William E. Blackstone Research Paper
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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY HELMS SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT
William E. Blackstone
Submitted to Dr. David Holt
PPOG 641: U.S. Middle East Foreign Policy
By
Indira Krager
September 19, 2020
Contents
Introduction
...........................................................................................................................
1
Religions beliefs and motivation………………………………………………………………...2
The Blackstone Memorial……………………………………………………………………………………………….……..3
Long-term consequences and policy recommendation ...……………………………………..4
U.S. Foreign Policy today..………………………………
...........................................................
5
Conclusion
...………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….…
6
Bibliography
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..…
7
ii
1
Introduction
William E. Blackstone produced incredible communal and religious impacts as an
evangelical parishioner. His determination to outline diplomatic and political dialogue caused an
enormous transaction of intra-Jewish discussion. His nationalistic dogmatism was formed from
the perspective of U.S. imperialism at the beginning of the twentieth century. Regrettably,
William E. Blackstone's exertion stays practically unknown in the twenty-first century. Born in
1841 in Adams, New York, William Blackstone was raised in a devout Methodist household,
where he converted to a Christian at 11. In 1878, he went to the Niagara summit devoted to the
Jews' restoration to Palestine and became an activist restorationist. Although he was a Methodist,
Blackstone was driven by his dispensational outlook on the Bible prediction to act for the
restoration of the state of Israel. Regrettably, his contributions continue to stay practically
unknown in the twenty-first century. Conceivably his most meaningful impact relates to his
exertion on behalf of the grieving Jews globally. When Jews were pursuing liberation from
persecution, William Blackstone lobbied the United States President Benjamin Harrison to fight
for their restoration to Israel. The exertions of William E. Blackstone on behalf of the Jews
developed into various Jewish groups and a U.S. Supreme Court Justice to title him the "Father
of Zionism." The notion of this essay is not to claim the accuracy of this title upon William E.
Blackstone, however, to illuminate the saga of his influences in Zionism at the same time
recognizing his evangelical inclinations.
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2
Religious Beliefs and Motivation
Restorationism is the creed originating straight from the scriptural version that one of the
requirements for the second coming of Jesus was the restoration of the Jews to their God
promised kingdom of Palestine. To William Blackstone, God's adoration for the Jewish people
and their scriptural completion of the prediction was not a reversible occurrence of an unclear
God. His spiritual comprehension connected the restoration of the Jews to the one-thousand-year
rule of Jesus in Jerusalem after the euphoria once devoted disciples would be summoned to God
in protection in advance of the seven-year trial and era of devastation that exhibited the
conclusion of a period. Sinfulness would be purified; however, all was reliant based on the Jews
being safe and restored to Palestine; If the is no restoration of the Jewish, the could be no Jesus
homecoming [CITATION Jerwn \l 1033 ].
The subject of conversation during the 1878 Prophetic Conference in Niagara, which
Blackstone attended, was the propositions of the Berlin Treaty of 1878 and the reinstatement of
Balkan nations to their previous proprietors. The Ottoman Empire reigned over the Holy land for
over three hundred years; Christians covered the most critical sector of the populace residing the
regions, freely described as Palestine,
ever since the Byzantine Era [CITATION Jerwn \l
1033 ]. Blackstone and numerous Christians could visibly interpret the inscribing of what was
coming; it was just a matter of time. The 1889 trip to Palestine opened William Blackstone's eyes
after observing the advances that the initial surge of Zionist migration transported to the nation
that he believed was isolated. In 1890 upon coming back from Palestine, Blackstone planned the
summit on the 'past, present, and future of Israel.' Those participating in the discussion
collectively agreed notions of compassion with the persecuted Jewish populace of Russia,
reciting, 'the United States President needed to convene with the Queen of England, the Emperor
3
of Germany, the Sultan of Turkey, the President of the French Republic and several additional
leaders of Europe [ CITATION Moo10 \l 1033 ]. William Blackstone closed the summit by
appealing to the Christian leaders to atone the hostility and discrimination against Jews, and
acknowledge the Christian-Judeo theological legacy.
The Blackstone Memorial
Due to the partial result from the summit, William Blackstone rapidly established the
movement for the historic Memorial to President Harrison. The groundwork, the exhibition, the
reaction, and the influence of the Memorial are all noteworthy; however, the impact on American
policy is uncertain. Nonetheless, it conveyed alertness to Americans of the growing
discrimination against the Jews in Russia between 1882-1890. Driven out of St. Petersburg were
750,000 Jewish people, during gory massacres [ CITATION Paund \l 1033 ]. President Harrison
deliberated the anguish of the Jewish people in Russia; the inspiration of the Memorial is
established in his deliberations. William Blackstone kept exhibiting the revised Memorial to
prospect presidents, rallying a global alliance for Israel. Additional to the Memorial being only a
document, it remained a rational phase in the direction of the idyllic Zionism and the earliest
sincere illustration of Zionist political engagement in the nation. Indeed, it influenced America's
foreign policy concerning Israel. President Wilson consented to the Balfour declaration affirming
Great Britain's endorsement of a nationalized homeland for the Jews in Palestine, which became
the first occasion that transmitted reactions worldwide. While Herzl was contemplating Jewish
migrant communities in Cyprus, British East Africa, or Sinai, William Blackstone forwarded
Herzl a Hebrew Tanach displaying via the prophets, the vow of reassembling displaced Jews in
their historic land of origin [ CITATION Paund \l 1033 ].
