18th Century America

In Europe, the 18th century was about Progress. Technological advances were only one aspect of that progress, the most important elements being intellectual and spiritual. The Age of Enlightenment was at its peak, and philosophers envisioned a future time when the knowledge, virtue and diligence of Mankind would usher in a golden era of educated populations working together for self-actualization and evolutionary development.

It's easy to think the American Colonies, and later the fledgling United States of America, were different, that the distance of oceans removed them from the influence of secular humanism. In fact, the Founding Fathers were thoroughly sons of the Enlightenment, and it was their commitment to the same kind of Progress espoused by men like Hegel and Voltaire that led them to break with England.

Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin were probably the most outspoken defenders of Enlightenment idealism, but there were plenty of others. There were also plenty of Christians, men whom today's Enlightenment heirs would prefer we forgot, but the fact remains that the American political experiment was largely undertaken with the goal of reshaping government to advance the people further on the path toward perfection.

Essentially, the primary tenets of the Enlightenment were that man can know all there is to know, that through education all men can acquire enough knowledge to become virtuous and productive, and that together we can all make the world a better place. It's basically a mirror-image of the Christian doctrine of history: that man is helpless, that only God knows everything, and that history is moving along the path God set for it to fulfill His ultimate ends and glorify Himself through Jesus Christ.

As in any era, God raised men to proclaim the latter truth despite the humanism engulfing so much of Western society. The wisdom of God is foolishness to those who are perishing (as He says in His Word), and many rejected the calls to repentance, but there were plenty who accepted and turned to Christ, enough to start a revival called the Great Awakening.

Men like George Whitefield, John Wesley and Jonathan Edwards preached the Gospel in direct opposition to the wisdom of this world that was spreading so quickly and thoroughly. Even today, their sermons are remembered and read, and even today men and women are converted through their doctrinally sound and spiritually edifying writings.

In the end, the tension between Christianity and Enlightenment rationalism that swept the newly settled North American continent was indicative of the same battle that has raged ever since Adam declared war on God by eating the forbidden fruit. For Christians, the most important event in 18th century America was the Great Awakening, not the American War for Independence. It's essential when studying the period that we keep this in perspective, appreciating the good things the Revolution and its advocates accomplished while measuring everything against the truth of Scripture.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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56 Items found Print
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A is for Abigail
by Lynne Cheney
1st edition from Simon and Schuster
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American Made: The Colonial Child of 1740
by Marcia Fann
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And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?
by Jean Fritz & Margot Tomes
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Biography for 2nd-4th grade
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Ben and Me
by Robert Lawson
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Ben Franklin
See and Read: Beginning to Read Biography
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Makers of America
by Ruth Cromer Weir, illustrated by Rus Anderson
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Birds of Killingworth
by Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by Kimberly Bulcken Root
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Colonial America
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Colonial America Cooperative Learning Activities
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Colonial People: The Silversmith
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Colonial Times 1600-1700
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Colonial Town: Williamsburg
by Bobbie Kalman
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Daniel Boone
by Carol Greene
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Declaration of Independence
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Documenting U.S. History
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Weekly Reader Heroes of the Revolution
by Susan & John Lee
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Famous Figures of the American Revolution
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George Washington's Breakfast
by Jean Fritz
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How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning
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How Our Nation Began
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How Our Nation was Born: The American Revolution
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If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution
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by Kay Moore
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If You Lived in Colonial Times
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by Ann McGovern
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If You Lived in Williamsburg in Colonial Days
If You Were There
by Barbara Brenner, Jenny Williams (Ilustrator)
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If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution
If You Were There
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Jamestown
Adventures in Colonial America
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John, Paul, George & Ben
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Joke's on George
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Matchlock Gun
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Meet Thomas Jefferson
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The Founding Fathers
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First Biographies
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Picture Book of Patrick Henry
by David A. Adler; illustrated by John & Alexandra Wallner
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Salem Days
Adventures in Colonial America
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by Richard Berleth
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by James Cross Giblin
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Tools and Gadgets (Historic Communities)
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True Book: The Bill of Rights
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Unfading Beauty
by Tracy M. Leininger
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What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?
by Jean Fritz
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from Simon & Schuster Macmillan
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Adventures in Colonial America
by James Knight
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by Steven Kellogg (illustrator), text by Edward Bangs
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by Written by Peter Cook, Peter Hicks, Fiona Macdonald, and Jacqueline Morley, and Illustrated by David Antram
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