“IN MORE ways than is often recognized, the one hundred years after the death of Elizabeth I in 1603 comprise the first century of the modern world. A number of developments peculiar to modern European thought cluster within these years: the true beginnings of modern science in the work of Galileo and Newton, Harvey and Boyle, the first expression of modern democratic ideas by the Levellers and the Army Debates of the English Civil Wars; the decisive break in a millennium of religious dominance with the end of the wars of religion and the acceptance of the principle of religious tolerance; the achievement of lasting constitutional and representative government in England with the Glorious Revolution of 1688.”
The epoch after 1603 ushers in modernism which is crucial for the advancement of the New World. Scientific innovations contribute to the introduction of machinery and other noteworthy equipment that aid in the growth of America in terms of Agriculture and industries. Democratic ideologies depict the essence of having citizens involved in the selection of leaders. Moreover, the cessation of religion-linked wars provides an ample atmosphere for tolerance and people belonging to different religions. The revolution changes people's perspectives about various issues which results in a change of ideologies and beliefs.
“The colonists of the eighteenth century pushed forward what those of the seventeenth century had begun: the expansion and elaboration of an economy born in the great age of capitalist expansion. The economic life of the vast majority of the million and a half people in the colonies of the mid-eighteenth century was still dominated, as in the seventeenth, by the rhythm of agriculture. But now a sizable merchant class thrived in a half a dozen seaboard cities, its trading operations being one of the great sources of the new wealth which distinguished the eighteenth-century economy from the seventeenth.”
American's economy was founded on the ideology of capitalism which drives individuals to strive for private property ownership. The spirit of capitalism is instrumental in the development of America because of the struggle for success which is rife at the micro realm. The individual struggle contributes to the overall development of the entire economy. Agricultural investments lay a foundation for the development of the cities for the dwellers have adequate food supplies. Ideologies such as socialism which is the antithesis of capitalism would not have a place in the American culture due to the deep-rooted nature of capitalism.
“But once it was done by the United States, the example was not ignored. Within a century after the Revolution, France, Spain, and Portugal lost portions or all their New World empires through colonial rebellion. Nor have the echoes yet ceased. In 1945, one sour Englishman in Batavia during the rebellion of the Indonesians against the Dutch remarked, “That damned American Revolution…is still giving us trouble.” Despite its precedent-setting character, however, the American revolt is noteworthy because it made no serious interruption in the smooth flow of American development.”
America's triumphant and impressive revolution encourages other colonies to oppose the dominance of the major colonial powers. The rebellions are indicative of the colonies' desire for autonomy. Americans demonstrate the viability of revolution through the success of theirs. Surprisingly, the revolution is smooth that it does not imperil America's course of development. The leaders of the revolution are intelligent for they implement strategies that do not interrupt Americans' engagement. Accordingly, revolutions do not have to be violent and deadly.
