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To What Extent Was The Romans Justified In The American Revolution

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The American Revolutionary War was a significant event in world history, and the constitutional republic that followed has produced the freest, most productive society ever. Most of the Founding Fathers were religious men. No one can deny that the independence they fought for has benefitted millions of people. Does this make their revolt against the British monarch morally acceptable though? More specifically, was the American Revolution a violation of what Romans 13:1-7 tells us?

During the years before the Revolutionary War, the issue of justified rebellion was widely debated, with good men on both sides of the issue. Not surprisingly, most English preachers, urged restraint and submission on the part of the colonists; while most Colonial …show more content…

The colonists saw themselves not as anti-government but as anti-tyranny. That is, they were not promoting anarchy or the casting off of all restraint. They believed Romans 13 taught honor for the institution of government, but not necessarily for the individuals who ruled government. Therefore, since they supported God’s institution of government, the colonists believed that their actions against a specific oppressive authority were not a violation of the general principle of Romans 13.
The colonists pointed out that it was the king of England himself who was in violation of Scripture. No king who behaved so wickedly, they said, could be considered “God’s servant.” Therefore, they believed it was a Christian’s duty to resist him.
The colonists saw the war as a defensive action, not as an offensive war. And it is true that, in 1775 and 1776, the Americans had presented the king with formal appeals for reconciliation. These peaceful pleas were met with armed military force and several violations of British Common Law and the English Bill of Rights. In 1770, the British fired upon unarmed citizens in the Boston Massacre. At Lexington, the command was “Don’t fire unless fired upon.” The colonists, therefore, saw their actions as simply defending themselves after the conflict had been initiated by the

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