The Eric Metaxas Show - #84 - William Federer

Episode Date: March 27, 2026

Today On The Eric Metaxas Show, Eric talks with William Federer about the miracle stories of America’s founding, the East India Company, the Boston Tea Party, George Washington, days of prayer and fasting, and the moments in the Revolution that seemed to turn on providence. From Brooklyn fog to Dorchester Heights, this is a powerful look at why America’s birth still matters. Subscribe for clips from The Eric Metaxas Show to hear politics and culture from a Christian perspective.

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Many promotions are available both in-store and online, though some may vary. Hey there, folks. Uh, welcome back. As you know, this is the supercentennial. This is the 250th anniversary of the birth of the greatest nation in the history of the world. And all throughout this supercentennial year, I'm going to have guests on talking about America, the greatness of this country, the stories of our founding. Obviously, I've written a book, Revolution, which tells the whole story. but there's so much more that I could not cram into the covers,

between the covers of my 600-page book. And so I really want this year to be a celebration of the nation. And there is so much to say. But fortunately, I have found some people who can help us say it. At the top of the list, our friend William Federer. Welcome to the program, Bill. Just good to see you. Hey, Eric, great to be with you.

Where do we begin? Because honestly, you know so much about this subject. Now, you have written a book on the miracles of the founding. Our friend Michael Medved has written a book called American Miracle. They've made a film. I still haven't seen that. But you, about 15 years ago, wrote a book about this. Do we want to start there?

because I think part of my own, I guess, learning curve is really to come to the conclusion that God's hand was on the creation of this nation. It just doesn't seem logical not to believe that. Once you know some of the amazing stories. Yeah, well, just jumping in, in 1770 is the Bengal famine, where 10 million died. and the British East India Company was going bankrupt. In 1714, the British opened a trading post in Bengal. It turned into a trading fort, turned into them having guns,

and they more or less took over eventually all of India, and they rearranged their economy to have cash crops, and then there was monsoons and diseases, and the people didn't have food, and 10 million died. So the British East Indian companies on the verge of bankruptcy, they appeal for a government bailout. We are now talking. I do write about this in my book, but I don't go into any of this detail.

But just so my audience understands, right? So we're talking about the 1770, as Bill just said. But the run-up to that, the East India Company was, I think, the biggest company that's ever existed in the history of the world. They had their own army of bigger than the British Army. I mean, really just a level of, of, you know, a company that's so huge, so global. And of course, the problem, and this is what you're getting at, is that you want to talk about too big to fail?

If they start having trouble, the whole world's in trouble, the British Empire is in trouble. So you're telling me that because of this famine in India, they're in big trouble. So that's just to set the stage for what you're saying. Yeah, so they appeal to the British Parliament for a bailout And the parliament says, yeah, you can make it up with taxes on the British people. Well, the British people don't want taxes.

And so they say, okay, you can make it up on the colonies. And so tea is the number one commodity traded right now in the world. It's the most popular drink. And then in America, you have all the middle merchants that would buy it and then resell it and have their little shops. And it's, you know, equivalent to coffee today. As a matter of fact, they began to boycott the British people. India company tea, and that's when they popularized drinking coffee in America. So when the taxes were put on, you began to have the colonists not happy.

And then they add more taxes and the intolerable taxes. And then the stamp tax. And we remember that there was no gold in North America. So 500 died in one winter in Jamestown. So the king of England looked at America as a losing financial proposition. And so Europe was the chessboard, and they would fight over little boundaries. And as long as America didn't bother them, they could sort of do what they wanted. So we had a century and a half where we developed self-government.

We had our own financial system. But now is when the king's turning his attention on the colonies and beginning to tighten the screws. And then you have the Boston Tea Party with Samuel Adams, and then you have the British saying, well, you're going to pay back those 342 chests of East India tea, so we're going to blockade your harbor. In 1774, you have Thomas Jefferson drafting a day of fasting and prayer, and he introduces it in the Virginia legislature to go into effect, June 1, 1774, the same day the British are going to blockade Boston's harbor. And so here's Thomas Jefferson. I think I just want to give my audience some context because there's so much going on here. So folks, the big story is England is in trouble and the East Indian Company and Bill, I don't think he said this, but the East India Company is so tied into Parliament because most people in Parliament are invested heavily in the East Indian Company or the whole economy of England is tied in with the East Indian Company. So it really is the classic, too big to fail.

