years of
reactions to the abuses of Trumpism -- The Resistance, the
demonstrations for racial justice, etc. -- could also be compared to the
turbulent period of reexamination of the institution of slavery the nation went through between 1854
and when the Civil War started seven years later.
The second revolution-making element in 2020 is the staggering death toll of the COVID-19 pandemic. A war-like national suffering greatly exacerbated by the Trump administration's policies and lack thereof. At this writing the number of deaths surely calls out for more than thoughts and prayers; the number of deaths and total infections calls out for something better than "herd immunity."
The transformational COVID-19 numbers call out for radical cultural and political change!
Some
time
after November 3rd -- a day later, or a week, or a month --
either Trump or Biden will be declared the winner. Yet, after the
election Black Lives Matter isn't going away and its influence is
probably going to grow. In Richmond, those Confederate statues aren't
going back up and the Lee Monument is eventually coming down. Moreover,
the Proud Boys and their ilk aren't going to fade into the mists,
either. The daunting problems spawned by white nationalism and guns will
be with us no matter who the president is.
So, the spectrum
of political movements already demanding considerable changes are poised to seriously rock the boat after the election like nothing the U.S.A.
has seen in a long time; maybe since its first two revolutions. Then,
there's COVID-19 and its still raging ability to kill people and sink
the economy. And, of course, climate change is not likely to magically
stop being the global problem that overshadows all of our other vexations.
One
lesson from history may offer a wee glimmer of hope. Adams, who was the
country's the second president, and Jefferson, who was the third
president, became bitter political foes during their combined 12 years as president.
Which was sad for both men, who had once been prominent figures in the
American Revolution and good friends.
Then, as grizzled
ex-presidents, Adams and Jefferson eventually became pen pals and
reestablished what had once been a close friendship. They even died the
same day: July 4, 1826.
-- 30 --
-- Art and words by F.T. Rea
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