Many people call the War of Independence the “Revolutionary War”, or the “American Revolution.” They compare our independence with other guerrilla wars that thugs and criminals propagate. However, the word “revolution” does not necessarily apply to what we did in 1775-1781.
A revolution refers to a complete turn-around of all society. It is an abolishment of all that was before. It is a 180 change in direction. This is the sort of thing that happened in France and Russia. The government was abolished, society was completely changed, and institutions destroyed. Revolution is a proper term for that type of rebellion.
However, the War of Independence was not a bunch of lunatics going around burning houses down and murdering people. It was an organized rebellion against an authority that had over-stepped its boundaries. The events of 1775 were the culmination of a long train of abuses by the British. In response, we organized the Stamp Act Congress, the First Continental Congress, and the Second Continental Congress to combat the oppression of the English king. The leaders of our rebellion were respected men whose aims were not to destroy the lifelines of society. Our war was merely for the purpose of changing government.
John Calvin said that a revolt against the established government is acceptable when that power has been abusive for a long time. He also said that the leaders of the rebellion should be “lesser-magistrates” who understand the workings of government. That way, the result will be an organized government that accomplishes the ideals of the rebellion, and not anarchy or tyranny. This model set forth by Calvin is what happened in the United States. We reformed government; we didn’t destroy it. That is why the War for American Independence has been one of the most successful rebellions in history. All others (e.g. Haiti) go nowhere. Sometimes they actually make things worse.
No comments:
Post a Comment