Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently declared at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics that the American colonists who broke from Britain were engaged in a class war against wealthy individuals. Speaking alongside Democratic strategist David Axelrod, Ocasio-Cortez stated the revolution was “against the billionaires of their time,” framing the Founders’ struggle as a rebellion against concentrated wealth rather than an opposition to distant colonial governance.
Critics immediately challenged this interpretation, emphasizing that the American Revolution arose from grievances against British taxation without representation and monarchical overreach—not targeted attacks on affluent individuals. Historical evidence reveals many Founders, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and Thomas Jefferson, were among the wealthiest colonists themselves. The Declaration of Independence explicitly condemns King George III’s government for abuses like quartering soldiers in private homes and dissolving colonial legislatures, not concentrated private wealth.
Senator Mike Lee underscored this distinction, noting the revolution was a rejection of an unaccountable state that imposed taxes without consent. Senator Ted Cruz further dismissed Ocasio-Cortez’s framing, stating a student submitting her interpretation on a history test would receive an F—highlighting that the conflict centered on oppressive government power, not billionaire elites.
Ocasio-Cortez also expanded her argument during the discussion, linking modern tax systems to “the construction and organization of oligarchy in the economy.” She reiterated her focus on systemic wealth redistribution while sidestepping questions about future political ambitions, outlining policies such as single-payer health care, living wages, and strengthened workers’ rights. Her remarks have drawn sharp criticism for retrofitting American history to justify contemporary progressive economic agendas without adhering to historical accuracy.
