Avalon Chronicles #118: Exodus From Human Bondage The Declaration of Independence of America

                                   July 4, 1776 a Day in History that will Endure Forever!

     A treasured book in my personal library is Unto the Generations The Roots of True Americanism        written by Daniel L. Marsh and published by the Long House Publishers in Connecticut in 1968. Author Marsh, at the time Life Chancellor of Boston University, writes of certain historical events, documents and speeches of America's past. He adopts a rather unique rendering for our nation of these special aspects of our history as they relate to Biblical times, Old and New Testaments. Very compelling is his comparison for the signing of our Declaration of Independence to the Exodus of the Hebrew people from Egypt. A student/reader of the history of this ancient time will recall how Moses gathered up the Hebrews, who had endured 400 years of oppression and slavery under Egyptian domination. They broke free and began their journey to the Promised Land.

    The British colonies in America had developed from the original landings at Jamestown and Plymouth and had blazed trails south and west and established new frontiers of settlers, who had become very independent. One of the historical facts of complete historical significance is that the trails were blazed through lands occupied by many native Americans, who were dispersed to other areas. Over the decades the rule and control of Great Britain became tighter and tighter in governance and especially in taxation. It was not a slavery as experienced by the Hebrews, but nonetheless it was most oppressive. The colonists in America decided it was time to break free and that we did with the establishment of a nation that had never been nor ever would be again.

     Many documents established throughout history are very much secular, but in our nation we developed a different approach. It had its roots in several evangelistic happenings centered around Great Awakenings, when many colonists developed strong personal spiritual roots in the decades preceding our Revolutionary War. Hamilton Long in 1963 wrote Your American Yardstick another classic book in my possession. Recall that fundamental foundation in our Declaration of Independence, "...all men are created...and endowed by their Creator..." He wrote, "The fundamental principle underlying the traditional American philosophy is that the Spiritual is supreme" The adoption of our Declaration of Independence reflected that we have a nation founded upon, "This governmental philosophy is, therefore, essentially religious in nature...it is uniquely American; no other people in all history have ever made this principle the basis of their governmental philosophy."

     What we established in 1776 is unique in recorded history and, if ever lost, would most assuredly never be repeated. Let us ensure that our Exodus to our own Promised Land is permanent!

The Honorable Allen B. Clark 

Author Soldiers' Blood and Bloodied Money