History in Dispute

by Krawczynksi, Keith; Frankel, Benjamin; Allison, Robert J.; Showalter, Dennis E.

• ISBN13: 9781558624566
• ISBN10: 1558624562
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-03-01
• Publisher: St James Pr

Table of Contents

About the Series	xiii
Acknowledgments	xiv
Preface	xv
Keith Krawczynski
Chronology	xix
Anthony J. Scotti Jr.
African Americans: Did the American Revolution improve conditions for African Americans?	1	(8)
Yes. The Revolution provided blacks with new opportunities in the Northern states where gradual emancipation laws were passed and freedmen owned property and established their own social, cultural, and religious institutions	2	(2)
Andrew Shankman
No. The vast majority of blacks remained in servitude after the Revolution, and white racism intensified following the war	4	(5)
Andrew K. Frank
Arnold: Was Benedict Arnold a scoundrel?	9	(8)
Yes. Benedict Arnold was an avaricious and egocentric traitor who acted out of injured pride after he was censured for malfeasance and passed over for promotion	10	(3)
Everett W. Kindig
No. Benedict Arnold was an honorable man who increasingly felt that the Revolution was being led by false Patriots; he switched his loyalty to the British in order to preserve his reputation as a gentleman	13	(4)
Sandy Moats
Articles of Confederation: Did the Articles of Confederation provide an effective national constitution?	17	(10)
Yes. The Articles of Confederation provided an effective framework of government by resolving the postwar financial crisis, establishing the basic policies for westward expansion, and creating a permanent federal bureaucracy to carry on the affairs of state when Congress was not in session	18	(4)
Steven R. Boyd
No. The Articles of Confederation provided for a central government that was too weak to confront and resolve the postwar financial, commercial, and diplomatic emergencies facing the young nation	22	(5)
Phillip Hamilton
Britain's Vietnam: Is there validity to the argument of historians who compare the American Revolution to the Vietnam War?	27	(9)
Yes. Parallels between the Revolutionary War and Vietnam War include overconfidence among military leaders, guerilla warfare, increasing opposition at home, enormous logistical problems, and critical foreign aid to the opposition	28	(3)
Vivian Linford Talbot
No. More differences than similarities exist between the two conflicts, and Britain had greater justification in trying to subdue the American colonies than the United States had in intervening in Vietnam's civil war	31	(5)
David C. Twining
British Victory: Could the British have won the Revolutionary War?	36	(7)
Yes. Great Britain could have suppressed the American rebellion if it had utilized a consistent military strategy and utilized better generals	37	(3)
George Sochan
No. To defeat the Rebels, the British would have had to win the support of the populace, something it would never do given American determination not to submit	40	(3)
Anthony J. Scotti Jr.
Carleton: Why did Sir Guy Carleton choose not to attack Patriots retreating from Canada and upper New York in late 1776 and early 1777?	43	(7)
Carleton failed to be as aggressive as he should have been because he overestimated Loyalist support in the colonies and was committed to a policy of conciliation toward the enemy that had little possibility of success	44	(3)
Michael P. Gabriel
Carleton chose not to attack the retreating Patriots because of unfavorable weather, the poor state of reinforcements, limited intelligence, and logistical problems	47	(3)
Anthony J. Scotti Jr.
