Tuesday, March 17, 2009

The American Revolution-The Most Radical

In this essay, I will reiterate a truth that I have written about previously. This truth is that the American Revolution was the most radical of the modern revolutions. Yes, forget the propaganda of the consensus school of American historians. Their interpretation is pure fiction. The American Revolution was a libertarian revolution, something statists historians have obscured from most people.

Murray Rothbard's "Conceived in Liberty" four volume set on the American Revolution exposes it's true radicalism. The American Revolution was one of three great revolutions in modern history. First the radical English Revolution of the 17th century, then the American Revolution and finally, the French Revolution. Rothbard points out that all three of these revolutions "blasted loose the Old Order" and paved the way for the "Industrial Revolution". All three in one way or another promoted "separation of church and state",private property,freedom of commerce, and promotion of human freedom

That being said, the American Revolution was by far the most radical of all three. Thomas Paine, the great libertarian, and defender of the both the American and French Revolutions, believed the American Revolution MORE radical than the French, and he actively participated in both in America and France

The American Revolution was born in the radicalism of the English Levellers of the English Revolution of the mid 17th century.Radicals like John Milton, James Harrington, Henry Marten, Richard Rumbold, and John Liliburne led the way for libertarian philosophy. Later, freethinkers like John Locke, John Toland, Matthew Tindal and other freethinkers and deists led the battle in Britain against state-sponsored religion, and led the fight for civil liberty. Conservative, these men were not. Defenders of reason, liberty, freedom of person, and conscience, they led the fight also against monarchy and oligarchy.

We must regain this radical tradition. This tradition led the way to modernity and the improvement of man's lives. Let's not let it die in modern America.

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