Era or Event: 1780s-1850s: Early Republic

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The Battle of Baltimore

The Battle of Baltimore was fought in September 1814–during the War of 1812 as a part of the British’s attempt to reclaim America. Having just burned the U. S. Capitol and the White House, the British boldly advanced on Baltimore and Fort McHenry. The Americans there defended against two land attacks, only to have the British begin bombarding Fort McHenry from their ships at sea.

the-battle-of-baltimore-2 Fort McHenry had been named for Constitution signer James McHenry, who was Secretary of War under both President George Washington and President John Adams. [1]  Interestingly, McHenry’s own son John fought as a volunteer in that battle [2] — a battle best known for birthing America’s national anthem: “The Star Spangled Banner.”

Before the battle began, Francis Scott Key, local attorney on a mission from President James Madison, boarded a British ship to secure the release of a prisoner taken by the British. Although successful in his mission, the British held Key aboard the ship until the attack was finished.

Anxiously watching as the fleet fired round after round into the fort, darkness fell, but the fierce bombardment continued throughout the night. When the guns finally fell silent, Key worried that the Fort had fallen. But when the sun arose, he spied the American flag still flying over the fort, unconquered!

Still aboard the ship, on the back of an envelope he began jotting down lines recording what he saw and felt. Later that day after arriving ashore, he finished the poem. Originally called “The Defense of Ft. McHenry,” it would eventually become the national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It was printed shortly after the battle in the 1814 Analectic Magazine (shown below from our WallBuilders Library).

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Francis Scott Key, a committed Christian, contemplated giving up his profession to become a minister, [3] but decided to continue in law. He befriended John Randolph (a U.S. Congressman who openly expressed a preference for the Muslim faith and an opposition to Christianity) and persuaded him to embrace Christianity, after which Randolph became a strong advocate for his new-found faith. [4] Key wrote Randolph:
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[M]ay I always hear that you are following the guidance of that blessed Spirit that will ‘lead you into all truth,’ leaning on that Almighty arm that has been extended to deliver you, trusting only in the only Savior, and ‘going on’ in your way to Him ‘rejoicing.’ [5]

Key served on the board of the American Bible Society and also the American School Union.

We have a short downloadable video on the origin of the Star Spangled Banner and its declaration of reliance on God. Play this for your friends, or at your church, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of our national anthem. We also have a wonderful biography of this great Christian statesman.

Endnotes

1 Robert K. Wright, Jr. and Morris J. MacGregor, Jr., Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution, “James McHenry: Maryland,” (Center of Military History United States Army: Washington, D.C., 1987), 106-108; “James McHenry,” George Washington’s Mount Vernon, accessed March 20, 2025.
2 Bernard C. Steiner, The Life and Correspondence of James McHenry (Cleveland: Burrows Brothers Co., 1907), 610.
3 “Francis Scott Key,” Fort McHenry, September 3, 2014.
4 Hugh A. Garland, The Life of John Randolph of Roanoke (New York: D. Appleton & Company, 1850), II:87-88, from a letter to John Randolph, May, 22, 1816; 99-100, from a letter to Francis Scott Key, September 7, 1818; 100-103, from a letter to Dr. Brockenbrough, September 25, 1818; 103-104, from a letter to John Randolph; 106-107, Key’s reply to Randolph’s letter of May 3, 1819; 107-108, from a letter to Francis Scott Key, August 18, 1819;109, from a letter to Francis Scott Key, August 22, 1819; 373-374.
5 Garland, Life of John Randolph (1850), II:104, from Francis Scott Key to John Randolph.

The Pony Express

The Pony Express & Religion

the-pony-express-1William H. Russell, Alexander Majors, and William B. Waddell founded the Pony Express in an attempt to provide faster communication between the more populated portions of America and the far West, especially California. The Pony Express was a group of young riders on horseback covering about 2,000 miles over the course of ten days, transporting mail from the East to the West, and then back.

On April 3, 1860 the first Pony Express riders departed from St. Joseph, Missouri, headed toward Sacramento, California. Along the arduous journey, each rider covered around 100 miles before handing off the route to another rider, usually covering a combined 250 miles each day.

the-pony-express-2The recruitment poster pictured on the left described the qualifications for employment: “Young, skinny, wiry fellows, not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred. Wages $25 per week.” These young riders faced all sorts of difficulties on their journey, including attacks by Indians, dangerous weather, and the general rigors of riding cross-country on horse back at a full gallop. (Find out more about the young riders for the Pony Express in the article for 1 Samuel 3:4 in The Founders’ Bible.)

