The forces of liberty, republicanism, patriotism, and independence asserted American
rights causing the Revolution. In turn, the Revolution affected the American social fabric in
myriads of ways. The revolution impacted multiple aspects of America’s social, political and
economic life. Although the American Revolution changed American attitudes, beliefs, and
culture forever, investigating its impact on Native Americans and slaves is critical to
understanding the Revolution's background.
Outcomes of American Revolution War on Native Americans
During the American Revolution, most Indian Nations sided with the British to protect
their homelands from the encroachment of American colonists and land speculators. The Royal
Proclamation of 1763 restricted colonial expansion beyond the Appalachian Mountains, a decree
that antagonized many American colonists. As a result, most Indian nations understood the
Revolution was a struggle for Indian land and liberty.
Subsequently, a significant outcome of this situation was that many American Indian
tribes participated in the war. For example, Cherokee warriors, worried by their lands' continued
loss, defied their older chiefs, and attacked colonists’ settlements. However, expeditions from
Carolinas, Georgia, and Virginia soundly defeated them. In contrast, most New England Indian
tribes supported their colonial neighbors, for example, those from Stockbridge's town in western
Massachusetts. Some volunteered as minutemen, enrolled in the Washington army and Boston,
and served in Canada, New Jersey, and New York. As a result, the Revolution caused a rift in the
Iroquois Confederacy with Mohawks under Joseph Brant supporting the British. Later, the
Cayugas, Seneca, and Onondagas joined the Mohawks. However, the Tuscaroras and Oneidas
side with the American revolutionaries. In time, the Revolution ignited a civil war between
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Native American tribes, with the Senecas and Oneidas clashing in battle at Oriskany in 1777. A
significant outcome of Native Indian American participation in the Revolution was the land loss
to ame4rican following the victory. This development altered their way of life, forcing them to
migrate westwards. Besides that, American Revolutionaries and the British treat Native
Americans poorly by including them in diplomatic negotiations.
Despite their support for the British, Native Americans lacked representation in the
military and political decision-making processes. As a result, most Indian Tribes perceived an
independent America as a more significant threat than colonial America. Following the signing
of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Britain ceded all Indian lands to the west of the Mississippi to
America, leaving pro-British Indians, leading to the forced relocation of Native Americans to
Canada and areas beyond the Mississippi. Subsequently, more settlers' incursion forced tribes
such as the Tuscarora and Oneidas to sell their lands and move to the west. Despite the American
Revolution's achievements, native Indian groups in the west of the Appalachian Mountains
remained a formidable military and security threat to the young United States.
Impacts of the American Revolution War on Slave
The American Revolution war caused unprecedented debates about the morality of the
slavery institution and its compatibility with the new nation's founding principles. Although the
Revolution strife did not abolish slavery altogether, it initiated radical and gradual emancipation
in northern states. Among the southern confederates, the slavery institutes suffered because the
war resulted in reduced production and thousands of black slaves' loss to the British. Although
some slaveholders' states in the south, like Virginia, emancipated their slaves after the
Revolution war, slavery was still profoundly entrenched among southern states. It was the main
channel of production to sustain the economy.
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On the advent of the Revolutionary war in 1755, the Quakers founded the first antislavery
society in Philadelphia. This became the inspiration for numerous other antislavery campaigns in
America. The struggle for liberty caused some American Slaveholders to emancipate their
laborers as the northern states began to adopt legislation for emancipation. For instance, New
Hampshire and Massachusetts outlawed slavery through judicial processes. Pennsylvania also
adopted laws outlining the gradual emancipation stipulating that children born after March 1,
1780, to mothers considered indentured servants as liberal beings when they turned 28.
The Revolutionary rhetoric of equality inspired a revolutionary generation comprising
slaves and free black Americans to galvanize the antislavery movement towards the 19 th century.
The growing population of free blacks began to establish social institutions such as churches and
schools. The blacks who associated with these institutions started to agitate for the less fortunate
brothers' manumission, and sisters still caught up in slavery rooting their arguments in the calls
for natural rights and democratic principles.
Another notable outcome of the Revolutionary war was an increase in the population of
the black community. However, it is critical to note that strife's overall effect on slavery
produced some adverse outcomes. For instance, in the rice-growing regions of Georgia and
South Carolina, the patriot victory affirmed the influence of the master class. The uncertainties
associated with slavery and legal adjustments occurring in the North and Upper South did not
significantly affect whites in the Lower South. The legal restrictions introduced in 1792 further
complicated the course of freeing some slaves. Consequently, as the North was finding its way
out of slavery, racism was prevalent in other regions such as Massachusetts. For instance, a
discriminatory law prohibited whites from legally espousing people from other races.
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Conclusion
The revolutionary war brought about significant disruptions in American society. The
spirited fight and military service of African Americans and the emancipation spirit inspired the
call to abolish slavery and recognize inherent human rights. The war pressured some American
slave-owners to manumit their slaves. However, some regions in the south were reluctant to
revoke their stances on the slavery institution. Emancipated slaves, inspired by the revolutionary
generation, began to agitate for the antislavery movement. On the other side, Native Americans,
including Shawnee, Creek, Iroquois, and Cherokee, began to support the British, hoping that they
would continue to restrict the land-hungry colonial settlers encroaching the west beyond the
Appalachian mountains. However, the Native American tribes were ultimately displaced and
pushed further west during the 19 th century. On the overall, the American Revolutionary war
caused massive disruptions, both positive and negative, on the social, political and social aspects
of America’s society.