Cause: Did the British doctrine of Parliamentary sovereignty allow viable alternatives to avoid conflict with rebellious colonists?	50	(10)
Yes. Crown officials had viable alternatives before 1776 that could have preserved the essential claims of the contending parties and averted armed conflict	51	(4)
Stephen Middleton
No. The firm position of the British government that Parliament should reign supreme throughout the realm prevented the Crown from considering the American position that the empire might be preserved without totally subordinating the colonies	55	(5)
Howard L. Lubert
Christian Nation: Was the United States founded as a Christian nation?	60	(8)
Yes. The Founding Fathers saw an intrinsic relationship between Christian values and morality and believed a virtuous citizenry was essential to the survival of the republic	61	(3)
Dietrich Buss
No. The Founding Fathers created a secular federal charter intended to protect the religious pluralism of American citizens by maintaining a separation of church and state	64	(4)
Steven R. Boyd
Constitution: Was the Constitution an economic document intended as a countermeasure to the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence?	68	(9)
Yes. The Constitution was an economic document framed by wealthy planters, merchants, and creditors who sought to protect the privileges of the propertied classes and reverse the leveling principles inspired by the Declaration of Independence	69	(5)
Keith Krawczynski
No. The Founding Fathers, who represented a cross section of geographical areas and political interest groups, created a democratic framework of government	74	(3)
Steven R. Boyd
Continental Navy: Did the Continental Navy play a significant role in the U.S. victory over Great Britain?	77	(8)
Yes. The Continental Navy played a crucial role by attacking enemy vessels, supplying the American Army with sorely needed munitions, transporting diplomats to Europe, and increasing the diplomatic tension between Britain and France	78	(2)
Alan V. Briceland
No. The Continental Navy was too small and undermanned to have a significant impact on the American war effort	80	(5)
Amy Mitchell-Cook
Continental Soldier: Was the Continental Army a reflection of American Patriot society?	85	(7)
Yes. The American Revolution was a people's war, and the Continental Army represented a cross section of society where social rank did not determine military service. The typical Continental served for a long period of time and fought for republican ideals	86	(3)
Walter L. Sargent
No. Continental recruits were the dregs of society, who joined the army for economic self-interest. Recruits were frequently insubordinate and deserted in large numbers	89	(3)
Kendra Debany
Keith Krawczynski
Conway Cabal: Was there a secret plot to remove George Washington as commander in chief in the winter of 1777-1778?	92	(8)
Yes. Washington's critics sought to replace him with General Horatio Gates in an attempt to restore leadership and salvage some measure of victory in the American Revolution	93	(3)
J. Kent McGaughy
No. There is no evidence of a cabal against George Washington. Criticism of Washington's military abilities reflected the discontent common in an open society during wartime, not part of a plot to overthrow him as commanding general	96	(4)
Gregory D. Massey
Deciding Factor: Did the American victory at Saratoga convince France to enter into an alliance with the United States?	100	(8)
Yes. With the victory at Saratoga, the French were convinced that the Americans could win the war and thus deserved official diplomatic recognition and full military aid	101	(3)
Dorothy Potter
Anthony J. Scotti Jr.
No. The major factors encouraging the entry of France into the war in 1778 were a desire to restore the balance of power, the completion of French rearmament, and deteriorating relations with Great Britain	104	(4)
Keith Pacholl
Declaration of Independence: Is the Declaration of Independence a constitutional document?	108	(10)
Yes. America was established as a nation by the recognition of the universal human rights of life, liberty, and equality expressed in the Declaration of Independence	109	(4)
Samuel H. Rankin Jr.
No. The Declaration of Independence has no standing in American constitutional law because its authors did not give it any constitutional authority and because it was never ratified by the people	113	(5)
K. R. Constantine Gutzman
Founding Fathers: Were the Founding Fathers guided by modern liberalism in their efforts to establish a framework of government?	118	(9)
Yes. The Founding Fathers were most influenced by the writings of British liberals such as John Locke, Adam Smith, and Thomas Hobbes, all of whom stressed the values of individualism, capitalism, private interest, and the market economy	119	(3)
Kristi L. Nichols
No. The Founding Fathers were guided by the classical republicanism of Aristotle, Cicero, Niccolo Machiavelli, James Harrington, and Viscount Bolingbroke, all of whom advanced the values of public virtue and civic humanism	122	(5)
Andrew Shankman
French Revolution: Was there a causal relationship between the American and French Revolutions?	127	(9)
Yes. The American Revolution facilitated the French Revolution by contributing to financial chaos and widespread dissatisfaction in France and by providing the French people with a model for political reform	128	(3)
James C. Foley
Keith Krawczynski
No. The basic causes of the French Revolution were government debt, poor harvests, class differences, and publicized opposition to the King. The French did not need an American example to incite them to revolution	131	(5)
Courtney Spikes
George III: Did George III instigate the American Revolution?	136	(9)
Yes. George III played an important role in bringing about the American Revolution by helping, with his ministers, to craft the basic principles behind colonial policies	137	(3)
Charles W. Cross
No. The British monarch had no definite views on colonial administration and lacked the power to dictate colonial policy decisions	140	(5)
Andrew J. O'Shaughnessy
Great Awakening: Did the Great Awakening lay the groundwork for the American Revolution?	145	(10)
Yes. The colonial religious revivals of the eighteenth century paved the way for the American Revolution by encouraging religious revitalization, intercolonial unity, democracy, and anti-authoritarianism	146	(3)
John Howard Smith
No. The religious revivals did not produce the dramatic religious and political changes ascribed to them. There was virtually no link between the Great Awakening and the American Revolution	149	(6)
Charles L. Cohen
Howe Brothers: Were the British co-commanders General William Howe and Admiral Richard Howe capable leaders?	155	(9)
Yes. The Howes were competent professionals who took on the impossible task of functioning simultaneously as military commanders and peacemakers	156	(2)
Anthony J. Scotti Jr.
