The Myth Of Popular Participation

3 Pages 640 Words

“The Myth of Popular Participation in the Revolutionary War”

1. On which side, if any, were your ancestors during the American Revolution? Why? Given your political ideas today, on which side would you probably have been? Why?
I took the time to ask my family what they might know of where our ancestors would have stood when it came to the American Revolution and I was surprised by the information that I was able to acquire. My mother’s family was not part of this country until very recently. Her father was the first of his family o be born in the United States and her mother during world war two to become a United States citizen. The information however for my father’s side was more interesting it seems that not long ago his maternal aunt did a whole genealogy, prior to it become the fad it is today, and published it in a book. I was unable to find a copy of this book and the copy my grandmother had was in a very fragile state. I was able however to get some valuable information from them. It seems that one relative was either sent to the colonies or beheaded for be part of a party trying to over throw the crown. After that my relatives seems to show mostly as pro-Americans they even later on founded their own town; Harrisburg, Indiana and became president William and Benjamin Harrison. My own feelings about the American Revolution tend to follow that of my father’s family. Though the country we live in today may not be what the revolutionists had in mind. It is something to be proud of and though we have a long road ahead of us it was worth the fight.

2. Why did the myth of a powerful, patriotic militia emerge? What kept it alive for so long?
The myth of patriotic militia emerged because the image of “ordinary citizens”
taking up arms to fend of the “horrible” redcoats was something to be honored and remembered. The country needed a way to appeal to the those “ordinary citizens.” Without their support ...