The Story of America

The story of America begins with faith and a quest for freedom. This faith is in the God of the Bible and the freedom they sought after was the freedom to freely worship this God. Our early founders, the Pilgrims, Puritans, and other settlers dedicated this land to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the furtherance of the Christian faith. The first settlers landed in Virginia in 1607. When they came ashore they erected a wooden cross and were lead into prayer by Reverend Hunt who made the journey from England with them. In this prayer they thanked God for their safe journey and committed themselves, a group of 149 men to God's plan and Purpose for the New World. In the original charter of Virginia they openly declared what that purpose is, it sates "in propagating of Christian religion to such people as yet live in darkness and [unhappy] ignorance of the true knowledge and worship of God." Some years later, in Massachusetts a group of Puritans and Pilgrims fleeing religious persecution and seeking freedom to  freely worship God according to their convictions landed in what would become known as the city of Plymouth. Before disembarking they wrote and signed a document called the 'Mayflower Compact', a covenantal governing document where they stated "Having undertaken for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith, and the honor of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents [that is, by this legal document and charter] solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic." These are the two main arteries which created the America that we love and gave birth to the Revolution which we celebrate 250 years later that changed the world forever.

This revolution for Independence was hard won by the America Patriots. Militiamen  from every state in the colonies volunteered for enlistment into the Continental Army under General George Washington. In disparate need of reinforcements during the winter at Valley Forge George Washington authorized the creation of an entire black regiment called the Rhode Island 1st Black regiment. They became known for their bravery, courage, for repulsing British attacks and inflicting heavy casualties on the dreaded Hessian mercenaries. After the American Victory at the Battle of Saratoga where British forces surrendered to American General Horatio Gates in 1777 it was the battle at Yorktown which effectively ended the revolutionary war with a decisive American victory and the conclusion of peace by the signing of the treaty of Paris in 1783.