By the Hand of Providence:
How Faith Shaped the American Revolution
Presented by Mr. Rod Gragg, author and historian
Performing Arts Center, Brewster
By the Hand of Providence: How Faith Shaped the American Revolution
This lecture is based on a frequently used quotation by George Washington. The presentation surveys the impact of the Judeo-Christian worldview on the American Revolution from the early Colonial Era through the American victory at the Battle of Yorktown and formation of the United States of America.
About the Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown and the surrender that followed was the final large battle of the American Revolutionary War. Washington’s Army and the French forces secretly marched 450 miles from New York to Yorktown in just 6 weeks, taking the British completely by surprise. Seeing their downfall, Cornwallis tried to escape across the York River at night, but a sudden violent storm arose out of nowhere, destroying his boats and forcing him back to Yorktown. On October 19, 1781, Cornwallis surrendered his army of 8,000 to Washington – one of the largest surrenders in history. This shocked the British and forced them to negotiate peace, leading to American independence.
About Mr. Rod Gragg
Author and historian Rod Gragg has written more than twenty books on topics in American history. His work on the founding of America – Forged in Faith: How Faith Shaped the Birth of the Nation – was nominated for the George Washington Book Prize.
His history on the Battle of Gettysburg, Covered with Glory, earned the James Robertson Award as the best Civil War book of the year. Another of his works, My Brother’s Keeper: Christians Who Risked All to Defend Jewish Targets of the Nazi Holocaust, was a finalist for the national Christian Book Award, and His book Confederate Goliath: the Battle of Fort Fisher, won the Fletcher Pratt Award from the New York City Civil War Roundtable, and was the basis of a PBS documentary.
He is a popular public speaker at venues throughout the country, and has appeared on national media outlets such as C-Span, “Fox and Friends” on the Fox News Network, Focus on the Family, and “Morning Joe” on MSNBC.
Rod is a former print and television news journalist who holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in history and journalism from the University of South Carolina, and is currently the director of the United Bank Center for Military & Veteran Studies at Coastal Carolina University, where he also serves as a lecturer in American history. He and his wife are the parents of seven grown children and are grandparents to fourteen grandchildren.
About the Series
Join us as we continue on a year-long series of monthly lectures celebrating God’s miraculous acts during our nation’s fight for Independence.
Each lecture highlights key moments of divine intervention that took place during the Revolutionary War—Remarkable stories of timely reinforcements, inexplicable weather events, and the unwavering perseverance of the patriots and militias against overwhelming odds.
Up Next!
November 21, 2025, 7:30 PM
Presented by G. Thomas Ryan
