Colonial Society Theme Analysis

In 1776, David McCullough provides a lot of detail about the structure of the American military during the Revolutionary War. But he also suggests that the military was itself a reflection of American society at the time. Based on his depiction of the American military, McCullough suggests that American society in the late 18th century was beginning to embrace principles of egalitarianism, meritocracy, and class mobility to an unprecedented degree. The American military offered opportunities for advancement to people who could prove their talent through hard work. McCullough shows that George Washington favored ambitious, talented officers such as Henry Knox and Nathanael Greene, who earned Washington’s trust because of their military successes, and were rewarded with rapid promotions. Greene and Knox’s ascension is particularly striking since both men came from low- or middle-class backgrounds. Greene in particular was from an impoverished family—a fact that Washington seems not to have held against him during the war. The American army’s emphasis on social mobility and meritocracy contrasts markedly with the structure of the British military around the same time: the most powerful people in the British military tended to be aristocrats who’d won their positions through money and social status, rather than talent or proven track records. (See “British Society.”)

But even if colonial American society was more equitable and meritocratic than certain other Western societies at the same time, it was far from perfectly equitable or meritocratic. Colonial America was still an aristocratic society in many ways. Even George Washington, a living symbol of American democratic values, in many ways behaved and was treated like a European aristocrat. Until the 1770s, Washington lived the life of a wealthy English lord, and even after he became president he was known as “His Excellency.” Furthermore, Washington was often described as being innately superior to everyone around him—a description that arguably has roots in 18th century notions about the inherent superiority of the nobility. Colonial America was also a fundamentally racist society. The meritocracy enjoyed by Greene and Knox didn’t extend to the African American soldiers who fought on the American side. Indeed, Washington, a slave-owner himself, originally didn’t want African Americans serving in his army, but was forced to compromise because he desperately needed troops. In all, the American military—and American society in general—took some important steps toward realizing more egalitarian ideals such as meritocracy and social mobility, even if it remained mired in antiquated ideas about race and class.