The American Revolution Revisited. The American Revolution Revisited by Wendy McElroy One of the icons of the libertarian movement is the War for Independence, commonly referred to as the American Revolution. Even Canadians such as myself fall prey to glamorizing the American Revolution. But war IS the health of the state, and there is danger in deifying any historical event.
Every war involves the massive violation of individual rights and the rapid growth of the state.
Although I admire many aspects of the War for Independence, I wish to caution against exempting it from the same criticism that should be leveled at any war. Hyperinflation resulted, with people becoming reluctant to use the new currency. Congress recommended forcing them to use it. The devaluation did not prevent Congress from cranking up the printing press again. All the states north of and including Maryland adopted price controls of one sort or another.