Some Historians Say American Revolution Propaganda Was Instrumental in Creating an Atmosphere of United Loyalty Among the Soldiers and Colonists Embroiled in War.

American Revolution propaganda is the use of information for the purposes of influencing the opinions of people and can take the form of information sharing . It is an undeniably powerful instrument when strategically used.

In every war throughout history, civilizations have employed the use of propaganda to generate support for their side and to convince citizens to take arms and contribute to winning the war effort.

Another popular form of propaganda is word-of-mouth; storytelling and popular folklore can serve as powerful forms of influence over the minds of a populace.

Rallying cries shouted in the heat of battle can also serve as a form of propaganda to reinforce the morale of soldiers on the field to increase the odds of victory and to ensure that the soldiers fight the battle to the very end.

During the American Revolution, propaganda was also employed by multiple factions in various ways, in order to fight the information war that was taking place long before the bullets were flying.

The British government utilized propaganda in an attempt to combat negative opinions in the colonies and to garner support for the British government.

However, the propaganda of the revolutionaries in the form of pamphlets and letters that were circulated, became extremely influential and popular in the colonies.

Such figures as Samuel Adams, John Dickenson and Thomas Paine all wrote important works which became very popular and were passed around among many of the colonists, serving to further the goals of creating an independent nation.

These forms of information, intended to gain the favorable opinion of those who read it and influence their decisions on the subject, are considered to be American Revolution propaganda.

It must be remembered that propaganda, by its very nature, is not necessarily true or false.

THOMAS PAINE

Thomas Paine is often referred to as the Father of the American Revolution because his writing on the subject of independence became very popular and spread among the colonies quickly.

Thomas Paine's pamphlet, Common Sense, sold over 300,000 copies within three weeks of its publication, and was considered the best selling work of eighteenth century America. Although debate still continues over the actual impact of his works, Paine is still considered an important part of the American Revolution.

Thomas Paine's works not only influenced the American Revolutionaries, but he also had a direct influence on the political affairs of other nations as well, such as France and Britain. His writing served as American Revolution propaganda in favor of republicanism and self-determinism which influenced revolutions across the globe and not just in the American colonies.

AMERICAN REVOLUTION PROPAGANDA

American Revolution propaganda was circulated throughout all of the colonies, in the form of letters or pamphlets by people such as Samuel Adams or John Dickenson, and it can be considered effective in influencing the ideas of the people who read them.

Even the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson can be considered a piece of rationalist propaganda, with the intention to win the hearts and minds of those in the colonies as well as convince those abroad that their actions were justified and reasonable.

After the American Revolution ended, the founders of the nation continued to create and spread propaganda to gain support for their cause and to convince the American people to become involved in their government.

The writings by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, collectively called The Federalist Papers, explained the Constitution to American citizens and implored them to consider ratifying it.

IMPORTANT FOR REVOLUTION

The existence of a press in the colonies, and the ability for any thinking citizen to publish their ideas, created an environment in which revolutionary propaganda could take root and grow. The existence of this form of communication through the press, was considered so important to the revolution that it became known as a protected right under the Bill of Rights. The use of information to garner the support of colonists was a central weapon in the American Revolution against Britain.

Without the ability for the colonists to communicate over large areas of territory in any reasonable manner, the American Revolution may not have been possible. But through the use of published articles and papers, colonists were able to spread information quickly, and share ideas openly and rapidly. Methods used to spread American Revolution propaganda allowed the colonists to organize and form a unifying ideology quickly, and gave them the upper hand over the British government who had a much slower communication network.