Was the American Revolution good for Americans

[EnglishPete]

My own impression is that the American Revolution was an economic disaster for ordinary Americans, one which they wouldn't recover from for decades. By the time the US started to recover from the Revolution it was well on the way towards a disastrous Civil War caused by huge flaws in the original Constitution. It wasn't until the aftermath of the Civil War and changes made by the Republican Party that America really became great again.

The Revolution was good for Whiggish elites in America who gained power (the so called 'founding fathers'), it was good for Whiggish elites in the UK who got the development of profitable trade in North America (the original purpose of the colonies) but without the cost and bother of defending and administering the colonies themselves. For ordinary Antebellum Americans (and indeed for African American slaves hoping for liberation from slavery) the first century after the Declaration of Independence would have been better if they'd stayed within the British Empire.

[SoLongAtlas]

Terrible for slaves (GB would later outlaw it but the US still had it, many would fight with the British), good for the NE (shipping without restrictions by GB unless shipping to GB, of course), bad then good for the south (exports, namely cotton). It really depends on if you are doing a during or post case study.

[sparkey]

It's not a sound interpretation of American economics. The economic depletion caused by the Revolution (Wikipedia has a reasonably accurate graphic) was largely due to the extreme conditions of the Revolution itself, especially in the South, where many farms were burned to the ground due to constant war, as well as the general difficulties related to trade. But economics were a large reason for the Revolution in the first place, and you're mistaken if you think that British policies at the time were in any way beneficial to ordinary Americans. The British policies were deeply mercantilist, with British merchants making huge profits off of American goods by law and strict debt codes and deflation enforced by law. Territorial expansion was also restricted more by British laws, and although American expansionism was obviously terrible for Native Americans, ordinary frontiersmen benefited tremendously from it.

Overall, ordinary white Americans almost certainly benefited from the Revolution in the long run. It's more difficult to access for nonwhites, because that depends on long-term British policy toward them, which is more difficult to gauge since it didn't happen.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Clearly, the fabric of American society was built on this revolution and the Civil War.

As Australians, we never revolted against the British, and are happy to pay our $14.95 per month to remain part of the Commonwealth.

It's been a great deal.

[Sumner 1868]

Terrible for slaves (GB would later outlaw it but the US still had it, many would fight with the British),

Which ones? Massachusetts, Ohio, and Vermont had all completely freed slaves before the trade was abolished in both countries during 1807, and many Canadian slaves escaped to these states and lived the rest of their lives as free men.

[SoLongAtlas]

Terrible for slaves (GB would later outlaw it but the US still had it, many would fight with the British),

Which ones? Massachusetts, Ohio, and Vermont had all completely freed slaves before the trade was abolished in both countries during 1807, and many Canadian slaves escaped to these states and lived the rest of their lives as free men.

Was referring to mainly the South and middle colonies (until 1804, after that Maryland, which to many was a southern state or the top of the Upper South)