What exactly IS the American Revolution???

[Ishy]

This past weekend at the Athens Appleseed, Fred got me to thinking about something really important.  He emphasized John Adams' quote: "the Revolution was effected before the War commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people."  Since the Revolutionary War was the mere fighting part, since the American Revolution was already won before the first shot was fired, and since it is supposed to live on in the hearts and minds of Americans, I think it is important to ask ourselves what exactly is the American Revolution???

When I looked up Adams' quote on the internet, I read that he went on to say that what took place in the hearts and minds of Americans was "a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations. This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people, was the real American Revolution."

From this statement, I formulate the opinion that Adams meant the American people did a re-check of their priorities.  They sought the Lord's face and took their faith seriously.  They understood that a true American not only stood up for what they believed to be politically right, but what was morally right as well.  Therefore, in order to keep the American Revolution alive in my heart and mind, I not only feel that I owe righteous efforts to God, but also to these Americans who fought to preserve the American Revolution.  I am obligated to guard my mouth, guard my thoughts, and guard my actions because of the suffering that was endured beforehand.

Please post your opinions on this quote.  I would love some more input on it.  Thanks!

Ish

[Lyberty]

I agree, Ishy.  Your actions and words speak your heart.  If your actions and words are dirty, then your heart is dirty.  If your heart is right, than your words and actions will be right as well.  Since Appleseed is about "saving the nation", we truly need to model the right actions, whether it be at home, work, or at an Appleseed.

[franklinfarmer]

I take the revolution in the hearts and minds in the context of freedom and to be the result of having developed a peculiar taste for independence. 

The colonists, through the benign neglect of the country/empire which had sent them out for the profit of the mercantilist pseudo-free system it had developed (which many would argue was the most free system of state exploitation the world had ever known), developed a unique disposition.  They realized they didn't need the state to govern them, they were capable of taking care of themselves.  And they went further.  They became so enamored of the idea of independence and *self* government, that they were willing and able to tell the British empire to buzz off.  And they were willing to fight over it.  They were (at least a significant portion of the society) willing to fight for their freedom. 

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That was an entirely new phenomenon in a world where the default was for people to have their liberty at the whim (and for the benefit) of the state. 
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This, for a large portion of our history, was what distinguished the united States from the governments of Europe.  The distinction has been lost in more ways than one.

The role of "religious sentiments" to which Adams refers was, perhaps, a reference to the the fact that the colonists had incorporated this kind of thinking into their view of their duties toward God and that that had taken place even to the point that their clergy supported the ideas of liberty from the pulpit.  But religion might have been used here in a more general sense of their duties and obligations.  I think it was hard for Adams, who was a very religious man, to separate any notion of duties and obligations (and deep sentiments about them) from religion.  But I think, for our minds, the latter words (principles, opinions, sentiments and affections) sum it up a little more clearly. 

They had come to love liberty and self-government enough so that they could say:  You can try to take my liberty, but if you do, one of us is going to die.  That was revolutionary thinking at the time.  It is revolutionary thinking now.

In any case, I'm suggesting to you, that Adams was trying to capture a revolutionary phenomenon that had something to do with "religion" at the time and did so very much in his eyes, but yet was something that, on the whole, is better understood somewhat apart from religion.  Certainly Adams' view of the role of religion was not shared by all the founders (in the broad sense of those who armed themselves and showed up after the Boston powder house raid or those who showed up on April 19, 1775).

[ItsanSKS]

This is perhaps one of the most powerful, provocative quotes from the Founding Generation, yet it is all too easy to gloss over, or disregard.

For most of human history up to 1775, the default state of humanity was one of servitude.  People the world round were slaves to their governments.  Those hardy pioneers that came to The New World did so to be free from oppression, mostly religious oppression. 

Those men and women wrought this nation from a wilderness, and fought along side one another to preserve it against the native inhabitants and foreign aggressors.  These tribulations formed a great sense of community amongst the various colonies, with them coming to the realization that the security and prosperity of one depended greatly upon the security and prosperity of the others. 

