The American Revolution stands apart in world history as the only uprising that successfully delivered on its stated promises, creating a nation founded on the principles of liberty and equality, according to author Eric Metaxas.
Metaxas, author of "REVOLUTION: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World," contends that while other revolutions proclaimed popular sovereignty, they ultimately devolved into greater suffering and inequality. He contrasts the American experience with revolutions in France, Russia, and China.
The French Revolution, which began shortly after the American one and was initially supported by some American figures like Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine, spiraled into the "nightmare bloodbath of terror," Metaxas wrote. Unlike the American revolutionaries who saw their faith as a reason for their actions and believed their liberties were God-given, French revolutionaries targeted the church and faith itself, ultimately trading monarchy for the dictatorship of Napoleon.
Similarly, the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia and the Maoist Revolution in China led to immense bloodshed and the establishment of oppressive regimes under leaders like Lenin and Stalin, and in China, the murder of millions. These, Metaxas argues, were "false revolutions" that replaced one form of suffering with another.
He posits that the success of the American Revolution lay in its foundational reliance on God and the pre-existing self-governance of its colonial populace. "The leaders of our Revolution understood that it wasn’t enough to get rid of a king or a tsar or emperor and hope for the best," Metaxas stated. "You couldn’t just tear down what you didn’t like. You had to replace it with something else."
The author asserts that the answer was "God," not in a coercive sense, but as a voluntary foundation for religious liberty. The colonists, many descended from those who sought religious freedom, had already been practicing self-governance for 150 years. This faith, which Metaxas notes was widespread and even amplified during the Great Awakening, instilled a belief that liberties were endowed by a higher power, not granted by earthly rulers.
When Britain imposed taxes and persecution in the 1760s, the colonists resisted, believing they were still free individuals capable of self-governance and possessing God-given liberties. Upon declaring independence in 1776, they simultaneously reaffirmed their dependence on God. Samuel Adams, referred to as the "Father of the Revolution," declared on the eve of the Declaration's signing that they had "restored the Sovereign, to whom all men ought to be obedient," identifying God as the ruler of the new nation.
Metaxas points to the proposed seals for the new nation, designed by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, as further evidence. Both men, whom he describes as less religious, conceived images depicting biblical events of deliverance and divine guidance, symbolizing a direct reliance on God for self-rule, akin to the ancient Israelites escaping Egyptian bondage without an earthly king.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, Metaxas suggests it is a moment to recognize the unique success of its revolution in fulfilling its founding promises, in contrast to the failures of other global upheavals.