Alexander Majors wanted these young men to have spiritual support along with the physical support the company provided them (i.e., horses, gear, relay stations, etc.). A Bible was therefore given to every rider and also left at each of the more than 150 stations along the trail.

the-pony-express-3Among the many items WallBuilders owns is one of these very rare Pony Express Bibles (title page pictured on the right). This particular Bible was presented to Robert James Halligan (1833-1908) who worked for Alexander Majors during the time of the Pony Express and after it was disbanded.

The Pony Express was only in existence for nineteen months and ended when the transcontinental telegraph reached California in October 1861. During the short time of its operation, some 200 riders covered 650,000 miles.

The Pony Express is another of the many famous aspects of American history with a tie to America’s Christian heritage.

Test Your Knowledge: John Quincy Adams

How much do you know about John Quincy Adams?
Take the following quiz to find out!

(Answers at the bottom.)

1. How old was John Quincy Adams when he accompanied his father John Adams (who had been appointed as ambassador) to France, where he became his secretary?

2. Who told John Quincy Adams “[I] would much rather you should have found your grave in the ocean you have crossed, or that any untimely death crop you in your infant years, than see you an immoral, profligate, or graceless child…”?

3. True or False: John Quincy Adams was 18 years old when he received a congressional appointment as secretary to Francis Dana, the American ambassador to Russia.

4. True or False: John Quincy Adams was one of three individuals who served in the U.S. House of Representatives after being President of the United States.

5. True or False: The House of Representatives passed a gag rule to keep John Quincy Adams from introducing petitions calling for the abolition of slavery.

6. What famous Supreme Court case did Adams argue on behalf of a group of captured Africans who had revolted and regained their freedom while on board a ship transporting them into slavery?

Evacuation Day

test-your-knowledge-john-quincy-adams-1March 17 is annually celebrated in Boston as “Evacuation Day,” commemorating the departure of the British from the city after an eleven month occupation at the start of the American Revolution.1 April 19, 1775 through March 17, 1776 was the Siege of Boston. This time encompasses some of the early events of the American Revolution, including the Battles of Lexington and Concord,2 the Battle of Bunker Hill,3 and George Washington taking command of the American army.4

John Quincy Adams, whose family lived near Boston, personally watched the Battle of Bunker Hill at the age of 8.5 Just a few months before, he had performed military drills with the local militia and Minutemen — an event that John Quincy remembered in detail over 50 years later!6

John Quincy Adams spent 68 years of his life in public service for America. Today, on Evacuation Day, his is truly a life worth honoring.

How did you do?

1. He was 10 years old. John Adams went to France in February, 1778 (in his diary, he even talks about a battle his vessel had in early March during the ocean crossing7). John Quincy Adams, born on July 11, 1767, would have been several months shy of his 11th birthday when he accompanied his father.

2. Abigail Adams. See the complete letter from Abigail to John Quincy.8

3. False. John Quincy Adams was 14 years old when he was appointed as Francis Dana’s secretary and translator.9

4. False. Nineteen Presidents have served in the House of Representatives,10 but John Quincy Adams is the only one who was elected to Congress after being president.11

5. True. The “gag rule” was passed by each Congress from 1836-1844, and John Quincy Adams was the leader in the effort that eventually repealed this rule.12

6. United States v. The Amistad, decided in 1841. John Quincy Adams was 73 years old at the time.13 This event is depicted in the famous Hollywood movie Amistad.

Endnotes

1 “The Siege of Boston,” Massachusetts Historical Society, accessed December 8, 2023.
2 “Lexington and Concord,” ushistory.org, accessed December 8, 2023.
3 Bernard Bailyn, “The Battle of Bunker Hill,” Massachusetts Historical Society, accessed December 8, 2023.
4 “Washington takes command of Continental Army in 1775,” April 15, 2016, US Army.
5 “Letter (draft) from John Quincy Adams to Joseph Sturge, March 1846,” Massachusetts Historical Society.
6 John Quincy Adams, entry for August 20, 1827, Memoirs of John Quincy Adams, ed. Charles Francis Adams (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1875), VII:325.
7 John Adams, entry for March 14, 1778, The Works of John Adams, ed. Charles Francis Adams (Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1851), III:108.
8 Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, June 1778, Letters of Mrs. Adams, ed. Charles Francis Adams (Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1840), I:122-125.
9 Office of the Historian, “Biographies of the Secretaries of State: John Quincy Adams (1767–1848),” Department of State, accessed December 8, 2023.
10 “House Members Who Served as President,” United States House of Representatives, accessed December 8, 2023.
11 “The Election of John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts,” United States House of Representatives, accessed December 8, 2023.
12 “The House “Gag Rule”,” United States House of Representatives, accessed December 8, 2023.
13 “The Amistad Case,” National Archives, accessed December 8, 2023.

