You’ve heard of Bastille Day. We all have. But what is it? It’s France's Independence Day, like our 4th of July, but the two holidays are a little different. Ours celebrates independence from England. Theirs celebrates independence from the king. But more than that, they both celebrate freedom for the common man.

The first Bastille Day was on July 14, 1789, and events of that day altered the course of human history. That’s a pretty broad statement. But let me explain.

For many centuries in Europe, freedom was not something the common man knew much about. Feudalism was a reality. In that program, a vassal was bound to the plot of land he tilled, and to the whim of his lord. The vassal had no independence, no latitude, and was hardly better off than a slave. But the lords in...

Please subscribe to keep reading.