In 1680, most European settlers were English. By 1770, the colonies had become a "polyglot" society. Waves of Scots, Germans, Dutch, Swiss, and French Huguenots joined a landscape already inhabited by Native Americans and a rapidly growing population of enslaved Africans. This "unprecedented jumble of peoples" created a unique ethnic and racial diversity that we still recognize as fundamentally American today. 2. The Birth of Global Consumerism
The "Hidden" Revolution: How America Became Modern Before 1776 Becoming America: The Revolution before 1776 fr...
Forget the image of the simple, self-sufficient pioneer. Butler reveals a colonial economy that was aggressive, profit-driven, and tied to international markets. In 1680, most European settlers were English
When we think of the American Revolution, we usually think of 1776—muskets, tea parties, and the Declaration of Independence. But according to historian Jon Butler in his book , the real revolution started nearly a century earlier. This "unprecedented jumble of peoples" created a unique
We often hear about New England town meetings, but Butler argues that real political power moved to the provincial level. Colonists became "politically self-conscious" and power-hungry, building complex political institutions that were far more participatory than those in Europe. They weren't just reacting to British taxes; they were practicing the art of self-governance for decades. Why It Matters
Next time you think about the founders, remember that they were the products of a century-long cultural revolution that changed the world before the first shot was ever fired. Becoming America - Harvard University Press