They think we have to bail them out. And they come up with a very cynical plan, folks. This is a sit. When I figured this out bill, it's kind of interesting because I was really trying to understand what led to the Boston Tea Party. Like it didn't make sense to me. Why would the colonists be so angry? And the answer is they could smell that the British Parliament was trying to hoodwink them.

The British Parliament says basically, well, to save the East India Company, we've got a little a plan. We are going to do this kind of finageling, financial finageling, to make this tax on tea, to keep the tax on tea, but we're going to lower the price so much, artificially lower the price, sort of to force the Americans to buy the tea. And when they buy the tea at this low price, because they can't resist because it's so low, the Americans will be conceding that we have the right to tax them. So it was a very cynical thing. And it's my estimation.

I mean, I write about it in my book that the American said, oh, no, no, no, no, no. We're not going to go for this. We would rather die than drink your tea with the tax on it. We're not going to pay the tax on it. So it's really this just amazing thing where you have this, the British Empire is kind of cynical. And they think, you know what, if we give them the low prices, they're going to they're going to throw their principles out the window and they're going to buy the tea. And the American said, absolutely not, which of course leads to this explosion.

We're not going to go into it more of the Boston Tea Party in December 1773, which makes England very angry and really leads to everything that you're talking about now because that was kind of like there. There are many flashpoints, but that's kind of one of the biggest ones right there. When the weather cools down, Golden Nugget Online Casino turns up the heat. winner. Make any moment golden and play thousands of games like her new slot Wolf It Up and all the fan favorite Huff and Puff games. Whether you're curled up on the couch or taking five between snow shovels, play winner's hottest collection of slots. From brand new games to the

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We'd love to talk, business. Right, and so we are taking on the most powerful global, power in the world. The son never said on the British, the king of England was a globalist. He was a one world government guy with him at the top, right? And so then you have the 1775 Battle of Concord in Lexington. And then you, interestingly enough, one of the miracles is that this is at the Battle of Bunker Hill, the British bring the wrong size cannon balls. right they have nine pound cannons and i think you know hold on i'm sorry there's so much this is funny okay so folks this is this is the timing so april 19th 1775 we have lexington and conquered so that's

we're not going to go into that but now two months later it's june and we have the battle of bunker hill and when i discovered this bill i'm glad you're bringing this up because this is this is kind of crazy you just said that they bring the wrong size cannon balls they They have to drag all this stuff across the harbor to the Charlestown side, and they bring the wrong-sized cannonballs for the cannons. I mean, how could they make a mistake like that? Yeah, well, this was the first engagement in the war where they were using cannons. And so they had not come up to speed.

And the British charge up the hill once, charge up the hill twice, and the Americans are repelling, and then the Americans run out of gunpowder. and then you have Dorchester Heights. So now the British take over Boston. And you have Henry Knox, 25-year-old's bookseller in Boston. And he and his wife, Lucy, have to flee. And he's 25 years old. He goes to Washington and has an idea of getting cannons from Forteconderoga,

dragging them across the ice and snow. It takes months to get him to. Actually, that is one of the favorite things. I don't know if you had American history in fifth grade, but when I was in fifth grade, and I mentioned this in the acknowledgments to my book, I had a professor, a teacher, Mr. McDevitt, he made this stuff come to life to that, to this day, 50 years later, I am still haunted by the story of Henry Knox making this trip, 300-mile trip to Ticonderoga to haul 120,000 pounds of cannon and other artillery through the mountains,

through the ice. It's kind of one of the unknown stories of the revolution. So, I mean, I devote a whole chapter to it, but I'm glad you're bringing it up because people don't realize if he hadn't done that, we wouldn't have been able to chase the British out of Boston. Yeah, so they put him on Dorchester Heights, which is the highest hill in the Boston Harbor area,

which means if you have a cannon there, it can shoot far enough to hit the British ships. And so the Washington's men even put logs painted black amongst the cannons. So when they would look from the distance with their telescopes, they would look like there's lots and lots of cannons. The British commander decides he's going to charge. But lo and behold, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress has a day of fasting and prayer. And on this day of fasting and prayer, the British are unloading or they're loading. their ships to go over to Dorchester Heights. Well, it's so stormy, they can't carry out their