4
Louis Brandeis recognized the significance of Blackstone's Memorial of 1891. Brandeis likewise
recognized the Memorial was essential to Wilson's backing for Zionism and the reinstatement.
William Blackstone exploited Louis Brandeis and the Memorial to spread his spiritual ambitions;
likewise, Louis Brandeis exploited William Blackstone and the Memorial to spread Zionist
aspirations. "You are the father of Zionism, as you work antedates Herzl," said Louis Brandeis of
William Blackstone's work [ CITATION Jerwn \l 1033 ].
Long-term Consequences and Policy Recommendation
William E. Blackstone had a profound belief that the eminent occurrence of the demise of
an era would shortly happen. He, therefore, determined to pursue an active part in generating the
Jewish reinstatement to Palestine and prearranged an appeal in 1891. He demanded the President
of the United States, Harrison, to plea for an international summit of global nations, which would
deliver Palestine back to the Jews; about 400 or more well-known Americans endorsed the
appeal. Blackstone proclaimed that the United States held a unique part and task in God's plot for
humankind. He prearranged another appeal in 1916 by the collective work of Christian Zionists,
the Jewish organization, and backing from Protestant churches; appealing to President Wilson to
assist with the reinstatement of Palestine to the Jewish people.
During U.S. history, traditionalists Christians who were hardline or enthusiast and hold
the word factually, have trusted that the formation of Israel was a requirement for the
achievement of Christian prediction. Therefore, it is the relevance of Christians' concentration on
the extreme achievement of the Second Coming of Christ that the Jewish people return to Israel.
The attention on the accomplishment of the Second Coming of Christ produces normal empathy
with the Jewish people surrounding the topic of Israel [ CITATION Sal13 \l 1033 ].
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5
U.S. Foreign Policy Today
It is consequently understood, that the creation of Israel was led thru 50 years of hard
work to create an independent nation as a land of origin for the Jewish people. They were
preceding the Balfour Declaration in 1917, after World War I, the League of Nations delegated
Great Britain with the command for Palestine. The British armies seized Jerusalem from the
Ottomans in charge of General Allenby on December 9. For William Blackstone, this was a
triumphant mark before his death in 1935. Succeeding the conclusion of the British command on
May 14, 1948, the Nation of Israel was declared. In 1948, the United States was the initial nation
to acknowledge Israel as a nation. Consequently, in 2017, it was also the United States who was
the first to acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The upholding of a strong tie in
American foreign policy with the nation of Israel has never altered [ CITATION USD18 \l
1033 ].
Throughout the Jews history and most strenuous times is the awareness that, when the
rest of the world attempted to erase the Jewish people, not one person reached out to help and
liberate, on the other hand, the actuality that the biggest and most generous nation in the world
remained beside is anything but significant. The United States government's devotion to back-up
Israel in all state of affairs encompasses a profound foundation cultivated throughout time via the
motivations of history creators such as William E. Blackstone [ CITATION Yai16 \l 1033 ].
While the United States support of continual Israeli leadership, as most foreign policy
assessments, is frequently justified on ethical positions, there is a minor indication that moral
obligations portray more of a deciding part in directing U.S. policy in the Middle East than any
6
other area of the world [ CITATION Ste02 \l 1033 ]. The majority of Americans feel an ethical
obligation to the existence of Israel as a Jewish nation dating back to the aftermath of the
Barbary wars and their belief that by restoring the Jews to Palestine, Americans would prosper.
Conclusion
Today the Blackstone Memorial, as well as William E. Blackstone, are mostly not
remembered. The reference of William Blackstone by historians of Louis Brandeis and Zionism
is undoubtedly never done. Contemporary historical writings are problematic when it comes to
fanatic Christianity and its backing for Israel, Indeed Christian belief centered resolutions during
a time of political rightness confronting Islamist extremist disputes. The part in which
Christianity, Zionism, and belief influences history should be impartially and truthfully
measured. Although, globally, viewpoints have extraordinarily shifted in neglecting the
beginnings planted and attempts generated by William Blackstone and Louis Brandeis. In our
modern political times, some would venture to say that President Trump and Vice-president
Pence were positioned in government to address and act on reinstating the merits of Israel and
support Israel during this current confrontational state of affairs [ CITATION Paund \l 1033 ].
Perhaps William Blackstone was just like all other early colonists who believed in American
superiority and exceptionalism. Maybe he honestly thought that in the "second coming of Christ"
and that reinstating the Jewish people in Israel was the key to salvation. Undoubtedly early
Americans had a passion for religion and deemed it their task to guide others through a religious
reawakening. The Lord had said to Abraham, "Leave your native country, your relatives, and
your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I
will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who
bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed
7
through you." [ CITATION Hol04 \l 1033 ]. It is not a coincidence William Blackstone felt
strongly about the restoration of the Jewish people to the holy land and that thus prosperity will
come to those who support the ancient Jewish faith.
Bibliography
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Moorhead, J. "The Father of Zionism: William Blackstone."
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
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the Study of Religions and Ideologies
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with-israel/ (accessed September 18, 2020).
Zunes, Stephen.
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dc.org/why_the_us_supports_israel/ (accessed September 18, 2020).
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