This week, the United States of America will celebrate its 236th anniversary of Independence from Great Britain. We will celebrate the freedom that to this day is still unique to America. It is a freedom that came to us at a great cost, and I thank the courage of those who stood against the greatest empire of their day.
Roots of Revolution
The idea of an American revolution was really, I believe, an intersecting of the Enlightenment thinkers and a series of unpopular taxes imposed by the British Parliament on the colonial Americans. The Seven Years War (between France and Great Britain, which included what we know as the French and Indian War) concluded in 1763 with a decisive British victory, but an empty British treasury and a huge national debt. The British government felt they needed to impose more taxes to raise the necessary revenue needed to house British soldiers in the American colonies. The soldiers would be needed to protect the American frontier from hostile Indians. Since the soldiers were there to protect the colonists, Parliament felt it necessary to tax the colonists for such protection.
The British Parliament passed the Sugar Act of 1764 as a first step to taxing the colonists. This tax was actually a revision of the Molasses Act of 1733, and the Sugar Act actually cut the tax rate versus the Molasses Act. The colonists objected on economic grounds, but soon they realized that the Sugar Act was unconstitutional under British law. The British constitution forbade taxation without parliamentary representation. Since the colonists did not have the right to elect members of Parliament to represent their interests, they felt that Britain could not impose taxes. The constitutional question came to a boil with the passage of the Stamp Act of 1765. The colonists fiercely protested this law, and it was repealed in 1766. However, Parliament also passed the Declartory Act, in which it expressly gave itself the power to tax the colonists as they saw fit. The colonists saw themselves as British subjects, and therefore, privileged to the same rights as their fellow Englismen across the sea. However, it was clear that the English government did not view the Americans as having the full rights of English citizens.
As the British government imposed more and more taxes on the colonists, the tide turned from "taxation without representation" and gaining the Rights of Englishmen to political independence. The presence of British soldiers on the streets and in their homes became revolting and hated. This ultimately led to the First Continental Congress in 1774 to address grievances with the British government. However, open rebellion flared up in 1775 in Massachusetts. A Second Continental Congress was convened in 1776 with the express purpose of seeking political independence from Great Britain.
Classical Liberalism and Natural Rights
While the American people were rising up against the British, an intellectual movement known as the Enlightenment was taking place in Europe which embraced "classical liberalism". While there were several leading Enlightenment thinkers, John Locke was likely most influential in forming American political philosophy. Classical liberalism respected the natural rights of man which were originally defined in John Locke's Second Treatise on Government (published 1689) as life, liberty and property. Classical liberalism, as applied to government included limited government, due process, seperation of powers and the freedoms of speech, press, peacable assembly, religion and freedom in the market place. Under classical liberalism, government served three main purposes: protect against foreign invaders, protect citizens against the taking of life, liberty and property and build public institutions that the private economy could not provide profitably.
One of America's leading Enlightenment thinkers of that day was a young Virginian named Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was already established as a leading thinker of his day when he was handed the primary assignment by the Second Continental Congress of writing a declaration of independence from Great Britain. Jefferson was heavily influenced by Locke's Second Treatise. Jefferson starts the second paragraph with a phrase borrowed straight from Locke (with a slight modification..."pursuit of Happiness replaces "property"): "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..." To think that Jefferson was a mere 33 years old at the time!
The ideas that men are created equal, with unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of Happiness (or property if you will) were new ideas at the time of the Enlightenment. Europe was ruled by monarchs, with entrenched aristocracies and a rigid social structure. The idea that a person could, through education and hard work, advance his social or economic status to the highest echelons of society was unheard of. The ideals that Jefferson put forth in this document were truly revolutionary.
Freedom - The American Ideal
America was the first nation founded on the ideal of freedom. The British were finally defeated in 1781, with the final treaty signed in 1783. It would take another four years, but in the summer of 1787, the United States would announce a new constitution based on the classical liberalism of the Englightenment. The government would be divided into three branches, with each branch's power checked. Then, with the help of Patrick Henry, 10 amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, were added that ensured the individual freedoms that so many people fought and died for.
Today the freedoms that we take for granted, such as freedom of speech and freedom of the press are still way too unique in this world. The United States was truly blessed to have a generation of leaders who understood the benefits of enterprise and the evils of tyrants and worked tirelessly to ensure the survival of this republic. Today, the world still looks to the United States as a beacon of hope, as a place where you can better your life.
Warnings
Freedom is not free. We have all heard this before. Thomas Jefferson gave us many warnings to heed regarding our freedom.
“Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”
“The Price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance.”
“If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as a sorry state as the souls who live under tyranny.”
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
“A government afraid of its citizens is a Democracy. Citizens afraid of government is tyranny!”
“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”
There are others, too. He warned us to look out for the government that wishes to take care of us. They have the best intentions, but eventually, they chip away at our freedoms ever so slowly until they take it all and manage our lives from a central location. The inevitable result of this government, according to Jefferson, is tyranny. The tyrant chips away at our freedoms, grabs more and more power for himself. Then he announces his tyranny as a victory for the people.
As you can see, I am a big fan of Thomas Jefferson's political philosophy. More than anyone, he embraced freedom. I find it interesting that he wanted what he considered his three greatest accomplishments carved on his tombstone: Author of the Declaration of Independence, Author of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia. He did not consider being President of the United States worthy of being remembered for.
The American Dream
Embrace freedom. Realize this is what the American Dream is all about. I have defined the American Dream as building a life for yourself and your family that is rich and rewarding, however you choose to define it. It may be through the pursuit of financial wealth or it may come from the collective effort, along with your fellow citizens, to make your community a better place to live. And realize that freedom is a precious gift. Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are our natural, unalienable rights. No government can confer these. But a government can take all these natural rights away. Embrace your freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of peacable assembly, freedom of religion and freedom to pursue your dream in the market place. And be wary of the government that would chip away at any of these freedoms.
Celebrate America this Independence Day! Celebrate the splendor of her freedom. Enjoy the cookouts, the family gatherings, and especially the fireworks. Give thanks to God for the richness of His blessings in allowing us to live in freedom!