Others have spoken at great length about the 'filter effect' that went into the genetic makeup of those who founded this country.  I will briefly touch upon it here.  The gist of the argument is this: with the journey to America from Europe so expensive and fraught with danger, only those who REALLY, REALLY wanted to come here did so- often times selling themselves, or their children, into indentured servitude to cover the expense.  With a nation born of this type of stock- men and women willing to do anything to live free, is it no wonder that within just a few short generations, that they began to chafe under the increasing control of a government deemed 'out of touch'? 

The Revolution that Adams refers to, was not one that just sprang up, nor was it planned.  It was (in my own estimation) a natural phenomena owing to the type of people that were willing to risk their lives and a good portion of their fortune just to ATTEMPT to cross the Atlantic.  Once here, they then had to work hard (18 hour days were not uncommon) to sustain their families.  Frugality, hard work, and personal responsibility.  Not just touchstones, but a way of life;  a way of life that spawned the most successful, prosperous country that the world has ever known... 

When Adams speaks of the 'Religious Sentiments", I believe that he is referring to the overall tolerance of, and among, the differing religious sects.  (Early American religions were predominantly Judeo-Christian in origin, but they varied greatly in individual beliefs and practices) When one looks at the religious beliefs of the countries in Europe in the late 1600's and early 1700's, you see state-organized religions that everyone was expected to participate in; there was zero tolerance for differing viewpoints, wars were fought, and many people lost their lives over what we would today consider to be arcane religious disputes.  In America, these differences were points of spirited debate, but not points of life and death consequence. 

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How would John Adams answer that same question today?

"What *is* the American Revolution?

Today, we are fighting not only against an out-of-control government (of our own creation) but against ignorance, apathy, and loss of moral compass.  While these are traits common to humans throughout history, it wasn't the case here in America 235 years ago... 

Ideas like personal responsibility, self-reliance, and limited government, are once again considered to be 'revolutionary', or 'extreme'.   What does that, in and of itself, say about the "American Revolution"?   

[sear]

It's difficult for me to reconcile Adams' statement with that of Levi Preston:

What we meant in going after them Redcoats was this: We always had governed ourselves, and we always meant to. They didn't mean that we should.

The colonists wanted to continue to govern themselves in the freedom they had always enjoyed. It seems to me the Revolution was in the realization that only independence from Great Britain would enable them to keep that freedom.

John Adams did NOT support independence until his trip along battle road on 20 April. What he saw of the aftermath of the redcoat expedition to Concord changed his mind.

[GoldFish]

When I looked up Adams' quote on the internet, I read that he went on to say that what took place in the hearts and minds of Americans was "a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations. This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people, was the real American Revolution."

I this and other statements like this, it seems to me that, yes, the Revolution was won in the hearts and minds of Americans before the first shot was fired, the shot that start the American Revolutionary War. 

I also believe, however, that the reverse is also true; the American Revolution can be lost, long after the last shot of the war was fired.  I believe this is the war we are fighting today.  As Ishy quoted J. Adams saying that what took place in the hearts and minds of Americans was "...a radical change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations."  If we move away from thinking and living radically, in a good way, the way the colonists did in 1775, then the war will be lost, and then too, will be our freedoms.

So, my point is that if the war was won before the first shot, in the hearts and minds of our American Forefathers, does that mean this war for Freedom and Liberty, against tyranny, oppression, and unjust government can never be lost? 

This is question I want answered by others, not just myself.

[henschman]

By "radical change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations," perhaps Adams meant that the people came to believe in their duties and obligations (to liberty that is) with a religious fervor.  

Or perhaps it is referring to how people came to accept rebellion against the civil power as consistent with their christian beliefs.  It was a common belief back then (and in modern times as well) that the civil power is ordained by god, and consequently, rebellion against it is rebellion against god.  Of course, there is the whole "render unto caesar" passage, as well... as we know, one of the major reasons for the increasing tension that led to war was the refusal by some colonists to pay taxes levied on them by their country.  Since the founders were mostly very devout christians, they would have to reconcile these beliefs, which have basis in scripture, with their acts of rebellion.

