The American Revolution bequeathed to the United States a legacy of liberty forged by bloodshed, and to reaffirm their patriotism Americans touted their identity as a freedom-loving people, enshrined the founding fathers, and commemorated Independence Day. John Adams's oft-quoted remark that Independence Day should be an annual holiday of "pomp and parade" distinguished by "solemn acts of devotion" underscored how some Americans thought the Revolution should be remembered (Butterfield, ed., p. 30). It does not, however, reveal the contested nature of this legacy. Americans might proclaim themselves patriots, yet they often disagreed on the definition of patriotism and about who warranted admission into the pantheon of Revolutionary icons.

Conflicting Patriots

Evidence of this can be seen as early as the 1790s. With the development of the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties, the Revolution's legacy became the subject of contentious debate. For the...