The Use of Propaganda and Violence by the American Resistance Leaders

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The American Revolution was a revolution fought, unlike many others, over a dispute on principle. In most cases, the people revolted because they felt their government was abusing them, and was ruling "by the rich, for the rich", with no care for the general will. The American Revolution was, in a sense, rather progressive. It was fought because the people felt they weren't represented by their government, and had no say in decisions made for them. At the time, this was a heavy request. Most countries in Europe, including France, Germany, and Russia, where under the control of an absolute monarchy. John Locke lock tells us people are "absolved from any farther Obedience when the legislators endeavour to take away, and destroy the Property of the People, or to reduce them to Slavery under Arbitrary Power "(Second Treatise of Civil Government). The Americans decided to use violence to gain independence because of small taxes imposed upon them. They were in a sense fighting for free will, but they justified their own violence very easily. In the same fight for free will, the took it away from their own people, by prejudicing them through propaganda. When you lie to people, and give them false information, you lead them into ignorance, and take away from them the ability to make an informed decision. The American resistance leaders used propaganda to further their own purposes, and strung the common people along. This use of falsified information to promote the common good is not unique to the American Revolution. We can also witness instances of it in the Bolshevik Revolution, Communist China, and Nazi Germany. One instance in the American Revolution was the Boston Massacre. The "Massacre" was provoked by the "liberty boys" (The Unfinished Nation pg.108) who attacked a group of British soldiers. There was panic and confusion, which resulted in the soldiers firing on the crowd and killing five people. The event was instantly blown out of proportion. Paul Revere made the above engraving, portraying the colonists as a peaceful crowd being attacked by confident British soldiers. The "massacre" was highly publicized and a particularly inaccurate account was given in Innocent Blood Crying to God from the Streets of Boston. Samuel Adams was a key figure in "fomenting public outrage over the Boston Massacre" (The Unfinished Nation pg.104). He also created the "committee of correspondence" which was committed to publicizing Britain's shortcomings. Not only were the colonial leaders spreading dissent through twisted information, but they believed their cause justified violence and the persecution of innocents. Many an unfortunate officer, who was given the job of collecting taxes, was tarred and feathered by angry colonists. Loyalists and British people living within the colonies were subject to the colonists' wrath, and the subsequent violence that followed. Attacks against loyalists included tarring and feathering, and the burning and pillaging of houses. The Americans believed that morality was on their side, and that the "oppression" the British government was inflicting on them made all the violence in their power morally right.