Desire for Change
“When dictatorship is a fact, revolution becomes a right.” – Victor Hugo
Revolutions have shaken and transformed civilizations around the world since early recorded history. While the exact motivations behind such movements vary, they all share the same ultimate goal of achieving some form of radical change.
The most common inspiration associated with revolutions can be summed up in one word: freedom. The desire for freedom is of itself a noble, worthy goal, and countless civilizations have attempted revolutions to overthrow tyrannical, oppressive regimes in order to secure it. However, very few of these efforts have succeeded, and despite their initial motives, many ultimately devolve into anarchy, chaos, and even greater tyranny.
Why have so few freedom-driven revolutions been successful? What is it that so often causes them to go astray or fail in the pursuit of their worthy objective?
The answer to these questions can be discovered by looking to history, and as we are about to learn, it goes far beyond the concept of freedom itself. Perhaps the two most recognized and significant revolutions in world history are the American Revolution (1775–1783) and the French Revolution (1789–1799). Both occurred during the same era and were inspired by similar causes. However, the manner in which they were conducted could not have been more different, and in the end, only one would achieve long-term success.
The French Revolution
The French Revolution was sparked by a variety of factors, many of which were rooted in government overreach and corruption. France was structured around a strict class hierarchy, ranging from the monarchy and aristocracy to tradesmen, workers, and peasantry. The success of one’s life and circumstances was almost entirely dependent on one’s station of birth, and if born into a poor, destitute class, the rigidity of the French social structure crushed all hope of rising above it.
After the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, France was overwhelmed with heavy debts and attempted to extract repayment from the people through heavy taxation. Unfortunately, the bulk of these taxes fell on the poorer classes and only exacerbated their destitute circumstances.
While the French monarchy, headed by Louis XVI, made feeble attempts to correct these injustices, its efforts were thwarted by the French parliaments and aristocracy (History.com; Roller, S.). This fostered growing resentment among the lower French classes toward the monarchy and aristocracy. Their discontent was fueled by the radical theories of notable Enlightenment philosophers such as Voltaire and Rousseau, whose ideas influenced leading revolutionaries like Robespierre and called for a new system of government that would eliminate inequality and oppression and reflect the will of the people (Federer, W.).
The Erasure of Religion and Faith
Radical French revolutionaries advocated for the will of the collective and the equitable redistribution of wealth and resources to ensure equality for all of France. Even with all their demands for equality, however, they rejected the concept of individual rights and believed that a strong, centralized state was necessary to carry out the wishes of the people. They also believed in the supposed inherent goodness of man and, in consequence, feared no danger from a centralized state. As it would later turn out, these concepts would influence leading socialists like Karl Marx, and when implemented, they would prove far more devastating than the oppression faced under the old regime.
The most damaging aspect of French Enlightenment ideology was its role in what would become a widespread campaign to dechristianize France. This movement was actively led by radicals such as the Jacobins and Robespierre and sought to replace God with the state. As the notable French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire famously declared, “Every sensible man, every honorable man must hold the Christian religion in horror.” Inspired by such views, the French revolutionaries sought to erase any trace of religion and faith from culture. They destroyed religious symbology and memorials, desecrated Christian graves, shut down and outlawed churches and places of worship, and banned religious practices—even going so far as to target and execute members of the clergy and anyone who attempted to help them or refused to abandon their beliefs for French secularism (Federer, W.).
Decline of French Society
As a result of these radicalized, secular influences, the French Revolution erupted into an absolute bloodbath, marked by slaughter, gore, debauchery, and chaos, ultimately becoming known as the Reign of Terror. Starting with King Louis XVI and his wife, Queen Marie Antoinette, the French revolutionaries began systematically arresting and murdering everyone they considered oppressors. They relentlessly hunted down and executed thousands upon thousands of victims, and as the revolution progressed, the death toll continued to mount—eventually including members of the French royalty and aristocracy, the wealthy, the clergy, and even farmers, businessmen, and any perceived dissenters.
With faith, God, and any semblance of a moral standard purged from society, the French people embraced an increasingly violent and licentious culture, which caused the revolution to deteriorate even more rapidly. In the end, the French Revolution devolved into such utter chaos that the revolutionaries began turning on and killing each other. At last, in 1799, seizing advantage of the opportunity created by the revolution, a young military officer named Napoleon Bonaparte staged a coup, seized control of the French government, and ultimately crowned himself emperor of France. This brought a decisive end to the French Revolution and ushered in the reign of a dictatorship that would overshadow all of France and spread throughout much of Europe (Federer, W.; History.com).
The American Revolution
While the American Revolution was also the culmination of extreme government tyranny and oppression, the driving ideologies of the French and American revolutions could not have been more different. The earliest American settlers came to America to escape religious persecution and be free to worship and honor God according to the dictates of their conscience. As the years passed and the thirteen American colonies were established, the colonists were largely divided and closely adhered to their own religious sects—even going so far as to ostracize or persecute those belonging to different Christian denominations. However, they were ultimately unified through a monumental movement known as the Great Awakening (c. 1730–1755), during which notable evangelical preachers such as George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards traveled the colonies and shared the Gospel. They also pointed to God as the source of freedom and ultimate authority, which had a dramatic impact on the way the colonists viewed government.
