Pursuing the Truth About America’s Founding
Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA
July 4, 2023 | Montgomery County, TX
by Jon Bouché, MCRP Vice Chairman
In the late 18th century, as America was gearing up for a revolution, Europe was experiencing a rapidly rising population of almost 128 million. Employers were depressing wages because everyone needed a job. Taxes were increasing, which made the cost of living rise at an alarming rate. Riots were happening all across Europe. With seemingly no end to the hardship in sight, and no real chance for individuals to improve their quality of life, it is no wonder so many longed to escape.
The 13 Colonies
Across the ocean, the population of the 13 colonies (Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island) was only about 2.5 million in 1776.
It took just under a month for most of the fastest ships to sail from England to the coast of America. Some ships took as long as six weeks or more to make the trip. Due to storms, pirates, and navigational errors, about 10 percent of the ships that left Europe were lost at sea.
And yet, many made this dangerous voyage to America in hopes of finding an opportunity for a better life. Some came because the feudal English law system at that time provided that the first-born son received the bulk of the inheritance. Many second-born sons made the journey and started their families here in America. In fact, 48 of the 56 signers of the Declaration were born in America.
Others fled Europe for political and religious reasons. In the case of the Huguenots, persecution by the coalition of the Catholic Church and the Crown drove exiles to the colonies where they could worship freely. This is how my ancestors arrived in America.
Signing of the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, by John Trumbull, displayed in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.
Declaring Independence
The Declaration of Independence was voted on and approved by the Second Continental Congress on July 2, 2776, but was formally adopted on July 4. However, it wasn’t signed by the 56 members of the Continental Congress until August 2, 1776.
Upon signing, Continental Congress Delegate Richard Henry Lee stated, “That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”
Beginning of Hostilities
Many incorrectly believe that July 4, 1776, was the beginning of the war for independence, but the war actually began before the Declaration of Independence was drafted or signed.
The Battle of Lexington (Detroit Publishing Co.)
On April 19, 1775, the “Shot Heard Round the World” echoed through history at Lexington and Concord. The British, after hearing whispers of a possible revolt and revolution by the colonists, instructed their locally stationed soldiers and their loyalists to seize and destroy the colonial military supplies stored by the militia at Concord. But the Colonials learned of the plan and the militias in the area organized to meet the British and stop them.
What started as only about 77 militia men at Lexington against a sizable British army swelled to over 400 Colonials at Concord. By the time the battles were over, the Colonials who were greatly outnumbered at the outset of hostilities had amassed about 4,000 patriots against a British force of about 1,500 British soldiers and their loyalists.
Even though the British did end up destroying a cannon and some supplies at Concord, by the end of the day, they were soundly defeated and had to retreat to Boston for cover. By that time, more Colonials had joined the militias and their numbers were now over 15,000 as they surrounded Boston where the British were held up.
The Price of Freedom
At most, only about 45 percent of colonists supported the war, and about a third of the colonists were loyalists who fought for the British. So this was not only a war against England, the colonists were fighting each other. It was quite literally neighbor against neighbor.
By the time the war was over, an estimated 25,000 to 70,000 American Patriots had paid the ultimate price for freedom. A higher percentage of the population died in the American revolution than in any other war fought by Americans. If you were in America at that time, the chances were very high that you knew someone who had died in the war.
Historians disagree about the number of casualties because deaths from wounds and illness at the time, as well as the number of people who died in British prisons or on prison ships, is very difficult to accurately calculate.
Many colonists changed sides during the war depending on which side was winning. I heard a story about a small inn located in New Jersey. As the story goes, the innkeeper had his servant out watching the roads in the distance to see if an army was coming. If an army was spotted, the servant would tell the innkeeper which flag to raise in front of the inn. So they would then pretend to be on the side of whomever was present or whomever they thought was winning for their personal benefit.
Seeking True Freedom
Today, our nation will take a moment to celebrate, and hopefully, be grateful for our freedom from England 240 years ago. But what about the real freedom we gained 2,000 years ago at the cross?
As Christians we know that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a revolution greater than any war ever waged on earth. When Jesus rose from the grave, he defeated death once and for all and offered us eternal life, but he also offered us a freedom that no one can take from us, not even the most powerful governments and forces on the planet.
So as a Christian, when you celebrate July 4th, are you more focused on the earthly victory gained after the Revolutionary War or do you also contemplate that this was God’s work? If so, do you communicate that with others? How would you even do that without understanding history and preserving the truth?
Assault on Truth
Today, we can plainly see that even the most basic truths are under assault. People are boldly denying human biology exists as they insist that men can have babies and participate in women’s sports. There is such absurdity that if you didn’t see it happening before your eyes, you would never believe it.