I'm no historian or Adams expert though... I bet if you read an Adams biography, like the one that HBO miniseries was based on, it would shed some more light on what he meant by that passage.

As to the other point raised, I think that your actions and the intent and meaning of your words speak your heart.  I don't think that folks who use dirty words necessarily have dirty hearts.  Some of the most noble-hearted people I know are very "rough around the edges."  Ultimately, words are just a method of expressing ideas.  It is the true meaning of the words and the genuine intent with which they are expressed that matter to me.

However, I realize that society is full of people who do judge people by their use, or non-use of what is considered to be rough language.  Since rough language is something that upsets a great deal of folks, it is obviously something we should aviod in our program, in an effort to have it appeal to the largest number of people.  I'm not just talking about students... we also make instructors of all backgrounds and sensibilities feel welcome in the program.  If it makes a brother stumble, and all that, right?

[Reformed Redneck]

Ishy,

There is a bit of a chicken or egg question that has to be considered here. Let me refer first to the quote you included in your post.

'...what took place in the hearts and minds of Americans was "a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations. This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people, was the real American Revolution."'

Note here that in Adams' opinion one event preceded the consequences of that event. The hearts and minds of the colonists were affected by what he perceived to be a change in their religious sentiments concerning their duties and obligations. This, according to the rest of his statement, was in fact the catalyst for the working out of all the details. It is what stimulated the whole culture toward the issue of independence.

I think this is manifestly made plain by even a cursory reading of the literature of the time, and by a reasonably simple inquiry into the biographies of many of the founders and their contemporaries. Remember, the movement toward independence was a wide spread cultural occurrence, and was not brought to fruition by a mere handful of men. One source of information that is helpful in this regard is a book titled "Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence", by B. J. Lossing. Originally printed in 1848, it is available currently in a recent reprinting. One interesting set of facts that is brought out in the short biographies contained in this book is the amazing number of these men who were sons of Christian clergy or, as in Witherspoon's case, teachers of pastors.

This change in sentiments that Adams refers to was not something that popped up suddenly. Indeed, the clergy and pastors of the colonies had been planting and nourishing these seeds in the hearts and minds of the people for quite a long time, even since the establishment of the colonies themselves. There is a long record of what the pastors of the early 1700's had been preaching, and the imprint of their leadership is unmistakable. Men such as Thomas Bradbury, Samuel Davies, Moses Mather, Jonas Clarke, Samuel Langdon, and many others, had stimulated this change through their faithful preaching of the Gospel, and of the whole of the Bible. Even these notables had been preceded by others in the original pilgrimages that populated the eastern seaboard.

We do well to remember that this change in sentiment produced very careful and deliberate men. We all know how close the war came to being ignited previous to 1775. The founding generation was cautious to seek redress to the point where it became obvious that it was an exercise in futility. Some believe this was a reluctance, others an exhausting of possibilities short of the shedding of blood. They also wanted to maintain the position of the moral high ground, making it unmistakable that the British were the tyrants and oppressors. They would defend themselves and their rights, but they were not 'revolutionaries' in the modern context. They did not seek to overthrow the English government, only to defend and reestablish their God given rights and liberty here.

Do we need another, similar change of hearts and minds today? I would suggest that it is a necessary prerequisite in our hope to defend and reestablish the liberty that the founders labored with such difficulty, and at such high cost, to provide for us. But, for this to occur there must be the same transformation of hearts and minds that occurred in the 1600-1700's. And one might ask, "Where are the preachers like Emerson, Clarke, and Langdon?" That is a very important and critical question we must both ask and answer.

I think the following quote summarizes this dilemma well.