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This Day in History: Star Spangled Banner

On March 3, 1931, an Act of Congress made the Star Spangled Banner America’s national anthem, but the history of that song goes back almost two centuries.

this-day-in-history-star-spangled-banner-2Following the American Revolution, Americans hoped to live in peace but France and England became engaged in a conflict that drew America back into war. The British captured American ships on the high seas and forced American sailors (around 10,000 of them) to fight for England. The United States declared war. Known as the War of 1812, it lasted until 1815.

During the war, in August 1814, England invaded Washington, D.C., setting fire to the Capitol, White House, and other government buildings. The British then marched to Baltimore, Maryland, and on September 13 began bombarding Fort McHenry.

this-day-in-history-star-spangled-banner-3At that time, attorney Francis Scott Key was aboard a British ship negotiating the release of a friend. Throughout the long night, he watched the attack on Fort McHenry, fearing its fall, but when morning arrived, the American flag was still flying — the fort had survived the attack.

Inspired by these events, Francis Scott Key wrote down a few lines about the attack while still on board the ship and then wrote several more lines after reaching shore. Shortly thereafter they were published as a poem titled “Defence of Fort M’Henry.” Set to music in November of that year, it was named “The Star Spangled Banner.”

The song became popular during the Civil War and remained so well into the 20th century before finally being officially made America’s national anthem. As we celebrate its anniversary, let’s remember the many blessings God has bestowed on this nation, and the corresponding duties that we and our fellow-citizens have to preserve those blessings.

You can watch David Barton’s short history of the Star Spangled Banner, or you can purchase a high-resolution copy to show to your church, school, or other group.

A Family’s Enduring Political Legacy

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Richard Henry Lee was a prominent Founding Father whose influence helped shape several key documents that made America so distinctive among the nations of the world.

He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and became a president of the Continental Congress. After the Constitutional Convention, he was a leading influence in the movement that led to a federal Bill of Rights to protect individual rights, and as an original US Senator from Virginia, he became an actual framer of the federal Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution).

a-familys-enduring-political-legacy-2 Richard Henry Lee was part of a large family that was something of a political dynasty for the better part of two centuries. His father, Thomas, served as governor of Virginia prior to the American Revolution. His brother, Philip, served in the state legislature, and another brother, Henry, was governor of Virginia after the Revolution. Another of his brothers, Francis Lightfoot Lee (pictured to the right), was also a state legislator and he signed the Declaration of Independence along with his brother, Richard (the only pair of brothers to sign the Declaration).

a-familys-enduring-political-legacy-3 After the American Revolution ended, and while serving as President of the Continental Congress in 1784-1785, Richard wrote to John Adams (then serving as ambassador to England), urging him to assure the Archbishop of Canterbury (the senior bishop of the state-established British Anglican church) that Episcopalian Americans would not be resistant to bishops appointed from England. This letter was enclosed with a letter sent by John Jay on November 1, 1785. On January 4, 1786, John Adams replied to John Jay with the account of his meeting with the Archbishop.

One of the many original items WallBuilders is blessed to have in our library is Richard Henry Lee’s original handwritten copy of John Adams’ January 4, 1786 letter. This letter can be viewed in its entirety on the WallBuilders website.

The national legacy of Founder Richard Henry Lee is one that has spanned the generations, and even today we still feel the positive influences from his leadership.

John Dickinson

Delegate from Pennsylvania and Delaware
Signer of the Constitution

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Even though John Dickinson served in the Congress that approved the Declaration, and Dickinson and James Wilson were both painted in Trumbull’s “The Declaration of Independence,” of the two, only Wilson signed the document. Dickinson refused to sign because he thought the act might be a bit hasty. Nevertheless, his contributions to the nation were significant. For example:

Dickinson originally represented Pennsylvania in the Continental Congress, and when he resigned his military position in Pennsylvania, he moved to Delaware, where he served that state in the Continental Congress. He also became President, or Governor, of Delaware and then held that same position in Pennsylvania. As President of Pennsylvania, he issued a proclamation asking the people to observe the Lord’s Day and remain steadfast in their worship of God.

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After the Revolution, Dickinson became chairman of the Annapolis Convention, which was the precursor to the Constitutional Convention. When the Constitution was later written, he became a signer and then wrote letters under the pen name Fabius to advocate its passage. He died in Delaware in 1808, having been a significant influence on the formation of the United States and its government.

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The Courts and Religion: Are they Inimical?

James Wilson
Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Signer of the Constitution
Original Justice of the United States Supreme Court

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James Wilson had a great influence during the American Founding but has been called “the lost Founder” because of his relative modern obscurity.

