Controversial Document By Historians example essay topic

337 words
The American Revolution is perhaps the single most significant event in this country's history. Some changes occurred with remarkable rapidity that their speed was truly revolutionary. But some scholars disagree about using the term "revolutionary" to describe how new or different these developments were. Some historians argue that the Revolution was solely a colonial rebellion aimed at achieving only the limited goal of independence from Britain.

Others claim that the Revolution was accompanied by a violent social upheaval- a class conflict- as the radical lower classe sought to gain a greater degree of democracy in what had been a basically undemocratic society in the colonial area. Many scholars throughout the nineteenth century assumed that the main theme of American history was the quest for liberty. Some historians believe that political and constitutional issues brought on the Revolution. While the others believe that the primary causes were social and economic in nature. The Constitution remains one of the most controversial documents in all of American history. From the Convention of 1787 to the close of the Civil War, the Constitution was considered a controversial document by historians because of the questions it raised about two opposing doctrines.

To progressive historians, the Constitution represented a reactionary document- one written by the conservatives at the constitutional convention to thwart the radicals who held visions of completely reforming American society. These scholars pointed to the undemocratic features of the Constitution- the system of checks and balances, the difficult procedure for adopting amendments, and the idea of judicial veto. The American Revolution was viewed as a dual revolution posing the question of home rule and who would rule at home. As said by one of the authors for revolutionary movements, "The movement for the Constitution of the United States was originated and carried through principally by four groups of personality interests which had been adversely affected under the Articles of Confederation: money, public securities, manufactures, and trade and shipping.".