Class 25: Political Philosophy; American Revolution

1. Class 25: Political Philosophy; American Revolution Dr. Ann T. Orlando 2 April 2014

2. My view and how it is different from Bokenkotter (and Hitchcock) • “In many ways the French Revolution was the climax of the Enlightenment” p. 280 • Hitchcock follows this same approach; 10 pages on the French Revolution, none on the American Revolution • I do agree that French Revolution had the most dramatic effect on the Church at the time • American system of government and liberal American culture are the climax of the Enlightenment • Most ‘Enlightened’ person was T. Jefferson • The real Enlightenment Revolution was the American Revolution • Successful • American Culture dominates most of the world

3. British in America: 17th C • Spain and Portugal had already laid claim to the best land in the Western Hemisphere in the 16th C • Leaving England, Holland and France to scramble for less desirable northern lands • From Gonzales, The Story of Christianity, Vol 2, p.218 (trying to balance Black Legend) • Puritans no more tolerant than the Inquisition • Spanish wanted Indians for their labor, so did not exterminate them; • British wanted the land and so did engage in a process of extermination and containment (both before and after the Revolution)

4. British Colonies: 17th C • Virginia: Established 1607 by Virginia Company to develop agriculture; Church of England and Puritans • Carolinas: 1663, Established by aristocrats in England; needed to encourage settlers; John Locke wrote the Constitution • Georgia: Founded to stop the Spanish in Florida; Anglican; populated by debtors as alternative to jail • Maryland: Granted to Lord Baltimore by Charles I in 1632 as a way to find support among Catholics in England • Pennsylvania: William Penn and Quakers • New Jersey: Puritan • New York: First Dutch, Reformed, then Anglican • New England: Settled by Pilgrims for expressly religious, rather than economic, purposes; refuge from Charles I • Congregationalism an outgrowth of Puritan (John Cotton 1584-1662) • Harvard College 1636; motto “Truth for Christ and the Church”

5. 18th C French and American Political Philosophy • Based upon John Locke • Puritan sermons in 18th C America frequently referred to “the great Mr. Locke” • Voltaire considered Locke one of the most important men of the previous generation • One of Jefferson’s three heroes (the other two being Bacon and Newton) • John Adams thought John Locke one of most important men who ever lived • Emphasize individual liberty and rights over duty to society • Importance of written Constitutions as contract between people and Government

6. American Colonies: Early 18th C Great Awakening • Revival movement that started in Britain; quickly spread to America • Pietistic, Anabaptist origins • Encouraged personal religious experiences (Jonathan Edwards) • Baptism was a sign that one had had such an experience • Movement embraced all 13 colonies • Supporters of Movement: Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists became largest denomination in US by end 18th and in 19th C • Those opposed, Anglicans, Quakers, Congregationalists lost membership

7. American Revolution:New Political Structures • American Revolution (1776-1781), based on philosophy of John Locke (1632-1704) • Champion of individual rights • Religious toleration • Not clear (still isn’t) what is relation between religion and politics in America • Most States had an official religion; see for instance John Adams’ Constitution of Massachusetts; oldest written Constitution still in use • First Amendment to Constitution says only that Congress will not establish a religion; • Thomas Jefferson extends this to separation of Church and State (1802)

8. Adams and Jefferson • John Adams (1735-1826) • Massachusetts, Puritan then Unitarian, • Harvard; second President • Abolitionist • Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) • Virginia, Episcopalian then deist/atheist, • William and Mary; third President • Slave owner • Both wrote Declaration of Independence; close friends in France; bitter enemies over election of 1800; renew friendship in old age; both die on 50th anniversary of signing Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1826

9. Jefferson’s Religion • Wrote a syllabus of Christianity (Letter to Benjamin Rush, 21 April 1803) • Jefferson called himself an Epicurean (Letter to William Short, 31 October 1819) • Letter includes a syllabus or summary of Epicureanism • An exegesis of John 1:1 to demonstrate that Jesus was not God (Letter to John Adams 11 April 1823)

10. American Election of 1800 Choice between Adams vs. Jefferson: Role of Religion in Society and American view of French Revolution Jefferson was the Democratic-Republic party candidate Aaron Burr was running mate Adams (incumbent) was the Federalist party candidate Charles Pinckney was running mate Alexander Hamilton supported Adams (against Burr) Election tied in Electoral College, finally decided by vote of House of Representatives

11. Key Issues Then (and Now)

12. Reading • 1. Thomas Jefferson Letter to Danbury Baptist Association available at http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html • 2. John Adams. Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Preamble and Part I Available athttp://www.mass.gov/legis/const.htm

13. Suggested very partial bibliography • The Adams-Jefferson Letters, ed. Lester Cappon • John Ferling, Adams vs. Jefferson • Susan Dunn, • The Sister Revolutions • Jefferson’s Second Revolution, the Election Crisis of 1800 and the Triumph of Republicanism