American Revolution and its Causes
American scholar Jack Greene is an expert on both Colonial American history and the history of the Atlantic. He describes the American Revolution, its national origins, as well as the circumstances surrounding it. He claimed that the ambiguous accommodations made by Americans and Britons, which resulted in a variety of social shifts, were the root cause of the American Revolution. Greene conducted numerous studies on colonial and imperial administration, focusing in particular on the British Empire's current structure and policies that existed between the American Revolution and the Glorious Revolution. Despite his ideas developed over the years, researchers have been found to continue with the analysis of American Revolution and its causes in the nation as well as other factors that surrounded the event. According to him, the American Revolution was caused by the Americans and British ambiguous accommodations, which led to diverse changes being experienced in the society. Greene developed various studies based on the colonial and imperial governance, especially the current formation and policies of the British Empire existing between the American Revolution and Glorious Revolution. Despite his ideas developed over the years, researchers have been found to continue with the analysis of American Revolution and its causes. Some of the books written by Jack Greene are aimed at explaining how the British accommodations led to introduction of new practices, institutions, values and constitutional ideas and traditions, which created an immense impact on various activities that were being carried out in the nation.
First Book by Jack Greene: The Quest for Power
The first book published by Jack Greene was The Quest for Power in 1963, which aimed at developing an understanding of the development of British institutions and the changes they introduced in the society. The elaboration of the theory developed by Greene has led to other scholars introducing different thoughts about the nature of the British Empire, which has also led to other myths about the American Revolution. Greene is ascertained to have struggled against the primary causes of American Revolution, especially based on the fact that he is known as an influential and prolific historian of the British and English colonial America. Historians in most instances have been looking for materials and ideological factors to frame their uncertainties pertaining to American Revolution and to develop studies on the causes of the revolution (Greene 97).
Interest in British Imperial and Atlantic History
The interest in British imperial history and Atlantic history was the basis of introducing the causes of American Revolution in Greene's studies. According to Greene, the relationship that existed between the distant settlers and the Crown prerogatives could be used to sustain some connections in the nations that had been existing mutually. During the American Revolution, it was evident that the modern Empire of the British society had been united by force. The orders that were then introduced by the policymakers in America became complex after some years, and they started facing difficulty working with them. Greene states that the reformers failed to follow the program based on the fact that they "were so rapidly and fully immobilized by the local law" and not because they "were restrained or timid in their use of power" (Greene 146).
Social and Cultural Impact of American Revolution
The cultural and social history of America changed after the colonialism that was experienced in the nation and the concept has been explained by scholars over the years. Greene develops an understanding that the libertarian regimes led to revolutions that affected the American constitution, political, social and cultural history. Major populations that were highly affected by the 'ambiguous accommodations' in by the British and American communities included non-protestants, women, imported slaved, aborigines and the unpropertied whites. Most practices that were carried out in the society, which had been culturally adapted were changes, and this became part of the American Revolution that led to adverse effects in the nation.
Distribution of Power in the British Empire
The metropolitan authorities were acknowledged by the settlers who had been grouped and had developed some self-made policies that were also imposed on other persons in the society. The policies helped them gain access to cheaper manufacturers and wider markets in America as well as assisting them to afford a world free of war. In the process of introducing the new regime, they also accepted to work within the system that had been implemented by the government administrators so that their level of communication could be guaranteed, which included their political traditions as well as English law.
The Impact on Economic Activities and Governance
Greene explains the notion that the combination of scarcity of coercive resources and fiscal, as well as the "reluctance of the metropolitan government to spend money for imperial purposes settler expectations inevitable, meant that authority in the early modern British Empire would not be concentrated at the center but, instead, distributed between the center and the peripheries" (Greene 95). The conditions that were introduced in the nation during this time, led to a situation where the government administrators could find it difficult to enforce its authority and will and the direction provided centrally in the British Empire also became minimal. The process created an adverse impact on the economic activities that were being carried out in the nation, especially based on the fact that the changes affected most of the procedures of governance that had been implemented by the national administrators.
Emergence of Centers of Power
The centers that were considered to be of power in the nation were also established and the some of the agents that assisted in metropolitan centralization experienced difficulty in controlling them. Despite the notion that there were cases where the colonies assumed responsibility in the nation, the royal officials were ascertained to be governing property holders that were independent, which comprised of the larger population. The property holders insisted that they should be allowed to live under the arrangements that had been provided by the government administrators, which enabled them to have fundamental guarantees as well as a local autonomy that was considered as extraordinary in the society (Greene 104).
Constitutional Misconceptions
There are other constitutional 'misperceptions' from the end of the Glorious Revolution to the onset of the American Revolution, which have been developed by scholars over the years. Among the misperceptions include the concept that the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the United States (U.S.) Constitution serves the same purpose and all similar. However, scholars developed a keen analysis and ascertained that the documents were not similar and that the government administrators had developed them for different purposes in the nation. The other misperception that was introduced in the nation was that the constitution that had been implemented in the nation helped in making certain that the U.S. was democratic. According to studies, it is evident that the U.S. has been a republic for several years, especially based on the fact that its citizens are not allowed to vote on all issues directly, instead, they elect persons who will be given the mandate o decide on all activities being carried out in the nation.
Additional Misperceptions
Some of the misperceptions that have been developed by scholars also include the concept that the American government can be involved in armed conflict or war through the approval of the Congress. However, according to facts in the national administration, it is evident that there is a War Powers Clause, which is in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution, and it has the power to declare war in the nation. The president also has powers to approve war since he is the commander in chief of the armed forces, and can decide whether the Congress should enact the law or not.
Right to Vote and Constitutional Guarantees
The constitution of the nation does not state that all persons in the nation have a right to vote. However, some of the constitutional misperceptions in the nation that the U.S. Constitution guarantees all citizens the right to vote, which is not the case. There are some rules that have been enacted to explain the requirements that should be attained by a citizen so as to vote in the nation. Some of the regulations include the concept that individuals should have attained the age of 18 years and above, and that there should be no discrimination based on race, tribe, ethnic group, and background when allowing them to engage in the voting process (Greene 95).
Conclusion
Jack Greene developed an analysis of the causes of American Revolution, which have also been used by other scholars over the years to publish their books. Despite the notion that he has been widely known as a historian who specialized in Atlantic and Colonial American history, some of his ideas are aimed at explaining that the constitutional 'misperceptions' by British and American Revolution as the primary cause of the American Revolutions. Other scholars have also developed studies that are aimed at explaining some of the examples of constitutional 'misperceptions' America, and how they created an impact in operations that were being carried out by the government administrators in the nation.
Work Cited
Greene, Jack P. “The American Revolution.” The American Historical Review 105. 1 (2000): 93-102.
