The American Miracle: Divine Providence in the Rise of the Republic

Michael Medved examines pivotal moments in American history from the writing of the Constitution through the Civil War, arguing that the nation's rise followed a deliberate pattern. According to Medved, at critical junctures when success seemed unlikely and disaster imminent, unexpected events provided deliverance and progress. Medved presents several historical episodes as examples: religious refugees blown off course arriving at an ideal location for survival; George Washington's surrounded army escaping due to sudden weather changes; Napoleon's impulsive decision to sell territory to Thomas Jefferson, doubling the nation's size; and a soldier discovering enemy battle plans wrapped around cigars, which Lincoln interpreted as a sign to pursue emancipation. While historians may attribute these events to accident, crime, or leadership, Medved argues that major historical figures have identified them as expressions of divine providence. The narrative includes portraits of notable and lesser-known figures throughout American history, presenting the nation as shaped by a distinctive destiny from its origins onward.