The blogosphere has rightly decried the rewriting of history to place conservatives in a more positive light and diminish the progressive and positive impact that liberals have had on social, political and economic development. Below, however, is an excerpt from noted historian Anthem MacTavish's new monograph, "Conservatives Through the Ages." I hope you join with me in asking that this landmark work be made a required part of high school civics curriculums.
The origin of the "American conservative" is actually nearly as old as humanity. In fact, historical linguists have determined that the first word for "conservatives" was "tribe." We know indirectly that this is true because conservatives and tribes alike placed a premium on homeland security. In early conservative times, a leader was often replaced by another leader through the new leader dispatching the former leader with a stone axe or knife. Even if the then-current leader had a stone axe or knife of his own, if it was smaller than that of the aspiring leader, the result was usually a change in government. This trend is believed to have brought about the earliest example of an arms race (cf. Griswold 1966, Origins of the Military-Industrial Complex). Political historians also note this involuntary relinquishing of power as being among the first instances of losing office for being "soft on defense" though a minority, relying on the characteristic shape of these early weapons, have gone so far as to proclaim them the first "wedge issues" (see Blesto 2006, Homeland Security: Not just a cro magnon issue).
Eventually, conservatives ceased their wandering ways and settlements formed. As cultures became more fully developed, there were many great boons to early humanity (fire, agriculture, the wheel, etc.). However, none was more important to conservatives than religion. Replacing leaders through mortal contests on the defense issue had begun to take its toll on the conservative leadership population, so conservatives looked to religion for an answer. Thus the concept of "rule by divine right" was established. Now, conservative leaders were free to live their lives and govern those who were, by spiritual measures, lesser worthy individuals than they. As a bonus, questioning the morals, judgment or competence of the local leader could be equated with questioning the wisdom, even the validity, of the local deity.
Religion served another purpose as well. Being victorious in military conflict was still essential for the early conservative to justify ongoing rule, so religion became a means of engineering wars to maintain the legitimacy of conservative leadership while avoiding personal engagement in risky conflict. Failing to go to war "for God and King" became anathema to the local populace. Being victorious in these wars also tended to expand access to natural resources, an early example of the now-hallowed conservative principle of "free trade." War, however, would eventually prove to not just be the domain of the successful conservative. History’s two World Wars were prosecuted and successfully concluded by U.S. presidents who, as Democrats, would be regarded as "liberals" by any standard. Success in war, however, eluded conservative Presidents as often as not.
Curiously, the successful American civil war fought by a Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, is regarded with mixed emotions by some conservatives mainly due to Lincoln’s willingness to impose strong, central rule despite the Republican Party being a champion of "state’s rights." Similarly, another Republican president, Theodore Roosevelt, established the National Parks System and enacted reforms against child labor and monopolies, departing from the cherished conservative principles of private ownership and freedom of contract. Thus, conservatives live with the paradox of claiming Lincoln and T. Roosevelt as heroes who built their presidencies upon some of the most profoundly successful liberal endeavors America has ever experienced (cf., Dunwiddy 1978, Nixon went to China AND brought us OSHA, the EPA, and the modern Food Stamp Program – WHAT THE HECK?!).
The Magna Carta was another major blow to conservative political theory ...
Just enough to whet your appetite. I hesitate to quote more and abuse my Fair Use privileges.