Why the founding documents were revolutionary
When the Founders drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Constitution in 1787, they were attempting something with no modern precedent: a government built on principles, not bloodlines. 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.' This is a theological claim embedded in a political document: rights come from the Creator, not the state. Government exists to protect these rights — not grant or rescind them.