Religion in America in 1776

On July 4, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed, the largest American religious groups were Congregationalists, strong in New England; Presbyterians, the middle colonies and Anglicans/Episcopalians, the Southern colonies. Religion was predominantly Protestant, with roughly 17% of the population holding formal church membership from a study in the Journal of Church and State. Religion, though, was deeply embedded in society, and influenced the Revolution.

Baptists, Quakers, Puritans, a small populations of Catholics and 2,000 Jews also were a part of church society. Native Americans are credited for beginning the religions and spiritual practices in North American, some of which were followed by those joining the country. A crisis among Anglicans occurred when priests from that denomination swore loyalty to the Church of England and loyalty to the King. Anglican clergy felt they were bound by oath to pray for England and the royal family.

Religions also helped found some colonies such as the Puritans who came to escape religious persecution. With deist (a person who believes in the existence of a supreme being or creator based on reason, logic and observation of the natural world, rather than through divine revelation, scripture, or organized religion) sentiments, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, were active in their local Protestant church. Researchers have referred to the United States as a “Protestant nation,” but center on a Calvinist heritage, with a secular character describing the American Revolution and the nation’s founding documents.

The patriot cause was often supported by churches and clergy with Presbyterian and Congregational ministers vocal about the cause. Patriots argued that their fight was God-ordained. Jewish communities had congregations in six cities with Charleston, South Carolina being the largest. Rabbis were not present in the colonies before 1800.

God’s role in the revolution is depicted by Benjamin Franklin in his design for the Great Seal of the United States. Circling an image of Moses parting the Red Sea and leading the Israelites out of Egypt is the inscription, “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God.” Cast in 1752 in Philadelphia, the Liberty Bell bears the words of Leviticus 25:10, “Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all inhabitants thereof.”

And the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence cite God as the author of the quest for freedom: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

A well-attended church of the day was King’s Chapel. It was led by a Loyalist priest, and closed its doors after the British Evacuation Day in March 1776. A popular hymn of the day was “Old 100th,” known today as the doxology: “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” Also hymns popular during the Revolution included the hymns of Isaac Watts like “O God Our Help in Ages Past” and “Joy to the World.” Even today, “America the Beautiful” occupies a place in most church hymnals, while the American flag often stands behind the altar.

Islam was present in America in 1776, primarily through an estimated hundreds to thousands of enslaved West Africans. Roughly 10% to 15% of enslaved people brought to the colonies were Muslims, though their faith was often suppressed. Some Muslims, like Yusuf ben Ali, even fought in the Revolutionary War. Despite the prevalence of African slavery, the Founders were aware of Islam. Thomas Jefferson, for example, bought a Quran in 1765 and was familiar with Islamic law.

George Washington was a private man when it came to his personal religious beliefs. He worked tirelessly to ensure people of all religions had the right to practice within the United States. Addressing the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in 1789 he said, “While I reiterate the possession of my dependence upon Heaven as the source of all public and private blessings; I will observe that the general prevalence of piety, philanthropy, honesty, industry and economy seems, in the ordinary course of human affairs are particularly necessary for advancing and confirming the happiness of our country. While all men within our territories are protected in worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of their consciences; it is rationally to be expected from them in return, that they will be emulous of evincing the sincerity of their profession by the innocence of their lives, and the beneficence of their actions: For no man, who is profligate in his morals, or a bad member of the civil community, can possibly be a true Christian, or a credit to his own religious society.”