"It is when people forget God that tyrants forge their chains." Patrick Henry

With best regards,
Reformed Redneck

[Shooter30-06]

Ishy, I cannot tell you how many times I have thought about this Adam's quote.  Like all of us, I am a product of my education and life experiences.  When I was in college and taking American History courses, one of the commonly accepted doctrines was the Turner Thesis on the impact of the frontier on the American character.  When I consider the Adam's quote I believe the Turner thesis has application.

In summary, Turner believed that the frontier fundamentally changed the people who immigrated to this new world and were subjected to its rigors.  The average people on the frontier had to fend for themselves and did not have anyone else there to provide for them.  They had to defend themselves, feed themselves, and govern themselves.  They had to be self reliant, independent, and cooperative with their neighbors.  They had to own and be proficient with their muskets for both subsistence and defense.  An immigrant to a settled portion of the colonies was still influenced by the lasting social changes which preceded him or her.

I believe the Revolution was won per the Adam's quote when the citizens of the colonies realized they were no longer "British" but were "American".  At some point in time, every Patriot came to the conclusion that they had more in common with their neighbors and fellow colonsits than with the old world.  A wonderful example is Samuel Whittemore who first came to this country as a Dragoon in the King's army and who some years later viciously fights for his right to be independent of the King's authority.  The British Crown was slow to understand that they were not dealing with English serfs when they they enacted the Coercive Acts to prohibit town meetings and provincial government and to undertake powder raids to disarm the colonsits.   

I agree with franklinfarmer that the second part of the quote indicates the close relation which Adams and many colonists had between their political beliefs and their faith.  They literally prayed that what they were doing was right.  It reminds me of the words of another Patriot in 1865 when he said, "with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right."

[AFTERMATH]

The change in religious sentiment was from that of the king ruling by divine right.  There was a transition in their sentiment from: 'obedience to the king is obedience to God' to "Opposition to Tyranny is obedience to God."

In summary, Turner believed that the frontier fundamentally changed the people who immigrated to this new world and were subjected to its rigors.  The average people on the frontier had to fend for themselves and did not have anyone else there to provide for them.  They had to defend themselves, feed themselves, and govern themselves.  They had to be self reliant, independent, and cooperative with their neighbors.  They had to own and be proficient with their muskets for both subsistence and defense.  An immigrant to a settled portion of the colonies was still influenced by the lasting social changes which preceded him or her.

True.  They had only; themselves, their community and God.

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What does the American Revolution mean to me?  Simply, Liberty. 
And to me Liberty is the understanding that I am subject to no man.  That I live, breath and die by the will of God alone.  Thus, to Him and Him alone I submit my judgement.  My rights as man are granted from God; and only in defiance of Him may they be revoked.  Therefor, I strive to execute His will to the greatest extent as I able.  Everything else is politics. 

Ultimately Liberty and the Revolution can only be maintained by an upright and moral populace.  When men fail to make proper moral decisions, tyranny reigns triumphant. 

We have government because as hard as we try; we will always have those human vices that turn us against ourselves, perpetuating evil.
We are inherently flawed by our selfish application of freewill.  But through faith and vigilance our founders created perhaps the most sound society of freethinking but moral people.  This allowed them to break the chains of servitude and achieve the closet thing to Liberty that the world has ever seen.

What they sought to create was perfect liberty through the American Revolution.  Imagine that.   By the way that's pretty much the opposite of 'Imagine' by Lennon...

If we maintain the spirit of the Revolution and allow the fire of Liberty to burn intensely in our hearts and minds; it will continue to grow and spread.  But we must maintain the faith and vigilance required.  Which is too much responsibility the lazy and apathetic, for those who do not comprehend. 
We may never get there, but we can get closer.  And our children can get closer; and our grandchildren even closer.  And so on. 
It is our duty to our founders, to not only perpetuate Liberty, but build upon it.  It's our duty, and my honor.

Appleseed - One of the few embers, rebuilding the fire of Liberty.


Opposing Tyranny,


Alexander R. Thompson