The ideals of the American Revolution improved the lives of many (but hardly all) African Americans and women, though the effect on women was mixed and highly dependent on the state in question.While most essayists focus on the continuation of slavery in the southern states following the war, it is significant that the northern states, all of whom allowed slavery upon the outbreak of the war, eventually limited, and then banned, slavery. Many letters and pamphlets from this time demonstrated discomfort with slavery when "all men are created equal," agitating to end it in their states. From 1775 to 1783, the Atlantic slave trade was banned in the United States, primarily because of a refusal to buy anything from the British. This slackening of demand, though somewhat minor compared to demand for slaves in Brazil and the Caribbean, reduced slave prices in African markets somewhat, therefore reducing the number of people enslaved there for transportation west.The Vermont Republic partially banned slavery in 1777, Massachusetts banned slavery entirely by court order in 1780, Pennsylvania began the gradual elimination of slavery that same year, and beginning in 1783, the northern colonies quickly followed suit with some form of manumission, though New York and New Jersey were laggards, waiting until 1799 and 1804, respectively, to begin gradually freeing their slaves.Without the Revolution, it is highly doubtful that slaves anywhere in the colonies would have been freed so quickly, which was undoubtedly very important to those enslaved.Changes for women were more subtle, but still significant. In some cases, women, especially single women, who had had the right to vote under British rule were denied that right under the new state constitutions. On the other hand, primogeniture laws were repealed swiftly in most of the colonies, which meant that women could now inherit all or a portion of their parents' estate, and many did.Even more subtle was the effect of an explosion of commerce following the war, remarked upon rather unfavorably by many of the Founding Fathers. Accounts from the time indicate growing cottage industries where women and (often) children did hand crafts for local manufacturers. As women began to bring money into the family, their status within the family improved.In addition, the war removed the barriers to western expansion, and women accompanied men to what is now the American Midwest. Working side-by-side with men on the frontier, women found themselves with new status, though improvements in opportunities and legal status came more slowly. For instance, in 1837, Oberlin College admitted women, becoming the first co-educational institution in America. This western break with tradition was a long-term effect of the Revolutionary War.
When colonists declared their independence from Britain during the Revolutionary War in 1776, they cited a long list of grievances against the King of England. The desire to preserve and gain life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness was supposed to be for all colonists, as the Declaration of Independence states that "all men [mankind] are created equal." However, as the War ended and the American nation was officially formed through the Constitution, all men and women did not receive equal rights or treatment. While slavery was not officially ended until the 13th Amendment was passed in 1865, the seeds of fighting for equality were planted during the Revolution. Likewise, women did not have the same rights (such as voting or owning property) as men, especially white men, for centuries after the Revolution. However, the victory of the American Revolution did allow for a new nation to unfold which allowed women to fight for their rights. The ideals of the Revolution have been the foundation for African Americans and women to build upon since the war ended in 1783. Since that time, both women and African Americans have referenced the foundations of America in court, insisting that the U.S. government remember, revisit, preserve, and honor the ideals of equality and liberty for all Americans. Most importantly, the Constitution holds the laws in place which afford liberty and equality to all American citizens then, now, and in the future. When injustice occurs for any group of people, the U.S. Constitution allows American citizens to fight and protect the bedrock ideals this nation was founded upon. The Revolutionary War's ideals remain the same today, as Americans fight to apply them to all mankind.
The ideals of the American Revolution didn’t significantly affect the lives of African Americans and women. One of the goals of the American Revolution included gaining freedoms that weren’t available to the colonists while under English rule. However, while white male colonists gained their freedom by winning the Revolutionary War, African Americans and women still didn’t experience full freedom. It took many years for the abolitionist movement to succeed in ending slavery. The same was true for women, who faced a long struggle to gain freedoms such as the right to vote and the right to an equal education. Many women weren’t allowed to vote until 1920, and many African Americans remained in bondage until the end of the Civil War. Some people would argue that this struggle continues today, as African Americans and women continue to face many inequalities in their lives, including limited job opportunities and unequal pay.
While all the colonists were freed from being ruled by the British when the United States was created as a result of the Revolutionary War, women and African Americans faced a long struggle to reap the benefits that came with this independence.
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