What is a Revolutionary?

[rev-uh-loo-shuh-ner-ee]- radically new or innovative; outside or beyond established procedure, principles, etc.


When asked, most individuals say that they themselves could be a revolutionary. The main stipulation to this claim is the need for followers/a team of individuals to help them in their revolution. It is here I would like to explore exactly what defines a revolutionary and what makes others follow them.


Mr. Simon Schama, Professor of History at Columbia University, appeared on NPR during the riots in Egypt during February of 2011. He was invited to the show in order to discuss revolutions and what makes them successes or failures. Mr. Schama then cited the French riots of 1968 as an example of a revolution gone awry.

But what makes a revolutionary? What makes a revolution successful? These questions and more will be addressed during the course of this project.
From all the revolutions I have gathered, one thing is prevalent...a revolutionary is nothing without his followers. I have developed a __ part program to starting a revolution. First, a revolutionary must identify a problem in society. With this as a focus point, they then find a core team of people who share the vision of fixing this problem. At this point, it's all about promotion. Revolutionaries try and get their message out to a massive audience so that they can gain a following. With this foundation, they take their fight to the government currently in power and begin propositioning for a change.

Now begins the race against time. Revolutionaries must balance the morale of their supporters with the prolonged fight with the government; the process is rarely a smooth one. Revolutions also face a crossroads here, they must decide whether to stay non-violent, or take up arms against their government to enact the change they want to see. These are the basics to revolution, so let's now explore whether or not the U.S. is ready for a revolution.