Religion Politics and the American Revolution

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Therefore in this paper, I am going to internally discuss the technicalities that involved the American Revolution on the religious and political perspective. We are going to how and why people developed a perspective on the holiness and how justified the war was for the people of America and why the British had to leave their land. Since the war was among the greatest in the American history, having a clear understanding of what the people at time thought about it both politically and religiously, will make us have a better understanding of the war.

Many nations throughout the historical paths were formed or resulted from a religious basis. These religions differ due to the different religions and beliefs that exist in the world. From these nations or rather a civilization, it is experienced that the spiritual leaders prominent among these congregations were viewed as the icons and role models for the communities and lead masses of people toward the religious path (LOC.gov. 2018). This means that whatever they would say was considered righteous and people would follow since it was accepted and religious. The American Revolution in some way wasn't as different from such civilizations that were built on such basis. The revolutionary war had its religious roots as the reasons for the war at that time.

Religion played a major role in the offering of a moral cause for the Americans to follow so as to provide justification for the revolution. In these times, Christianity had been recently introduced in the western region and a greater population of the residents from North America to South America constituted of Catholics and Anglicans of the great church of Britain. According to the historical documentaries, people such as Jonatan Mayhew campaigned (LOC.gov. 2018) that civil and religious liberty was a movement that was ordained by God where he from his perspective, the Church of England was dangerous, diabolical and an enemy of the New England way.

Jonathan was a well-acknowledged bishop from Boston that was outstanding on both political and religious grounds through his liberal ideals. Through these virtues that he possessed, made him among the most controversial people in the New England colonies which included America. He was fierce in the sermons that he presented which mainly encouraged for people to break from the British grip because (Broom, 2017) it was a religious obligation for them. Jonathan used scripture saying that it was justified for a group of people to resist the rule of their ruler when the ruler himself abuses the power that has been bestowed in them.

In his sermon titled, A Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission and Non-Resistance to the Higher Powers Mayhew suggests that just like in the book of Romans where St Paul wrote to the government authorities whom he perceived as coming from God and the people that were on these governments were to be respected as they did the will of God. If any of these officials did otherwise then they were not doing the will of God making them agents of the devil (Broom, 2017).

Through the campaigns of Jonathan among other people in the religious faculty lead to the perception that was incubated in the minds and hearts of the American people that the revolution as the right thing to do because God was on their side. This mobilized many people who rounded up as able-bodied men and women to help in the revolution in the fight for independence. Though there were those individuals that did not agree to this cause as they were loyal to the England crown, the majority were in agreement with this movement (Parr, 2015).

Aside from the religious perceptions on the reasons that were used as the roots for the revolutionary war, there were also political reasons that were incorporated in the war. The American Revolution war after the time that the Indians and the French had just ended the British reign in their area. Fists off, the British government (History world. 2018) had colonized the west on the basis of political reasons that of expanding their political powers to the different places all over the world. With this reason, it was evident that they were imperialists and gaining more colonies all around the world was a sign that they were powerful and wealthy.

Therefore after the French and Indian rebellions, the British Empire began to have political instabilities with the colonies that were within her grasp America included. The issues that were in play included the taxes that the British were imposing on its colonies and the presence of the British troops that roamed around the American soil. This led to unrest (History world. 2018) that were felt all over America especially in Boston where it so seemed they started at.

The most common political related rebellion that has crept through history is the Boston massacre which was the onset of other rebellions such as the one in Ireland that was experienced 2 centuries later. The Boston massacre happened in the year 1770 after Bostonians threw overboard tea chests (350) which led to the British army to march within the streets and putting the whole town under the military command of General Thomas Gage. The whole reason for this was the resentment that the people had to the British duties for the cargo that would land on American soil (History world. 2018).

Following this event, other colonies in America voice their support to the Boston state and as this new idea gains fame and popularity among the people of America, conflicts arise between the colonies and the British governors and mobilizations start with an aim to invite each colony to send delegates to a congress in Philadelphia in September with an exception of Georgia.

The political marathon to the independence of America started from the first continental congress that happened in 1774. During this congress (History world. 2018), about 56 delegates attended from the 12 colonies of Britain including George Washington who at this time represented Virginia. Their voices were expected to have weight on international waters and show to the British government that they were prepared for anything to attain their independence even if it included war with the Britons. This led to the British Empire tell General George Gage to add more force as the delegate's consent was uncompromising (History world. 2018).

The results for this meeting ended up in announcing a boycott for all imports from Britain that was to last for the next 9 months on the basis that the laws passed in Westminster were in violation of the natural rights and thus unconstitutional. The London parliament reacts to this through General George who raids the patriot's military stock in Massachusetts. He then attempts the same move at Concord but fails as the Patriots had moved their stock from the location known to the general. Years later, these political meetings made their way into the attainment of America's independence in 2nd July 1776 after Virginia's resolution is put to the Congress of thirteen colonies and is passed 'unanimously'.(History world 2018)

From the paper, we are able to conclude that the American Revolution constitutes of both religious and political reasons as to why the people of America fought for their independence. Regardless of the reasons that were brought forward by the nationalists, they all achieved one goal that was to remove the British colonies from the American soil. The revolution was characterized by riots and sieges especially in Boston to make it hard for Britain and its troops to make commands on their colonies.

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Religion Politics And The American Revolution. (2019, Apr 26). Retrieved March 29, 2024 , from
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