Laying the Cornerstone of War : Colonial Fraternity and the American Revolution

Abstract

The voluntary organizations and social groups of the Revolutionary War became ingrained in American society, and increased in popularity after the war. These bodies became an essential marker of class and social distinction in the early republic. Colonial America's homosocial society and the pressures of increasing tensions with Britain prompted and allowed the formation of fraternal civic orders and social groups. This phenomenon occurred across the colonies taking particularly powerful roles in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and South Carolina. Voluntary associations emerged in the enlightenment era and formed a safe space for discussions regarding social improvements, and anti-British sentiment. The influence of these gatherings however, were not limited to amicable conversation and the establishment of a social hierarchy, and instead hosted the men that created some of the greatest and most influential rebellions in the bringing about of the Revolutionary War. Fraternal organizations played a significant part in the bringing about of the American Revolution and united the colonists. Without these social clubs, civic orders, and voluntary organization the mobilization of troops, spread of anti-British feeling, and emergence of a uniquely American culture would have taken significantly longer and altered the development of the American Revolution. Colonial and revolutionary American society can be studied by a number of narrative sources ranging from letters, poems, plays, to articles published in eighteenth century newspapers, the most valuable type of primary source for this project. These surviving documents provide insight and commentary on trends in American society across the colonies and in regards to the social expectations of the colonists. Through these preserved documents, one can reflect on the society that produced these social orders, study their prevalence, and can be used to present the impact of these civic orders on the developing American society and the Revolutionary War.