The Historian's Archives

In my study of American history, or indeed in anyone's study, I have noticed a lot of facts which make the history of the American nation totally unique in the world. Many people have observed that of all the revolutions in the world, America's was the most successful and least atrocious (on the American side, anyway). Another unique trait of American history is that the “father of our country,” General George Washington, refused to accept absolute executive power, even when his countrymen freely offered it to him. American history is filled with “uniques,” but the uniqueness of American history which I would like to discuss here is a general pattern throughout our history, more exclusively, our early founding history.

Think for a moment about the Founding Fathers and the Founding Era. Both were extraordinary. Both are surrounded by legend and fiction, but such is not unique. The patriarchs and great heroes of other civilizations and nations, past and present, have such. What then is unique about the extraordinary men and events of early America?

When we examine the long-gone nations and cultures and civilizations of the past, we are constantly learning of the myths and superstitions believed about the rulers and great warriors of that nation by the people who lived centuries after those rulers had died. Many times fables that the hero was part divine, or was instructed, empowered, or miraculously protected by a god, were invented centuries after those men had died, and were used to inspire patriotism in the hearts and minds of the people (usually this was done when the civilization was declining or in a time of great crisis). Other fables and myths were created in order to make the history of that civilization more mystifying and therefore, to make it appear that that nation had a grand destiny appointed by the god of that nation.

America, even though our society has not been as superstitious as those ancient cultures in this regard, nevertheless has some “legends” that are reflective of these ancient myths -- only that these "legends" are actually historically provable facts. The following facts, if read in the context of some ancient culture, would probably be effortlessly dismissed as mythological and fictitious. And yet these facts are true. To my knowledge, none have questioned their accuracy or historicity. The fiction one would expect to find in ancient mythology, is actually true in the American case. For example:

• The Grand Patriarch of the nation was miraculously protected by the Deity in a perilous battle, and his enemies, no matter how skilled or cunning, could never hurt him. Years after one of these extraordinary instances of divine protection, this Grand Patriarch was visited by one of his former enemies, who prophesied to him that this man was indeed favored by God and would become the father of a great empire.
• Many times those who struggled in war to forge their nation's independence were protected or aided by Divine Providence. Once, a miraculous fog secured their escape from the enemy.
• Two men most responsible for the independence of that country being declared later became bitter enemies. Both lived to be unusually advanced in years, and were later reconciled to each other. Both passed away almost at the same time a full half century after they had given birth to the new nation. Their reconciliation, and the extraordinary deaths, were foretold in a dream of a man who helped reconcile these two patriarchs.