God in the Founding of Our Nation
Our history is being rewritten by ignorant, Godless people with nefarious intentions. But as we celebrate the birth of America, we should never forget that God was not only considered the cornerstone of 18th century society when our country was founded, but He is mentioned in the very documents that established our nation. As learned Christians, we still know this today just as great men throughout history built their lives upon this truth.
One of the greatest political philosophers and historians who ever lived was Alexis de Tocqueville who wrote the book, Democracy in America. He is quoted as saying, “Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.”
The Founding Fathers
What did the Founding Fathers say about God and faith as they were crafting the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution?
In an October 11, 1798, letter to the Massachusetts Militia, John Adams said:
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
In an 1835 biography of George Washington, there is a quote attributed to Washington which says, “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.”
This statement is under attack today because skeptics claim it cannot be proven that Washington ever said this. According to the critics, since there is no one alive who witnessed Washington say it, then it can’t be validated. Any assertion that he said it must be hearsay. This argument is usually made in the context of claiming that Washington was an atheist, agnostic, or a deist. But there is no denying Washington’s handwritten correspondence in his capacity as General of the Continental Army on July 9, 1776, in which he said:
“The blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary but especially so in times of public distress and danger. The General hopes and trusts that every officer and man will endeavor to live and act as becomes a Christian soldier…”
Thomas Jefferson is another Founding Father who is accused of being agnostic or even an atheist by some today. Yet he said in a letter to Charles Thomson at Monticello on January 9, 1816:
“I am a real Christian – that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ.”
The Deism Argument
Scholars have constructed the “deism” argument to claim that the Founding Fathers were not Christians and that our nation was not founded on Christian beliefs. Deism is really just the pit stop on the way to eventual claims of atheism and agnosticism within the Continental Congress.
The Deist theory is that Jefferson and a few other Founding Fathers believed that there is a supreme being that created us, but that the supreme being is absent from the world and man is left to run things through human reason and through natural laws. If you read the writings of the Founding Fathers, this is not supported anywhere.
Separation of Church and State
It is a fact that Thomas Jefferson was very wary of the state controlling the church, as was the case in most of Europe. Jefferson expressed the danger of government control of the church on a few occasions before and during his presidency. In his famous letter to the Danbury Baptists, he first used the now famous and often misused phrase of “wall of separation between church and state.”
Thomas Jefferson was acutely aware of what happens when the Government controls the church and its teaching. We can see today how the government and society have perverted the gospel in a shift toward secularism. Just look at what is happening to churches as the government passes laws and the courts render decisions to attack people of faith while the church stands silent.
If the government can’t control the churches by writing restrictive laws, they bribe them through legislation like the Johnson Amendment, which was passed in 1954, giving tax exemptions to churches as long as they stay in line and keep their mouths shut about political issues.
As an example of how governments and courts can use words and terms out of context, consider the 1878 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the case of Reynolds v. United States. The case cited Thomas Jefferson’s simple letter of correspondence to the Danbury Baptists as “an authoritative declaration of the scope and effect of the [first] amendment.”
In the 1947 case of McCullom v. Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court supported its decision to forbid religious instruction in public schools with the claim “in the words of Jefferson, the clause against establishment of religion by law was intended to erect ‘a wall of separation between church and state.’”
But Thomas Jefferson also declared himself to be a “disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ.” You cannot be a Christian while separating your faith from your actions. Christians need to know history so they can speak up and explain what our Founding Fathers really believed about the role of faith in our government. We must be able to explain what Jefferson meant by a “wall between church and state.”
It is interesting to note that three founding fathers died on July 4th - Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Monroe. Those great men should be remembered on this day because they gave us so much. But there are 53 others we owe a great debt to as well for their courage at the birth of this great country.
Prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, people came to America for many reasons. We should stop for a moment and consider the TYPE of people who were coming here. What was their character? They loved freedom. They were daring and self-sufficient. Just by making the dangerous journey to America, they demonstrated that they believed in individual responsibility and determination. Indeed, the American Revolution was born in their hearts long before they ever set foot on American soil. These Patriots loved America and what it promised and they had no intention of going back to Europe.
As an American patriot, YOU are the last hope of saving this great nation. I know it seems like there are fewer and fewer of us standing up for God and speaking the truth, but it’s important to remember the lesson from Lexington and Concord when only about 77 Patriots stood their ground and in doing so, changed the world. Those 77 Patriots inspired people. Before the sun set on that day, their numbers had swelled to over 15,000. They were people of courage. Are you? If we lose the spirit of Lexington and Concord, we will lose Montgomery County. We will lose Texas and we will lose America. God is watching. We must boldly speak the truth.