John Milton: Fearless Foe of Despots
In the pantheon of individuals whose ideas forged the ideological framework of the American Founding Fathers, English poet and polemicist John Milton holds a distinguished place. An erudite scholar, a poetic genius, and a fervent advocate for republicanism and freedom of speech, Milton’s life and works resonated across the Atlantic, influencing the philosophical bedrock upon which the United States was built. His steadfast opposition to tyranny and his articulate defense of liberty, as evident in works such as The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates, Areopagitica, Eikonoklastes,and The Ready and Easy Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth,rendered him not merely a luminary of the English literary tradition, but a seminal figure in the evolution of republican thought. Today, sadly, not only are most Americans unfamiliar with Milton’s searing denouncements of tyranny, but his role as a significant influence on the Founding Fathers has been forgotten as well.
Champion of Republicanism
John Milton (1608-1674) was born into a period of profound religious and political upheaval, which would significantly shape his intellectual and ideological development. Educated at Cambridge University and well versed in classical literature, Milton’s early works were primarily poetic. However, the escalating conflict between the monarchy and Parliament, culminating in the English Civil War, steered his pursuits toward the defense of republican principles.
His transition from poet to polemicist is epitomized in his 1649 work The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates. Published in the aftermath of King Charles I’s execution, the treatise boldly defended the right of a people to hold their ruler accountable and to overthrow a tyrannical monarch. At its core, The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates articulated a revolutionary idea: that sovereignty resided not in kingship but in the people, and that governments are instituted for the benefit of the governed, responsible for upholding justice and liberty.
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