The Radicalism of the American Revolution (1992)

The best book on the American Revolution showing how the social system evolved from an aristocratic one to a more democratic one. ( )

I tried to reread THE RADICALISM OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION by Gordon Wood. I disliked it when I read it when it first came out and my opinion is far lower now. He has almost nothing to say. It is just an endless parade of snippet quotations. Not even of any use for reference. ( )

http://onefinemess.rhinopanda.net/2010/05/09/book-review-the-radicalism-of-the-a... ( )

Well-researched look at the political philosophies surrounding the American revolution. I am not sure if I completely agree with his conclusions, but he is the one with the Pulitzer. ( )

Gordon Wood's qualifications as an historian of American colonial and revolutionary history rank with Edmund Morgan [The Birth of the Republic, 1763-89 (The Chicago History of American Civilization)] and Bernard Bailyn (The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution). His 'Radicalism of the American Revolution' sets forth his thesis that the American Revolution, contrary to its reputation in some quarters as a mere war of independence and generally conservative in nature, fundamentally changed American society. By the end of the revolutionary era, America had transitioned from a deferential society subject to rule by an aristocracy to a republican one governed by elected elites to a rowdy democracy dominated by commerce.

Wood's book is challenging both in the sense of being difficult and in the sense of questioning accepted wisdom (at least as it was when he first published the book in 1993). A sound grounding in the history of the era is almost a prerequisite; this is not a narrative history marching from event to event. Wood's main focus is on social change, not to say upheaval, and he slowly, even indirectly, builds his case. Specific events are referenced illustratively to demonstrate a point he has developed over many pages. (In this way, the book called to mind one of my law school professors, Mark Tushnet (Taking the Constitution Away from the Courts), who often took several lectures to develop one critical insight. Lose track briefly and you would be lost in the woods for days.)

Wood (no relation, but tastefully named) makes a compelling case. In a nub, Wood credits the revolution because the dramatic changes occurred while America remained rural and preindustrial. Very high recommendation for any reader interested in history, whether generally or of the American revolution. Radicalism of the American Revolution is a book that warrants and demands your full attention, if not a second reading. ( )