What is Rubik's revolution?

1776 - A Revolution or a Civil War?

• Why isn't the American Revolution looked on as a *civil war*? I mean, the colonies were under British rule. And for the colonies to rebel to the point of full fledged war against its ruler nation, The British Empire -- much in the same way the Succession took place in the United States -- why isn't it known as a Civil War? To me, it looks as though a nation battling two ideals, one of which, if accomplished, creates something anew, and the other dare not be a compromise, but a strengthening of sustainability of it archaic ideals? I have few theories as to why The American Revolution is called such and not a civil war. Hopefully, someone more learned in history than I can give me a concrete answer, if a concrete answer exists at all. •The first theory is this – Britain may call our American Revolution their civil war. Americans call the war the American Revolution because America has had a civil war already. For example, the colonies won the war against the British Empire, and then came our own civil war; how would we write the history of those wars – Civil War I, and Civil War II? It makes it difficult. oThis prompts the question, when was the term *American Revolution* coined? Another question it prompts is this, had not The Colonies won the war, would it then be considered a civil war? The answer is obvious isn’t it? Had we not won the war by a happy mistake we possibly would have been under British rule much longer. •My second guess applies geography – Unlike the American Civil War, the American Revolution was fought on American soil, not British. •The third theory – it relates more closely to the first theory than the second one. The fact of the matter is the colonies won the war against the British Empire. As a result came something anew. oTake the American Civil war for example. Had the Confederate States of America won the war against the United States of America, I believe the war would have been named *The Confederate Revolution* rather than *The American Revolution*. oTo further the question, is a civil war so named after its result? Meaning, in order to determine whether the war within a nation is civil or a revolution, one must know its ends. The critical point is this – the rebellious party must win, and the reigning party must lose. The rebellious party – the colonies – defeated the British Empire to create something anew, the place we call home, The United States of America.

• Answer:

  It's not a civil war because being part of an empire is not the same as being part of the same country. The British Empire successfully put down many revolutions and they were called revolts not civil wars. The British do not call the American Revolution their civil war. They had their own civil war back in England to call a civil war. I agree that if the South had won the Civil War it would be called something different. In fact, lots of places down South do call it something different, The War Between The States, and The War Of The Northern Aggression are two I have heard down there.