He was born to a poor family in Scotland 273 years ago today (on September 14, 1742), but managed to attend universities in Glasgow, St. Andrews, and Edinburgh. [1] At the age of 21, he immigrated to America and soon began tutoring at Philadelphia College. He studied law under John Dickinson, a fellow signer of the Declaration of Independence. [2] [John Dickinson was actually a signer of the Constitution, not the Declaration of Independence. For additional information, please see our correction update.]

In 1768, he wrote a pamphlet arguing for American independence but it considered too radical for the times. When public opinion later shifted, it was finally published. Thomas Jefferson copied portions of it for his own use, and it is conceivable that parts of Wilson’s essay even influenced the language of the Declaration. Compare the similarity of Wilson’s writing with the wording of the Declaration:

“All men are by nature equal and free. No one has a right to any authority over another without his consent. All lawful government is founded on the consent of those who are subject to it. Such consent was given with a view to ensure and to increase the happiness of the governed above what they could enjoy in an independent and unconnected state of nature. The consequence is that the happiness of the society is the first law of every government.”  ~ James Wilson “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. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, …” ~Declaration of Independence

the-courts-and-religion-are-they-inimical-2Wilson served as a Pennsylvania delegate to the Continental Congress, where he voted for and signed the Declaration of Independence. He later was a member of the Constitutional Convention, where he signed the Constitution. [3]

Under the new federal government, President George Washington appointed Wilson as an original justice on the U. S. Supreme Court, where he served for 9 years until his death on August 28, 1798. He was buried at Christ Church in Philadelphia. [4]

Over recent years, the federal courts have become particularly unfriendly to Christianity and religious faith, but it was not that way under Justice Wilson. In fact, Wilson started America’s first organized legal training while he served on the Court, and he told students:

Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants. Indeed these two sciences run into each other. . . . All [laws], however, may be arranged in two different classes. 1) Divine. 2) Human. . . . But it should always be remembered that this law, natural or revealed, made for men or for nations, flows from the same Divine source: it is the law of God. . . . Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. [5]

Endnotes

1 Nicholas Pederson, “The Lost Founder: James Wilson in American Memory,”  Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities, 22:2:3, (May 8, 2013); Robert K. Wright, Jr. and Morris J. MacGregor, Jr., “James Wilson: Pennsylvania,” Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution (Center of Military History, Washington, D.C., 1987).
2 “James Wilson,” Signers of the Declaration of Independence (2014).
3 “James Wilson, Pennsylvania,” Charters of Freedom: America’s Founding Fathers (accessed September 8, 2015).
4 L. Carroll Judson, A Biography of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence (Philadelphia : J. Dobson, and Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co., 1839), 130-131; “James Wilson, Pennsylvania,” Charters of Freedom: America’s Founding Fathers (accessed September 8, 2015).
5 James Wilson, The Works of the Honourable James Wilson (Philadelphia: Bronson and Chauncey, 1804), I:106 & 103-105.

American Revolution – Letter by Rev. Thomas Allen

The Rev. Thomas Allen (1743-1810) was a minister at Pittsfield, Massachusetts and a soldier during the American Revolution. He fought in the Battle of Bennington and also served as chaplain in other battles. This letter from 1793 concerns what is called “Brown’s Bible” – an edition of the Bible printed in New York.

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I do hereby certify that I have accounted for all the numbers of Brown’s Bible & that I have more of them on hand except those which I have received by order of the Honb

Thomas Allen

Count of Chancery

Sworn this 10th Day

of Dec. 1793 before me

John Ray McKee

Letter by James Buchanan

During his service as a Congressman, wrote a letter to Secretary of the Navy John Branch, recommending William Kennedy, a Presbyterian minister, be considered for a Navy Chaplain position.

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Lancaster 20, October 1829

Dear Sir,

The Rev. Wm Kennedy of Philadelphia has informed me that he is about making application to be appointed a chaplain in the Navy. W. Kennedy is a Presbyterian Clergyman of respectable connexions & of a fair standing in his profession. He is the nephew of Col. Kennedy of this County who was one of the Jackson elections of the State Const Ball.

Indeed considering his talents & his character & the respectable congregation of which he is the pastor in Philadelphia, I am at a loss to conjecture why he desires to change his situation. No doubt he has good reasons for it. Be that as it may however, I do not hesitate to say that such a chaplain as he would make would be an acquisition to the Navy. If therefore there be a vacancy, to which you can appoint him consistently with the good of the services, you would by doing so much oblige.

