[godsinhisheaven]

This is an extremely reductive take. Thomas Jefferson was a hero and a scholar! Think about the times he lived in, everyone lived under some sort of aristocratic monarchy, that was the norm. Certainly there were some economic interests at play in tge Revolution, but is it economically smart to declare independence from the most powerful empire of the day? Indeed, many of the "elites" at the time sided with the British! There had to be something more than just "class interests" at play to convince these wealthy elites to renounce their fealty to their government, giving up all legal claims to their property and indeed their very lives, should the revolutionaries have lost.

[kelipso]

Why historical did empires collapse or split? Was there always a noble reason that a portion of some empire declared themselves independent and fought a war for it? Maybe they just wanted to be rulers in their own land because they were young and ambitious and willing to put up with some risk.

[hearsathought]

> Thomas Jefferson was a hero and a scholar!

He was definitely that.

> but is it economically smart to declare independence from the most powerful empire of the day?

Yes, if that empire was unfairly taxing you, taking your wealth and impeding your growth/development. But you already knew this.

> Indeed, many of the "elites" at the time sided with the British!

Yes. Some of the elites felt that sticking with britain made the most sense to them. Others did not.

> There had to be something more than just "class interests" at play to convince these wealthy elites to renounce their fealty to their government, giving up all legal claims to their property and indeed their very lives, should the revolutionaries have lost.

Nothing more than "more wealth and power".

[rixed]

Both the most vulgar and selfish interest, and the most principled passions, seems to play a role in history at different times. The most important contributing factor, though, is selfish interest of large groups of people, because the sun of it's many little influences do not cancel out, unlike the actions of principled actors. In exceptional times, good intends are allowed to take the front seat just as long as necessary, by the many behind the scene who will silently weight toward the prompt reestablishment of "business as usual".