The American Revolution was not a homegrown affair of hearty young patriots, tired of taxation, taking hold of spare muskets in lantern-lit town squares against a tyrannical Monarch across the Atlantic. It was, instead, much more typical of the times in which it occurred; a time when European monarchies were being universally challenged by the the very nobility such monarchies had granted in the first place. Their life of purpled ease - that of the governing classes of course - had come under threat due to the changing tune of Europe’s monarchs, who were by natural course of history and evolving commercial prosperity, turning away from serfdom and feudalism in favor of more humanitarian forms of government.
Though an obvious benefit to the lower classes of such societies, the threat to the ruling nobility was obvious, and was perceived by that class as being of the upmost vitality. This trend was not limited to Europe, but extended as well to the far flung reaches of the European empire and colonies.
So was indicated by a series of essays written by the renegade Boston "Loyalist," M. Lesueur, which appeared in a Boston newspaper in the 1760s. The Loyalist argued that America should reject moves towards autonomy for the colonies at the same time many Neapolitans were doing the same in Italy. This was just one of many experiences that would set the stage for the conflict that would be known as the American Revolution.
Both the American and Neapolitan revolutions were purported to be inspired by Enlightenment ideals, with the express aim of changing the nature of governance the world over forever. None of the revolutions of the time truly succeed in the establishment of a truly sovereign and independent nation, but they did challenge and in many ways overthrow the traditional power and value structures that had previously laid the groundwork for Western society and culture. They all used the same deceptive and vague rhetoric that continues to nauseate the world today—democracy, freedom, and human rights. None of which can be sufficiently defined by those brazen enough to kill in their defense.
Perhaps there is no divine right to rule, but I dare propose there is a divine renunciation of indecency.
The American Revolution was not a pure expression of the will of the people, but instead a calculated and strategic move by the nobility to cling to their power and wealth in changing times. As the educated and elite class of the colonies, they saw their privileged position threatened by the shifting political climate and sought to maintain their dominance through rebellion.
There were, importantly, victims of such deceptions, and I can name no better example than that of Beaumarchais, the French play-write (who inspired Mozart’s ‘Marriage of Figaro,’ and well as Sabatini’s ‘Scaramouche’), undercover diplomat, arms dealer, and the principal financier of the American Revolution. The Continental Congress, having been officially corrupted with the ratification of the modern Constitution in opposition to the pre-existing articles of confederation, never fully repaid America’s debt to Beaumarchais, or his heirs, to the nation’s continued disgrace.
Many of the same principles that fueled the American Revolution also fueled the French Revolution, with similar results. The French aristocracy, under threat of losing their power and privilege, attempted to put down the rebellion by force, resulting in widespread violence and ultimately their own demise, or rather, their own willing subjugation to a force far more deplorable than the worst man of history (whoever he may be), which can be analogized, perhaps, as a fiat currency; an excess capital; an eternally insatiable and inhuman delusion.
In both cases, it was not the common people who were the architects of these revolutions, but rather the elite few who sought to maintain their status and wealth. And even though these revolutions were ultimately successful in their aims, they did not bring about the utopian societies that had been promised. Instead, they led to a shifting of power from one ruling class to another, leaving the common people largely unchanged.
The American Revolution was not the pure and noble uprising it has often been portrayed as. It was a calculated move by a privileged class to maintain their power and wealth in a changing world. It was not a battle for pure righteousness or against oppressive tyranny, but a struggle for power and control between different classes and interests. And while it did bring about some positive change, it was ultimately a revolution of the elite, for the elite, and by the elite.
The real Revolution is yet to come. In truth, it may be decades if not centuries away— though I am ready for it today, were there numbers enough to permit the attempt. In the meantime, our best weapon as the common people is the truth. It is on our side and will remain so for as long as we refuse to capitulate to those forces who place money, power, and a perversity they call ‘justice’ over honor.
For as long as we have our honor, and believe in it’s Higher Court, there will be no court of what tyrants call ‘justice’ that will ever be able to condemn us. Let those who are of Caesar work for him in earnest, and let us have the patience and confidence to listen only to those Judges with the Authority to Judge.
Who is to say what will be the weight of our hearts when they are inevitably measured on the Scales when that time comes? Who is to say?
-M. Shultz for the Shultz Report