The Great Awakening sparked a massive revival that caused thousands to turn to God, uniting them as fellow believers and establishing the moral foundation that would guide them in their understanding of and pursuit of freedom (Germain, E.). These principles continued to be preached throughout the colonies from the pulpits of numerous Christian ministers, who used the Bible to teach the colonists about fundamental principles such as individual liberty, God-given rights, and biblical citizenship (Wallbuilders).
Leading Causes
After the French and Indian War (1754–1763), the British crown sought to extract payment of its war debts from the thirteen colonies through heavy taxes and, in doing so, denied them the representation that belonged to them by right as British subjects. Recognizing these actions as blatant acts of tyranny, the colonists appealed to the British government time and time again to honor their rights and abandon their tyrannical overtures. Instead of heeding their entreaties, the British doubled down on their efforts, levying even more taxes and establishing a military presence in the colonies to enforce their new measures. They stripped the colonists of many of their local governing powers, arrested and imprisoned many without actual cause or due process, forcibly took up residence in their towns and homes, and confiscated their property.
The colonists continued to resist British tyranny and attempted numerous negotiations and petitions on behalf of their rights. In April 1775, the building tensions finally came to a head after British forces attempted to disarm the colonists by confiscating their supply of weapons and ammunition in Concord, Massachusetts. On April 19, while en route to Concord, the British encountered a small but determined band of American patriots in Lexington—known as minutemen—who had assembled on the Lexington Green. Up until then, though they had strongly resisted British tyranny, the colonists had done everything in their power to avoid actual conflict and resolve the situation through peaceful measures. However, after the far superior British force opened fire upon the small band of minutemen on that fateful April day, spilling the first patriot blood of the American Revolution, the colonists recognized that the time for active resistance had finally come (Fisher, D., Bringing Back the Black Robed Regiment, 2015).
Declaration of Independence
On July 4, 1776, the colonists ratified the Declaration of Independence, which declared their formal separation from Great Britain. In the Declaration of Independence, they clearly defined the reasons for their separation, pointing to God as the source of their rights, detailing at length how their rights had been violated by the British Crown, and declaring their sacred duty to defend their rights and secure freedom for posterity.
Throughout the American Revolution, the American colonists sought to honor God, repeatedly calling for days of fasting, prayer, and repentance, and appealing to Him for justice in their cause. They were also guided by the bold voices of courageous patriot pastors, whose influence upon the colonists was so great that they were dubbed the “Black Robe Regiment” by the British and blamed as the driving force behind the American resistance (Wallbuilders).
Foundation of Faith
After eight long years of war and facing seemingly insurmountable odds against what was then the most powerful military in the world, the American colonists defeated the British and secured their freedom. In the wake of their victory, however, the Founding Fathers recognized that America could not remain free for long if it failed to adhere to the moral, faith-centered foundation that had birthed its freedom in the first place.
They went on to craft a form of government that was established to protect the inalienable rights of American citizens and was founded on the biblical principles that had inspired the American Revolution. These principles were also taught in schools across America and served as the moral framework that governed and shaped American society. As a result of these efforts, America would go on to become—and remains to this day—the freest, most prosperous nation in the history of the world.
Timeless Truths of History
So why did the American Revolution—unlike the French Revolution—succeed in accomplishing its ultimate purpose of securing freedom? Because it honored and acknowledged the ultimate source of freedom and built a nation and society that continued to do the same. To further test this claim, consider the state of America today. Starting in the early 1900s, notable ideological movements, such as the Progressive movement, began shifting Americans’ focus from faith in God to trust in “science” and human intellect.
By the 1960s, American society openly rebelled against God and abandoned its moral foundation—removing the Bible and prayer from public schools, restricting religious practices from public life, and embracing various forms of immorality and debauchery. Simultaneously, the American church—which had once formed a central aspect of American culture—largely abandoned the culture and the public square to secular influences, accepting the false premise that politics and religion should never coincide. Tragically, as America followed the same downward trajectory as the French Revolution—becoming increasingly godless and attacking its founding principles and heritage—its government also became increasingly centralized, powerful, and tyrannical, and began stripping away Americans’ freedoms.
A Warning And Encouragement
As we can clearly see today, modern America has become living proof of the chilling warning: “Those who forget the past are destined to repeat it.” Fortunately, we need not resign ourselves to the same fate that befell France and its radical revolutionaries. We have a rich heritage and legacy to guide us back to the founding principles that made America such a great nation, and it is only by returning to our Biblical foundations that we can truly save our country and secure freedom.
It also rests upon each of us as American citizens to be good stewards of the incredible nation that God has blessed us with and to do our duty to God and our fellow countrymen to preserve it for the next generation. We must not allow ourselves to fall into apathy or to be intimidated into silence or submission, but instead stand firm against tyranny and attacks on our freedom and heritage.
Most importantly, we must turn back to the One who gave us our freedom, and become once again “one nation, under God.”
Then, and only then, can we be restored as the truly great nation and proud bastion of freedom that forever changed the course of history, and has shone—and will continue to shine—as a bright light of hope and promise, inspiring humanity around the globe for generations to come.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
– 2 Chronicles 7:14 | NKJV
Sydney Alix
Sydney works for Patriot Academy as a curriculum writer and has a passion for researching and writing about American history. As a writer, she seeks to use her work to inspire a genuine love and appreciation for the beautiful nation and heritage that God has given us. She also has a deep love for the Lord and a passion to reach culture with truth and love of Jesus Christ.
