The title makes me question if we ever truly won the revolutionary war or if it was simply the beginning of a much larger struggle for us in North America. By most accounts, it is suggested to be a win as we gained some independence from the British, but the years adding up to over two centuries and our struggle since, has me scratching my head in uncertainty.
Will we ever be able to truly claim our independence as a people or will the globalization of democracy leave us bound to other territories once more? Nato, the European union, and the foreign ministry all have a hand in our policies and politics. We the people are subject to these ruling powers, which makes us vulnerable to being forced into compliance.
Well, of course we won the Revolutionary War in the sense that the British recognized U.S. independence, and other nations gave us diplomatic recognition as a sovereign country. In the early days of our Republic, our main concern was the possibility of losing our independence, since there were European nations which were still more powerful than we were. Our ships were vulnerable at sea, too.
Fortunately, European countries were too busy fighting each other that they didn't really bother with us, and we didn't really bother with them either. Back in those days, there were no threats from Asia or the Middle East either, so that also made a huge difference in our national security perceptions.
We probably could have reached a point of autarky after the Civil War, as our industries were starting to boom, and our resource base was immense.
We didn't really have to go to war with Spain over their lingering colonies in America, and we didn't need to take the Philippines at all. But we did, and that's where America's foreign policy and global aspirations started to take a turn for the worse.
By becoming one of the East Asian colonial powers, we also played a prominent role in pushing the Open China policy which put us on the playing field in East Asia - along with Britain, France, Germany, Japan, and Russia, among others.
We still didn't give up our independence, but the old line of "no foreign entanglements" was being crossed - and then there was no going back.
George Washington warned against this in his Farewell Address (
Washington's Farewell Address - Wikisource, the free online library):
Observe good faith and justice towards all Nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all. Religion and Morality enjoin this conduct; and can it be, that good policy does not equally enjoin it? It will be worthy of a free, enlightened, and, at no distant period, a great Nation, to give to mankind the magnanimous and too novel example of a people always guided by an exalted justice and benevolence. Who can doubt, that, in the course of time and things, the fruits of such a plan would richly repay any temporary advantages, which might be lost by a steady adherence to it ? Can it be, that Providence has not connected the permanent felicity of a Nation with its Virtue? The experiment, at least, is recommended by every sentiment which ennobles human nature. Alas! is it rendered impossible by its vices ?
In the execution of such a plan, nothing is more essential, than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular Nations, and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded; and that, in place of them, just and amicable feelings towards all should be cultivated. The Nation, which indulges towards another an habitual hatred, or an habitual fondness, is in some degree a slave.
Although, America is not really being forced to do any of this. It's our choice, as we never gave up our independence.
