John Adams is my favorite of the Founding Fathers since reading David McCullough book about him. In fact it was so good I did something I rarely do with a non-fiction book — I read it a second time.
What do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations.
While the king, and all in authority under him, were believed to govern in justice and mercy, according to the laws and constitution derived to them from the God of nature and transmitted to them by their ancestors, they thought themselves bound to pray for the king and queen and all the royal family, and all in authority under them, as ministers ordained of God for their good; but when they saw those powers renouncing all the principles of authority, and bent upon the destruction of all the securities of their lives, liberties, and properties, they thought it their duty to pray for the continental congress and all the thirteen State congresses.
This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people, was the real American Revolution.
~ John Adams to H. Niles, 1818
