“A rich man’s war, and a poor man’s fight…”

Half a Revolution: Our Class Struggle for Independence “A rich man’s war, and a poor man’s fight…” These words are usually associated with the Civil War but could be just as relevant to the Revolutionary War. In this chapter of famed historian, Howard Zinn’s, collection of primary source readings, the idea of “half a Revolution” is explored. His concept is simple: How can we really say a REVOLUTION happened when the outcome is essentially Old World 2.0? Other than the United States of America becoming a democratic republic in North America and successfully separating from England, most business, relationships, and socio-economic statuses remained the same. Through these direct primary source readings, Zinn and Anthony Arnove argue that we somewhat dropped the ball when presented with an immense opportunity. For example, Abigail Adams famously told her husband, John, to “…remember the ladies,” when drafting the new Constitution. Did he? Nope. We have to wait approximately 135 years for nationwide women’s suffrage. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg – what about Native Americans? Slaves? The poor? Our Revolution was an incredible success, but not without serious flaws. Read chapter 5, “Half a Revolution,” from Voices of a People’s History of the United States and answer the following questions in ESSAY form. Your paper should be 2-3 pages minimum, typed, size 12 font with normal margins. **Please do not answer these questions in the form of a worksheet – this will result in an automatic 15% deduction for failing to follow directions. Piece your thoughts together in a fluid report. And please, for the love of popsicles, PROOFREAD AND SPELLCHECK. Please?** To access the reading, go to the following website and scroll to CHAPTER 5 (pages 93 – 113). You might want to print these 20 pages for ease of reading and/or the ability to highlight. Website for reading: https://tinyurl.com/responsepaper2 Questions for this paper are continued on the back… Questions for this reading: 1. How does Joseph Clarke characterize or describe the rebellion? Do you believe he was for or against going to war with England? 2. Both Joseph Plumb Martin and Samuel Dewees write about the treatment of soldiers during the Revolutionary War. How do their experiences compare to one another? How do you think the interaction between soldiers and officers affected morale during the fight? Howard Zinn believes this domination by officers further shows “class conflict inside the Revolutionary Army” – do you agree? 3. According to Henry Knox, after the war, the thirteen colonies had essentially transformed into thirteen “sovereignties” and were now pitted against one another. What were some of the issues he presents for why Americans are suddenly against other Americans? 4. How does James Madison (writing under a pseudonym) define democracy and a republic? How are the similar and how are they different? 5. Overall, do you agree with Zinn’s statement that the War for Independence was “Half a Revolution?” Why or why not? Think about the quote from the top of the assignment page – “…a rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight…” Do you think this statement applies to the Revolutionary War? Which of the 5 authors presented best supports your view? 6. Finally, do you believe we’re still dealing with some of these same struggles in 2019? What do you think is the number one (or two) issues pitting American against American now?