No. The Howe brothers squandered opportunities to crush George Washington's army	158	(6)
James A. Dolph
Impact On Britain: Did the loss of the Thirteen Colonies have a significant impact on the British Empire?	164	(9)
Yes. The loss of the thirteen North American colonies had a profound effect on Britain, and it caused the Crown to implement military, political, and economic reforms	165	(3)
William E. Van Vugt
No. The British political system and economy had been changing well before the Revolutionary War, and that conflict had only a minimal effect on the Empire	168	(5)
Andrew M. Schocket
Iroquois: Did the American Revolution cause a civil war within the Iroquois confederacy?	173	(8)
Yes. The American Revolution caused unprecedented internal conflict among the Iroquois and reduced the power and prestige of their confederacy	174	(3)
Daniel S. Murphree
No. Although Iroquois warriors fought on opposing sides during the American Revolution, they made efforts to minimize conflict with each other	177	(4)
Karim M. Tiro
Loyalist Support: Would a greater reliance on Loyalist troops as an offensive force have made a difference in the outcome of the war?	181	(7)
Yes. An early, concerted, and protracted utilization of Loyalists in the South and the divided states of New York and New Jersey could have made a difference in the outcome of the war	182	(3)
George D. Massey
No. Loyalist strength in America was never as large as British officials believed	185	(3)
Anthony J. Scotti Jr.
Loyalist Treatment: Were the Loyalists persecuted by the Patriots during the Revolutionary War?	188	(8)
Yes. Patriot leaders used violence, intimidation, confiscation of property, banishment, and political, economic, and social ostracism to persecute Loyalists	189	(3)
Alexander Campbell
No. Although Patriots inflicted some violence against Loyalists, it was isolated and brief. Indeed, following the war, many Loyalists returned home where they recovered lost property, collected debts, and moved in Patriot circles	192	(4)
Stephanie Kermes
Mercantilism: Was British mercantile policy a causal factor in the American Revolution?	196	(8)
Yes. British mercantilism, as exemplified in the various Navigation Acts, enriched the English merchant class while deliberately choking off crucial areas of American economic growth	197	(3)
George Sochan
No. Far from causing economic harm, the Navigation Acts brought enormous benefits to Americans, who did not object to mercantilist policies	200	(4)
J. Kent McGaughy
Nationalism: Did nascent nationalism help stimulate the American independence movement?	204	(9)
Yes. Americans by the mid 1700s had developed a sense of nationalism resulting from increased political, economic, and cultural autonomy	205	(3)
Catherine Kaplan
No. Americans in 1776 were still too divided by differences in economy, demography, government, and settlement patterns to have developed a sense of nationalism; rather, the colonists were becoming more Anglicized during the eighteenth century	208	(5)
Andrew Shankman
Nature of the Revolution: Was the American Revolution a people's revolt?	213	(8)
Yes. The common people, motivated by republican principles, fought against special privilege and pushed for greater political, religious, and social equality	214	(3)
Larry Gragg
No. The American Revolution was an independence movement directed by the elite, who determined the goals of the rebellion and its direction	217	(4)
Mary C. Ferrari
Newburgh Conspiracy: Was the Newburgh conspiracy in early 1783 a serious threat to Congressional authority?	221	(9)
Yes. Nationalist leaders in Congress and a clique of military officers sought to use Army discontent over back pay and pensions to replace the existing central government with a stronger one	222	(3)
Steven E. Siry
No. The situation at Newburgh, although potentially dangerous, did not become a serious threat to the government because the nationalists and Army dissidents had no unified plan of action	225	(5)
Paul Douglas Newman
Parliamentary Policies: Did Parliamentary policies toward the Thirteen Colonies after 1760 justify the American call for independence?	230	(9)
Yes. The colonial policies of Parliament violated Americans' rights as Englishmen	231	(3)
Kim Klein
No. Parliament was justified in tightening loopholes in its imperial administration of the Thirteen Colonies and insisting that the Americans recognize its supremacy	234	(5)
John D. Fair
Parliamentary Supremacy: Did the British constitution afford Parliamentary supremacy over the internal affairs of the colonies?	239	(9)
Yes. Parliamentary supremacy was firmly established by statutory precedents	240	(5)
Anthony M. Joseph
