What was the legacy of both sides in the American Revolution?

Answer 1

The American revolution was an experiment in democracy. Denocracy was at the time a relatively unknown and untried form of government (although it had existed previously in Athens, in a much earlier period of history). The American experiment with democracy was in some ways very undemocratic, particularly because it allowed for slavery in some of the states, but nonetheless, in the long term it was very successful, and over the years it was revised in various ways (including the abolition of slavery) to make it more democratic. Today there are many democracies in the world, which are largely inspired by the American example.

Although America rejected the British monarchy, America did retain many aspects of British culture, including the English language which remains the primary language of America (although Spanish is gaining in importance). America eventually became a very close ally of Britain and supported Britain in both world wars. So in the end, the legacy of British colonialism was embraced.