The Common Man’s Role in the American Revolution Essay

If you live in the United States, you probably are aware of the American Revolution. Most educated adults in America can name at least on hero of pre-Revolutionary America such as Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere and Thomas Jefferson . But to what extent did these few men, credited with our freedom, actually participate in events that lead up to the revolution? How many countless men remained unnamed and unnoticed despite the work they put into the Revolution? These men have often been overlooked in textbooks, despite the fact most of the freedoms we have now are derived from their brave actions. But why did these men get the wheels of a revolution turning? What was the reason they had for their actions, the very ones that led†¦show more content†¦In about three hours from the time we went on board, we thus broken and thrown overboard every tea chest to be found in the ship; while those in other ships were disposing of the tea in the same way, at the same time. We were surrounded by British armed ships, but no attempt as made to resist us. We then quietly retired to our several places of residence, without any conversation with each other or taking any measure to discover who were our associates. These are the words of George Hewes, a simple shoemaker from Boston, who ended up having a profound affect on the Revolution. Hewes first met John Hancock in late 1762 or early 1763, but after the first meeting with the famous patriot, Hewes showed that even the smallest man can affect the outcome of the war. Hewes may have just been a shoemaker to the average Bostonian, but in certain events like the Tea Party he was just as big of a patriot as Hancock or Adams. According to James Hawkes and Benjamin Thatcher, two pre-revolutionary writers, Hewes was even given a position of authority, which has been conformed by Thompson Maxwell, a teamster and friend of Thatcher. Hewes, although a lowly shoemaker, lived a extremely close life to the birth of the Revolution. When the Boston Massacre occurred, Hewes knew four of the five killed that day, andShow MoreRelatedThe Age of Reason and Revolution Essay810 Words   |  4 PagesThe Age of Reason and Revolution Many individuals that lived in the period of time known as the Age of Reason, discovered many new inventions and advancements to improve the quality of life. Some of these advantages brought fourth new ideas to extraordinary people who forever changed the way we look at life. Although many people found these discoveries to bring great revival to mankind, others rejected these new improvements and felt as if they were defying god. TheseRead MoreEssay on Revolutionary characters1294 Words   |  6 PagesAdam Ferguson, and lastly Lord Kames. This social theory was that there were many levels of civility in a society. These levels were hunting, pasturage, agriculture, and commerce. 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