No. There was no historical justification for Parliament's claim of supremacy over the colonies; the colonial possessions were the King's dominion	245	(3)
Jonathan Mercantini
Popular Support: Did the British people support the government's policies toward the Thirteen Colonies?	248	(9)
Yes. The Crown was simply carrying out the will of the British people	249	(2)
Isaac Land
No. Britain was severly polarized over the ministry's coercive American policy, and persistent opposition forced the Crown to wage a limited war, which contributed to the American victory	251	(6)
Peter Dunkley
Revolutionary Event: Did the American Revolution have a revolutionary impact on American life?	257	(10)
Yes. The American Revolution transformed American society into a nation founded on what was regarded as radical principles that subordinated the function of government to natural law	258	(3)
Scott John Hammond
No. The American Revolution was a conservative movement intended to preserve the existing social, political, and economic order	261	(6)
Alan Watson
Saratoga: Were Generals John Burgoyne and William Howe responsible for the British defeat at Saratoga?	267	(9)
Yes. Burgoyne was overly confident, while Howe failed to support operations in Upstate New York adequately	268	(3)
Michael P. Gabriel
No. Responsibility for the defeat rests mostly with colonial secretary Lord George Germain, who failed to coordinate British armies and who grievouly underestimated American forces	271	(5)
Robert B. Bruce
Second Amendment: Was the Second Amendment designed to safeguard the private right of individuals to defend themselves?	276	(9)
Yes. Endorsing a liberal individualistic vision of America where citizens pursue private interests, the Founding Fathers designed the Second Amendment to grant citizens the right to bear arms to protect themselves from any assault on their natural liberties, whether from other individuals or a tyrannical government	277	(4)
Carey M. Roberts
No. Guided by republican ideals, the Founding Fathers believed citizens had a collective obligation to defend the security of the state, and the individual's right to bear arms is limited to his service in militias formed for that purpose	281	(4)
Stephen Middleton
Shays's Rebellion: Did Shays's Rebellion influence the adoption of the Constitution?	285	(8)
Yes. Shays's Rebellion strengthened the movement for a new U.S. constitution by impressing upon conservatives the need for a stronger central government capable of maintaining order	286	(2)
Mark Spencer
No. The movement for constitutional revision was well under way prior to Shays's Rebellion	288	(5)
Paul Douglas Newman
Slavery: Could the American Revolution have led to the end of slavery?	293	(8)
Yes. Antislavery proponents offered reasonable and viable plans to deal with the potential economic and social problems arising from emancipation	294	(3)
Keith Krawczynski
No. The nascent nation, already burdened with a heavy war debt, could neither afford to compensate slave owners for the loss of their property nor jeopardize the precarious union with an emancipation plan that was strongly opposed by the lower South	297	(4)
James C. Foley
Washington: Was George Washington a great military strategist?	301	(9)
Yes. Washington was an innovative yet prudent commander who tailored his tactics to meet the changing circumstances of war. His keen understanding of leadership and power enabled him to inspire his troops and aided him in dealing with Congress	302	(4)
Everett W. Kindig
No. Washington was an inflexible, conventional commander who made frequent blunders and endangered the Continental Army	306	(4)
Susannah Ural Bruce
West Indies: Why did the British West Indies fail to support the American revolt?	310	(7)
The British West Indies were far too dependent on the mother country economically, socially, and militarily to join the American War of Independence	311	(3)
Mark S. Quintanilla
The white inhabitants of the British Caribbean had more conservative views of the English constitution and Empire than those held by Americans	314	(3)
Andrew J. O'Shaughnessy
Women: Did the American Revolution change the role of women in American society?	317	(8)
Yes. The Revolution broke down traditional barriers and changed perceptions of the proper female role in society as women increasingly declared their interest in public affairs	318	(3)
Mary L. Kelley
No. The Revolution produced no significant benefits for women because their limited prewar experiences did not prepare them to take advantage of opportunities to elevate their position in society	321	(4)
Judith Ridner
References	325	(10)
Contributors' Notes	335	(4)
Index	339