America’s Greatest Invention

America’s Greatest Invention

I’ve written two books about the creation of religious freedom in the United States.  FOUNDING FAITH:  Providence, Politics and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America was published in 2008 by Random House.  (The paperback bears a different subtitle: How Our Founding Fathers Forged a Radical New Approach to Religious Liberty.) This focuses on the spiritual lives of the Founding Fathers and their view that the best way to promote faith was to leave it alone. The founding faith was Christianity, or secularism. It was religious freedom.

SACRED LIBERTY: America’s Long, Bloody and Ongoing Struggle for Religious Freedom was published in 2019 by Harper Collins. This sequel recognizes that the concepts sketched by the founders really did not become real until other generations fought to make them so. The persecution of American Baptists, Quakers, Catholics, Mormons, Native Americans, enslaved Blacks, Jehovah’s Witnesses and others prompted continuous recalibrations of religious freedom, making it more unusual and robust. 

This site aspires to do more than promote my two books.  It includes an archive of hundreds of letters and documents (see the topics on the right rail) and images like those below. 

Mormon and Catholic reptiles attacking religious liberty
Mormon and Catholic reptiles attacking religious libertyThomas Nast, 1880. Click to read more.
Imprisoned Mormons
Imprisoned MormonsMormons in the late 19th century were imprisoned en masse for practicing polygamy, even though it was encouraged by their faith.
World War II and the rise of religious freedom
World War II and the rise of religious freedomWorld War II was a turning point for religious freedom. America's leaders believed that the American approach to religious liberty was a key point of distinction against the Fascists and Communists.
Pervasive anti-Catholicism
Pervasive anti-CatholicismThomas Nast drew Irish Catholics as corrupt, ape-like creatures who wanted to end separation of church & state.
The KKK and Catholics
The KKK and CatholicsThe Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s gained influence by claiming only they could quash Catholicism.
The execution of Mary Dyer
The execution of Mary DyerIn 1660, Mary Dyer was executed by the commonwealth of Massachusetts for the crime of being a Quaker.
The War on Christmas
The War on Christmas
Quaker being whipped
Quaker being whippedIn early America, the Puritans whipped Quakers for their heresy.
The Pope taking over America
The Pope taking over AmericaMany Protestants feared that the Pope would exert corrupting influence through Catholic Americans.
Christianizing Native American school children
Christianizing Native American school children Click for more.
The religious freedom of slaves
The religious freedom of slavesSlaves would often gather in the woods for worship and ceremonies.
Anti-Asian immigration laws
Anti-Asian immigration lawsOne consequence of anti-Asian immigration laws was to keep out Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims.
Parley Pratt & Mitt Romney
Parley Pratt & Mitt RomneyClick to learn more.
Norman Rockwell Freedom of Worship
Norman Rockwell Freedom of WorshipRockwell depicted the Four Freedoms offered by Franklin Roosevelt as a reason to fight fascism in Europe. Note the multifaith depiction of religious liberty.
Sharia
ShariaAnti-Muslim activists claimed that one of the greatest threats to America was the encroachment of Islamic law, Sharia.
Four Chaplains
Four ChaplainsAfter a rabbi, a priest and two ministers died on the US Dorchester during WW II, the Postal Service elevated them to iconic status.
James Madison life mask
James Madison life maskNo single person was more significant on religious freedom than James Madison.
River Ganges
River GangesThomas Nast depicted the Catholic clergy as crocodiles coming to eat children and remove the Bible from public schools.
Wallace D. Mohammed
Wallace D. MohammedA son of Elijah Mohammed led African American Muslims into the mainstream.

Documents