The Road to Revolution
Read full transcript 2 segments
-
GODFREY: It’s hard for us to imagine this in some ways, but in the 1760s, rumors began to circulate that the king in England was thinking about sending a bishop to America. This scandalized most of the colonists. It wasn’t just that the king was going to send a bishop, but all that that implied, because bishops in England were counted as part of the aristocracy. They were addressed as “lords,” and there were many in America who feared that now, England might begin to export its whole aristocratic hierarchy to America. And Americans didn’t want that. Americans were opposed to that. And so, the great fear of “episcopacy,” as it was known, began to rally anti‑royal sentiment, particularly amongst Presbyterians and Congregationalists—that means particularly in the mid‑Atlantic states and in New England. And there was a rising tide of opposition, then, but not only there, even in the areas of the colonies that were more Anglican in sentiment, like Virginia, there still was this sense: “We do not want aristocracy here. We do not want that exported here.” And a rising sentiment was, “We want our rights as Englishmen. We don’t want
-
taxation without representation.” The things you all learned in grammar school about the American Revolution were true. This was a big part of what motivated colonials in America, who now found themselves growing to a significant size in terms of population, having opportunities now they might not have thought possible before. And this would lead, ultimately, to the revolt against the king of England. And that is why the Declaration of Independence is so important.
Summary
The sermon discusses the colonial American opposition to the potential appointment of a bishop by the English king in the 1760s, which symbolized a feared imposition of aristocratic hierarchy. This fear of "episcopacy," alongside the desire for "rights as Englishmen" and opposition to "taxation without representation," fueled anti-royal sentiment and ultimately contributed to the American Revolution. The practical takeaway is that widespread resistance to perceived overreach by the English crown, exemplified by the bishop issue, was a significant factor leading to the Declaration of Independence.