Ruler’s Law Prevailed Before America’s Unprecedented Freedom
Before the founding of the United States, “Ruler’s Law,” not Rule of Law, was prevalent throughout the world. Ruler’s Law meant that all power and decision-making rested in one central, authoritarian person or group. In other words, the ruler was the law. Whatever the ruler wanted or decided arbitrarily became the law. For about 5,000 years, nations of the world were ruled by Ruler’s Law through monarchs, dictators, or oligarchs. The people had no rights to property or the fruits of their labor since rulers could simply take them away at will. Power was exercised over the people by compulsion or force.
Ruler’s Law left the common man with excessive taxation, perpetual poverty and hunger, and no chance to improve his life. Freedom of the people was unheard of, and domination/suppression of the people by their ruler(s) was a permanent way of life. Slavery of people of all races and creeds was widespread and ongoing.
Ruler’s Law dominated until three major events occurred between 1450 and 1517: 1) the invention of the printing press in 1440, 2) the discovery of North America in 1492, and 3) the start of the Reformation of the church in 1517. These events led to the translation, printing, and distribution of the Bible in the people’s common languages. Commoners could read the Bible without interpretation by clergy. They also began to learn principles for civil and religious life—for example, that people are made free and equal before God.
This new, revolutionary thinking ultimately led the Pilgrims to voyage to America for religious freedom. On this trip, the Pilgrims wrote and signed the Mayflower Compact—the first contractual agreement among free, equal people to form a civil self-government with just laws. The Pilgrims’ supreme ruler was not an earthly king but the impartial, just, and loving God.
Thus began and continues to this day the American idea that men are free to rule themselves under God and the Rule of Law. Indeed, the American view of man’s natural rights, equality, and freedom all come from the Bible. These divinely-inspired principles are above man-made laws and are among the most important for human life.
Contributed by AHEF and Jack Kamrath.
Source: Kamrath, Angela E. The Miracle of America: The Influence of the Bible on the Founding History and Principles of the United States of America for a People of Every Belief. Third Edition. Houston, TX: American Heritage Education Foundation, 2020, 2014, 2015. 1.1-1.2, 2.2-2.6, 3.8
Activity: Student Essay Question: How did Ruler’s Law and enslavement of the masses begin to change?
Reading: Check out the essay, From Oppression to Freedom, in the Introduction of America’s Heritage: An Adventure in Liberty (starting on page 9).
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