A Revolution with Limits

The American Revolution laid the foundations of self-governance while leaving most of its promises unmet for generations.

• Organized largely by colonial elites protecting economic interests
• Active support for independence was a committed minority, not the whole public
• French military intervention was decisive at Yorktown
• The promise of equality excluded the enslaved, women, and Native Americans

Its contradictions made it both inspiring and troubling: the same men who called liberty an unalienable right returned home to enslaved plantations.