operation. This is actually the, what, March 5th is when the British General William Howell looks up the tele, has a telescope, and looks up on, sees all these cannons. He says, the rebels did more in one night than my whole army would have done in a month. And so the next day, March 6th, Washington says this. The seven, the seven, of March being set apart by this province as a day of fasting prayer and humiliation to implore the Lord and give her of all victory to pardon our manifold sins and wickedness, that it would be pleased him to bless the Continental Army with divine protection. All officers and soldiers are strictly joined to pay due reverence to the Lord on that day. Anyway, so the next day is March 7th, and that's

when 3,000 British troops are going to charge, but the weather gets so violent that they can't even get on their boats and they have to give up their plans. And so how sends a message to Washington, if you don't shoot your cannons at our boats while we're leaving the Boston Harbor, we won't torch the place on our way out. And so this was like a miracle that we were able to chase off. Here's what Washington wrote to his younger brother, John Augustine. Upon their discovery of the works the next morning, great preparations were made for attacking them, but the weather getting very tempestuous, much blood was saved in a very important blow prevented. And that this most remarkable interposition of Providence is for some wise purpose, I have not a doubt. So that was Washington.

Now, I want to mention Providence, according to Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary, is the care and superintendence which God exercises over his creatures by divine providence is understood God himself. So when you see this, they thought it was a little bit too personal to say Jesus by name. You would want to, like, say, you know, Washington called his parents, sir and ma'am, you're right. So now the Americans are pretty high. They're like, hey, all we got to do is put some cannons on a hill and say some prayers and the British leave. Well, the next is the ranks mushroom from like 2,000 to 20,000 soldiers. And there's enthusiasm.

And the British head to New York, Brooklyn. Wait, I think I just missed something. So you said, again, for framing here, you said that. So the Americans put these guns from Taekondiroga that Henry Knox brings here in Miles. They put them on Dorchester Heights. The British see them. They think, oh, my goodness, we're outgunned, we're dead. Now, what you didn't say, which I find also interesting, is that General Howe, just the fact that he wanted to attack was kind of crazy.

And the weather really saved him because the weather was so bad that he thought, okay, we're going to call the whole thing off. And of course, makes this bargain with Washington says, I'll tell you what, if you don't fire at us as we leave, we won't burn the town down. So great victory. At that point, now Washington knows, okay, we're going to, the British are leaving, but they're not leaving for good. They're going up to Halifax. They'll be back, probably in New York. So Washington takes the army to New York. And you just said something there, which I wasn't really clear. on what you were saying. So start again with that, with the, because you were right at that point. Hey, folks, before we get back to our guests, I just want to say a lot of people donate when there's a headline.

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and the harbor fills up with 400 ships, 32,000 British troops. We're talking multiple cannon levels on these ships. It's the most firepower ever assembled in world history. and they said that the harbor looked like a forest of trees. And now it's beginning to settle in. America is taking on the most powerful military force. And lo and behold, the Continental Congress has a day of fasting.

We earnestly recommend the 17th of May 17th, 76, be observed as a day of humiliation fasting prayer. So now this is the Continental Congress, not just the Massachusetts Provincial Congress. Okay, so May 17th, 1776. which we're going to have the 250th anniversary of that coming up in two months. And President Trump has said on that day, May 17, 2026, 250th anniversary, we're going to rededicate the nation to God. But the reason we picked May 17, 2026 is because of what you're saying, is the Continental Congress said on that day, May 17, 1776,

we are going to have a national day of prayer and fasting and humiliation. And I think it's important, Bill, to say that how amazing that Congress called a day of prayer and fasting. Congress. So anybody who doesn't understand the concept of separation of church and state, what it? Congress did this. This is who we are as a people. We look to God.

We've done this publicly since the beginning. And this is the classic example of it. So May 17, 1776 is the date that was established by Congress. And they established it sometime in March of 1776, but that two months from now, we're going to have this day of prayer and fasting. The Congress, folks, do you understand the Congress? So please continue. Yeah, and people say, oh, well, listen to the rest of this day of fasting proclamation.