Your friend with great respect
James Buchanan

The Hon. John Branch

Celebrating the Constitution

The Convention of 1787 was the capstone in a chain of events that led to the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

celebrating-the-constitution-1America’s first attempt at a national governing document was in 1777 with the Articles of Confederation.1 It went into effect in 1781, but its deficiencies were quickly apparent,2 so in 1786, the Annapolis Convention called for a body to assemble to address its many weaknesses.3 What is known as the Constitutional Convention then gathered in Philadelphia in 1787.4

The debates on the Constitution did not go smoothly at first. In fact, Benjamin Franklin recommended they begin daily prayers to help the process along.5 Eventually they came together to produce the Constitution — the most successful governing document in world history. It was signed on September 17, 1787,6 a day we now celebrate as “Constitution Day.” Many delegates expressed their belief that writing the Constitution would not have been possible without the Divine aid they personally witnessed and openly acknowledged. Alexander Hamilton said:

For my own part, I sincerely esteem it a system which without the finger of God never could have been suggested and agreed upon by such a diversity of interests.7

celebrating-the-constitution-2James Madison agreed:

It is impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in it the finger of the Almighty Hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the Revolution.8

Benjamin Franklin and George Washington also expressed similar convictions.9

celebrating-the-constitution-3Many delegates involved with writing the Constitution were trained in theology or ministry,10 including Abraham Baldwin, James Wilson, Hugh Williamson, Oliver Ellsworth and others. The Constitution was then sent to the states to be ratified,11 and about four dozen clergymen were elected from among the various states as delegates to ratify the Constitution.12 The influence of Biblical faith on that document was apparent, and under it, Americans have been blessed!

As President Calvin Coolidge affirmed:

[T]he more I study [the Constitution], the more I have come to admire it, realizing that no other document devised by the hand of man ever brought so much progress and happiness to humanity.13 To live under the American Constitution is the greatest political privilege that has ever occurred to the human race.14

Because the Constitution is such a unique and remarkable document, federal law requires that every year on Constitution Day, all public schools must hold a special program on the Constitution.15 Sadly, few schools follow this law. But that should not keep every citizen from celebrating that document. Each of us should read and know that document, and teach it to others. So read the Constitution for yourself, and check out these resources that can be used in public schools to teach the Constitution on Constitution Day.16 Share this information with schools, educators, and students around you!

Endnotes

1 “Articles of Confederation: Primary Documents in American History,” Library of Congress, accessed December 13, 2023.
2 See, for example, “Policies and Problems of the Confederation Government,” Library of Congress, accessed December 13, 2023; “Defencies of the Confederation,” The Founders Constitution.
3 “Appendix A: The Annapolis Convention,” Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution (Washington, DC: Center of Military History, 1987), 265.
4 “The Constitution: How Did it Happen?” National Archives, accessed December 13, 2023.
5 James Madison’s Notes on the Convention, June 28, 1787, Max Farrand, The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1911), I:450-452.
6 “Constitution of the United States: Primary Documents in American History,” Library of Congress, accessed December 13, 2023.
7 Alexander Hamilton to Mr. Childs, Wednesday, October 17, 1787, The Federalist and Other Contemporary Papers on the Constitution of the United States, ed. E.H. Scott (New York: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1894), 646.
8 James Madison, Federalist #37, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, & James Madison, The Federalist (Philadelphia: Benjamin Warner, 1818), 194.
9 Benjamin Franklin, “A Comparison of the Conduct of the Ancient Jews and of the Anti-Federalists in the United States of America,” The Works of Benjamin Franklin, ed. Jared Sparks (Boston: Tappan, Whittemore, and Mason, 1837), V:162; George Washington to Marquis de Lafayette, February 7, 1788, The Writings of George Washington, ed. Jared Sparks (Boston: Russell, Odiorne, and Metcalf, 1835), IX:317.
10 See WallBuilders article, “No Professor Fea, the Founders Did Not Want Ministers to Stay out of Politics.”
11 “Observing Constitution Day,” National Archives, accessed December 13, 2023.
12 See WallBuilders article, “No Professor Fea, the Founders Did Not Want Ministers to Stay out of Politics.”
13 Calvin Coolidge, “Autobiography of College Days,” Hearst’s International Combined with Cosmopolitan (NY: International Magazine Company, August 1929), LXXXVII:2:37.
14 James M. Beck, “What is the Constitution?” Our World Weekly (March 16, 1925), II:7:102.
15 “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day,” US Code.
16 “Constitution Day Teacher Resources,” Library of Congress; “Teachers Guide: Commemorating Constitution Day,” National Endowment for the Humanities; “Commemorating Constitution Day and Citizenship Day,” US Department of Education.