ion. Revere is not the only hero that has been left out of the Wood text. Countless other individual efforts by men such as, George Washington, Sam Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, all have been neglected. Despite, the fact that these men have been recognized throughout history as playing important roles in the Revolution, Wood does not seem to find their personal accomplishments worthy enough for his book. Wood’s attempt to depersonalize the war was successful. However, I feel it was this successful attempt that led Wood’s book to have a dehumanizing effect on the Revolution. I believe that Wood’s book could have been better had he mentioned at least some of the traditional forces that were significant during the Revolution. I do not feel that Wood’s book can stand on it’s own. It takes notation of such hero’s as Paul Revere to make the history of the American Revolution complete. Perhaps if Wood could have combined his social and economic forces with those of traditional forces his book would have a better claim on legitimacy. Gordon Wood gives an interesting insight into the Revolution. Overall, I find Wood’s argument to be persuasive and refreshing. There is little doubt that the forces that Wood proclaims as significant in his history of the Revolution are important. However, it is this same concentration on non-traditional forces that leads to my criticism of his book. Smith pg.6 Wood should not have focused entirely on his commonly overlooked social and economic forces. Instead, he should have combined his insight along with the insight of other traditional forces to give his book a well-rounded theory behind the American Revolution. ...
