ThesocialhierarchyaroundthetimeoftheAmericanRevolutionhad,assomepeople

claim,changedwithsocialupheavalanddidnotconformtothestandardsoftheclasses.These
ideasareverytrue,thoughsomemaybeskepticaltobelieveso,andtherearesomeexceptionsto
this.Overall,mosthistoriansbelievetheAmericanRevolutionplayedalargepartinchanging
thesocialhierarchyinthecolonies.
TheAmericanRevolutionchangedinawaythattheygaverightstowomeninthe
coloniesandtheybegantoformtheirownkindofgovernment.AbigailAdamsandJohnAdams
correspondedthroughoutJohnscareerandthroughoutthetimesthattheywereseparated
becauseofit.Abigailwroteletterstoherhusbandspeakingoutabouthowshebelievedwomen
shouldbeabletohavethesamerightsasmen.Sheclaimedthattheyshouldnotputunlimited
powerintothehandsofmen,whocouldbeverytyrannicaliftheypleased.Johnresponds,We
knowbetterthantorepealourMasculinesystems.WedarenotexertourPowertoitsfull
Latitude.(DocA)JohnthengoesontosendalettertoJohnSullivanaskingifmaybethey
should,intheory,alloweveryindividualwithinthecommunity,nomatterage,race,gender,or
classtoexpresslyconsentoneveryactoflegislation.Normallyawomenwouldnotbeableto
swayamansideasandgetthemtoevenconsiderallowingeveryonetoactwithinsomeformof
governmentbusiness.Abigailwasnottheonlyonetosuggestthisideathatwomenshouldshare
someofthesamerightsthatmenhave.PriscillaMasonaddressestheotherpatronsofher
academydemandingthatmensrightsbeextendedtowomen,andwomenshouldearntherights
byseekingapropereducationjustlikethemendo.InherspeechMasonsaidButsupposing
nowthatweposses'dallthetalentsoftheorator,inthehighestperfectionwhereshallwefinda
theatreforthedisplayofthem?Mandespoticman,firstmadeusincapableoftheduty,andthen
forbidustheexercise.Letusbysuitableeducation,qualifyourselvesforthosehigh
departmentstheywillopenbeforeus..(DocE)Insayingthisshebegantochangesomeofthe
mindsofwomenandsheputtheideaintomotionthatwomenshouldbeabletoeducateand
provethemselvestogetthesamerightsasmen.Afterallthiswassaidanddonewomen,insome
coloniessuchasNewJerseywereallowedtovoteingovernmentalissues.Theywerealso,ina
fewcolonies,allowedtobeeducatedinaproperschoolandownland.
TheAmericanRevolutionalsochangedotheraspectsoftheAmericansociety.African
Americanslavesandfreemenweregivenmorerightsandminoritiesandwomenspokeout
againstwhattheybelievedwhatwasrightandwhatwasnt.APhiladelphiawomandidnotfeel
thatsheneededtohideherleaningtowardhelpingtherebelcauseduringherlettertoaBritish
officer,andshewasnttheonlyonetodoso.InherlettersheclaimedthattheBritishempire
wasnotgoingtowinagainsttherebelcolonistsandshecontinuedtoexpresswhyandhowshe
washelping.Sheclaimed,shehadretrenchedeverysuperfluousexpenseinmytableand
family.(DocC)sheboycottedallBritishmadegoods,suchasteaandclothing.Shealongwith
manyotherwomenboycottedBritishgoodsandmadetheirownclothing,food,andothergoods.
InMassachusettsslavesdemandedfreedomthesameasthecoloniesdemandedtheir
independence.IntheirpetitiontheyclaimedThattheyhave,incommonwithallotherMen,a

naturalandunalienablerighttothatfreedom,whichthegreatParentoftheUniversehath
bestowedequallyonallofmankind.(DocF)Thesignersofthispetitiondidnotliketheidea
thattheywerenottreatedlikehowgodwouldlikethemtobe.Intheeyesofgod,allmenare
equalandthewhitecolonistsdidnotenforcethatidea,sotheAfricanAmericansbroughtitto
theirattentionandtheygottheresponsethattheyweresortoflookingfor,morerights.The
slavesthatwrotethispetitionusedthesameargumentthatthecolonistshadoftaxationwhen
theyjustifiedtherebellionagainsttheKingofgreatBritain.TheywroteWeapprehend
ourselvestobeAggrieved,inthatwhilewearenotallowedthePrivilegeoffreemenoftheState
havingnovoteorInfluenceintheElectionofthosethatTaxusyetmanyofourColourhave
cheerfullyEnteredthefieldofBattleindefenseoftheCommonCauseandthatagainstasimilar
ExertionofPower(inRegardtotaxation)toowellknowntoneedarecitalinthisplace(DocG)
Thisspeakingoutofwhattheminoritiesandwomenwouldhaveneverhappenedbeforethe
Revolution,butbecauseofitthesocialhierarchychangedanditwasnolongeroutofthenorm
tospeakyourmind.
TheAmericanRevolutionalsochangedthewaypeoplewereeducated,whowasallowed
tobeeducated,andthejobsthattheycouldhave.BenjaminBannekerwasafreebornblackman
inMaryland,hewasaselftaughtmathematicianandastronomer.Hecomposedanalmanacto
demonstratehisskillsasoneoftheblackraceandchallengedThomasJeffersonandwellas
otherwhiteAmericans,whounderminedtheblackraceandwhattheywereabletodo.Hesays
Iapprehendyouwillembraceeveryopportunitytoeradicatethattrainofabsurdandfalseideas
andopinions,whichsogenerallyprevailswithrespecttousandthatyoursentimentsare
concurrentwithmine,whichare,thatoneuniversalFatherhathgivenbeingtousallandthathe
hathnotonlymadeusallofoneflesh,butthathehathalso,withoutpartiality,affordedusallthe
samesensationsandendowedusallwiththesamefaculties.(DocH)HesaystoJeffersonthat
heandtheblackracearenottobeundermined,theyareequaltothewhitecolonistsintheeyes
ofgodanditshouldbethatwayinthecoloniestoo.Theyshouldnotdiscriminateandstereotype
themjustbecauseofthecoloroftheirskin,theyaresmartandhaveideajustasgoodasany
whitemandoes.JeffersonwrotebacktoBannekerandarrangedanappointmentforhisasa
surveyorfortheDistrictofColumbia.Inhisletter,JeffersonstatesNobodywishesmorethanI
dotoseesuchproofsasyouexhibit,thatnaturehasgivenourblackbrethren,talentsequalto
thoseoftheothercolorsofmen,andthattheappearanceofawantofthemisowingmerelyto
thedegradedconditionoftheirexistence,bothinAfrica&America.(DocI)Heagreedwith
Benjaminandactuallyhelpedhimbecauseofhowheprovedhimselfinhiswritingofthe
almanac..Thispavedthewayforotherminorities,andevenwomen,togetaneducationanda
goodjobinthecolonies.
TheSocialHierarchywithintheUScoloniesaftertheAmericanrevolutionchangedquite
abitfromwhatitwasbefore.Whilesomehistoriansmaydenytheclaimsbecausenotall
evidencesupportsthisidea100%,itstillittrue.AfricanAmericans,women,andotherminorities

wereallowedtospeakoutforwhattheybelievedinandtheybegantoshapeAmericaaswe
knowitastoday.