S8 Ep587: 1. Joseph Ellis, *The Cause: The American Revolution and Its Discontents, 1773 to 1783*. The term "the cause" was a verbal canopy used by colonists to unite diverse interest groups, ranging from New England radicals to Virginia slaveholders, against Briti
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
4.5 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 16 March 2026
⏱️ 12 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
1. Joseph Ellis, *The Cause: The American Revolution and Its Discontents, 1773 to 1783*. The term "the cause" was a verbal canopy used by colonists to unite diverse interest groups, ranging from New England radicals to Virginia slaveholders, against Britishpolicy. Originally called the "common cause," it represented the shared willingness of the colonies to support Massachusetts following the Coercive Acts. The movement evolved from a defense of rights into a revolutionary agenda for independence. Colonists argued the British constitution protected them from taxation without consent, viewing the end of "benign neglect" as a tyrannical plotto enslave them. Ultimately, "the cause" articulated the belief that government cannot strip citizens of rights without their permission. (1)
15TH CENTURY MAP
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Searching for the perfect gift idea for that hard-to-buy person on your list, the all-birds' will runner is a natural fit. |
| 0:06.9 | It's made from ZQ certified marino wool, a naturally cozy material with low environmental impact, |
| 0:12.7 | and all-birds offsets the carbon footprint, making the wool runner carbon neutral, so you can take comfort in treading lighter. |
| 0:19.4 | This holiday season, give tidings of comfort and coziness with the Allbirds Wool Runner. |
| 0:24.2 | Discover your perfect pair at Allbirds.com. |
| 0:26.8 | That's A-L-L-B-I-R-D-S dot com. |
| 0:34.9 | This is CBS Eye on the World. |
| 0:38.2 | Here's John Batchelor. |
| 0:40.1 | It's a great pleasure to welcome Professor Joseph Ellis. |
| 0:43.6 | His new book is The Cause, the American Revolution, and its discontents, critical. |
| 0:50.7 | 1773 to 1783. |
| 0:53.8 | Professor, congratulations and good evening. |
| 0:56.1 | I go immediately to your title because it requires much explanation. |
| 1:01.2 | Who called what we now see the revolution, the cause? |
| 1:05.0 | And why did they call it the cause? |
| 1:07.5 | Good evening to you. |
| 1:09.3 | Good evening to you. |
| 1:14.8 | The cause is what the American colonists began to use as a term to describe their opposition to British policy in the |
| 1:23.1 | late, the mid-1770s. And nobody called it the american revolution at that time or even until |
| 1:31.0 | at the end of the war um the british called it the american rebellion and originally the phrase was |
| 1:38.0 | the common cause it was a term that the 12 other colonies used to describe their willingness to support Massachusetts |
| 1:46.1 | when Massachusetts was occupied by the British Army in the wake of the Tea Party and what's |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from John Batchelor, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of John Batchelor and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.