And it says, and through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtained his pardon and forgiveness. This is unanimously passed. Congress is made up of Anglicans, congregationalists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Lutherans, one Catholic, and Baptists, and Quaker. And so these were Christians. And Washington gets this order for the day of fasting prayer, and he tells his troops. The Continental Congress having orders the Friday the 17th of May, instant to be observed of the day of fasting, humiliation, prayer, humbly to supplicate the mercy of Almighty God,

please him to pardon all our manifold sins and transgressions, the general commands all officers and soldiers to pay strict obedience to the orders of the Continental Congress, so and so forth. So now Washington is in New York. We fast forward to July, and we have the Declaration of Independence, and they rush a copy out to Washington,

and he reads it to his troops on July 9th, and then afterwards he follows up with an order, on July 9th, a general hopes and trust that every officer and man will endeavor to live in an act as becomes a Christian soldier defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country. And then Washington writes to his younger brother, we expect John Augustine, Washington, we expect a very bloody summer of it at New York. We are not either in men or arms prepared for it. If our cause is just, as I do most religiously believe it to be, the same providence which has in many instances has appeared for us, we'll still go on to afford us. It's aid. And so here's Washington.

He's dug in Brooklyn Heights facing all those ships. Well, there's a loyalist. And what's a loyalist? That's somebody who lives in America, but they're loyal to the enemy. And they show the British where to land far away so the Americans can't see them and then march all night long through would you make a pass to attack Washington from behind on the morning of August 27th, 17th, which, I mean, you have to see that as a failure on Washington's part because the, and again, of course, I tell the story in my book too, but there are four passes as you land on, you know, basically it's the far side of Brooklyn, Long Island, and as you're making your way across, there's the Gowanus Heights, and there are four passes.

And we defended three of them. and the farthest one, the Jamaica Pass, we pretty much said, they're not going to go that far. And as you said, yes, they did. A loyalist told them about it and said, if you march all through the night to the Jamaica Pass, you can do an end run, you can outflank the American Army. And obviously, that's just what they did. And so on the morning of August 27, 1776, the British attacked Washington from behind.

and 3,000 Americans die. It is the largest battle of the entire Revolutionary War, and it's the entire American Army. There's no second string somewhere else. This is it. If we lose here, it's over, and America is just another British colony, like India or one of the others.

And so the men are dying. The British only lose a few hundred. Now, Washington, he's watching. the Maryland Regiment. And these young men charge six times directly into the British ranks, and all 400 of them die. And from a distance, Washington said, good God, what brave fellows I have lost this day. And so now the sun goes down, and Washington is pinned against the water.

And it looks pretty hopeless. And that's when he has an idea with these 8,000 British troops. And then on one side and the water on the other side, he decided. to get every boat he can find and ferry his men across to Manhattan Island, across the East River. And they're doing it in quiet and in silence, moving cannons and horses. And then the sun starts to come up. And he had only moved half the army. And Major Ben Talmadge writes,

as the dawn of the next day approached, those of us who remained in the trenches became very anxious for our own safety. And when the dawn appeared, there were several regiments still on duty. At this time, a very dense fog began to rise off the river and seemed to settle in a peculiar manner over both encampments. I recollect this peculiar providential occurrence perfectly well. And so very dense was the atmosphere. I could scarcely discern a man at six yards distance. We tarried until the sun had risen, but the fog remained as dense as ever.

So Washington was able to move all of his army. He was on the last boat that left. The fog lifts, the British charge. No one's there. It was the last chance the British had to capture the entire, American Army all at once. And so Washington later says the hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in the course of the war that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith.

But it will be time enough for me to turn preacher when my present appointment ceases. And again, these are all stories in our book, Miracles in American History. When Westcham first took flight in 1996, the vibes were a bit different. People thought denim on denim was peak fashion, inline skates were everywhere, and Two out of three women rocked, the Rachel. While those things stayed in the 90s, one thing that hasn't is that fuzzy feeling you get when WestJet welcomes you on board.

Here's to WestJetting since 96. Travel back in time with us and actually travel with us at westjet.com slash 30 years. Miracles in American history is your book. Miracles in American history, William Federer, Bill, we're going to leave it there. That to me is the ultimate miracle.

I mean, there's many miracles, but that's the one where you just go, how do you explain that? That is, to me, that's one of the high points of the whole story, one of the most amazing moments in the story of the revolution. But thank you for all the work you do. You have so many books on these subjects. Folks, look up William Federer and you will be blessed.

Bill, thanks for coming on. Hey, great to be with you, Eric. Hi, everyone. If you were injured in an accident, listen up. We have legal professionals standing by to answer your questions. You can find out if you have a case and how much it's potentially worth. I'm Gina Bellich, along with Super Bowl champ and two-time pro bowler Vernon Davis. So Vernon, tell everyone watching who should call right now.

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