IN HIS book “The Secret Destiny of America,” Manly P. Hall (1901-1990), a writer and mystic deeply sympathetic to ideas of American exceptionalism and the work of secret societies in creating a utopian nation dedicated to the perfection of man, claimed an unknown man — an angel? — motivated the Signers of the Declaration of Independence on July 4,1776 to overcome their fears and sign the document. Hall described at length the words of the angel in his book The Secret Destiny of America.
The problem is, this story has no basis in the historical record. Anna Berkes writes:
This story is a work of historical fiction. It appeared in George Lippard’s Washington and His Generals; Or, Legends of the Revolution. According to American National Biography, Lippard “wrote many semifanciful ‘legends’ of American history, mythologizing the founding fathers and retelling key moments of the American Revolution so vividly that several of the legends…became part of American folklore.”
Still, it’s interesting as a legend, an example of national myth-making and the religious reverence given to the cause of the American Revolution. Ronald Reagan even reportedly promoted the story in a commencement speech in California. Here is Hall’s account:
On July 4, 1776, in the old State House in Philadelphia, a group of patriotic men were gathered for the solemn purpose of proclaiming the liberty of the American colonies. From the letters of Thomas Jefferson which are preserved in the Library of Congress, I have been able to gather considerable data concerning this portentous session.
In reconstructing the scene, it is well to remember that if the Revolutionary War failed every man who had signed the parchment then lying on the table would be subject to the penalty of death for high treason. It should also be remembered that the delegates representing the various colonies were not entirely of one mind as to the policies which should dominate the new nation. (more…)