Below are some 30 different important religious events that are either indicative of, set a tone for, or have directly impacted the development of America. Several are iconic, and all are important. A number are reflective of consequential movements, some of seminal events, and yet others of important individuals. We have not tried to prioritize them as to which might be more significant than another (although some definitely are). Rather, we have simply listed them chronologically for your consideration and selection. So here goes:
Cape Henry Landing, Jamestown, Virginia, 1607.
Coming ashore in the New World, Rev. Robert Hunt and the original Jamestown settlers erected a cross and had a prayer ceremony dedicating the new land to the Lord in what is considered the first English Christian worship service in America.1 This was how the first English settlement in America began, opening the door to more Christian settlements and colonies that steadily spread along the East Coast and then inland, eventually forming the United States of America.
Baptism of Pocahontas, 1613, US Capitol Rotunda Painting.
Pocahontas is considered one of the first, and certainly the most famous, of the early native converts to Christianity in the English New World. Upon her conversion, she changed her name to a Christian one, Rebecca.2 She was considered royalty, being the daughter of the chief, and when she traveled overseas to England, she was presented to the queen as the Princess Rebecca.3 The oldest known portrait of her hangs in the office of the Secretary of the Senate, showing her name as the Princess Rebecca, thus reaffirming her Christian faith.
Embarkation of the Pilgrims, 1620, US Capitol Rotunda Painting.
In the sail above the Pilgrims is the phrase, “God With Us,” descriptive of their entire belief system. They are gathered around an open Bible, and more specifically, a Geneva Bible, which included commentaries on the various issues of their day.With their heavy reliance on the Bible, and their ardent desire to achieve a useful application of its teachings and principles, many of the practical and distinctive civil traits that America has adopted over the centuries originated from the Pilgrims (Separatists) and their neighbors, the Puritans.These principles included elective republican forms of government,4 religious liberty,5 the rights of conscience,6 equality of all individuals and races,7 free market and free enterprise economics,8 due process in legal rights,9 public education for all children,10 and many other of the most important qualities that have come to characterize America.
Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving, 1621 (establishing a national practice).
After withstanding the first winter (in which half of the Pilgrims died), their Indian friends such as Samoset, Squanto, Chief Massasoit, and the 90 warriors from their tribe joined with the Pilgrims in three days of friendship, athletic competition, and thanking God.11 This started the traditional annual Thanksgiving celebration in America.
Pilgrims’ First Day of Fasting, 1623 (likewise establishing a national practice).
Like Thanksgiving, this event also began a national and state holiday and tradition.During a devastating drought in 1623, the Pilgrims called for a day of prayer and fasting.12 God directly answered their prayers, sending an out-of-season and uncharacteristically gentle rain that revived their crops, ultimately saving their lives. Even their Indian friends were amazed at the obvious, immediate, and undeniable answer to their prayers.13This day of fasting, combined with the annual day of thanksgiving begun two years earlier, led to the New England tradition of declaring a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer in April, and a day of thanksgiving in November. Today, the annual spring day for humiliation, fasting, and prayer in Massachusetts survives as Patriot Day, recognized on April 15 each year.14By 1815, there had been over 1,400 official government-issued calls to prayer just in the New England area, including days of Thanksgiving, as well as Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer.15
“A Model of Christian Charity” (A City on a Hill), John Winthrop, 1630.
In “The Great Puritan Migration” that began in 1630, from 700 to 1,000 religious colonists, in a fleet of 11 ships led by John Winthrop, abandoned the persecution and oppression of the Old World to seek civil and religious freedom in the New.16 Winthrop penned “A Model of Christian Charity” to both set forth as well as emphasize their responsibilities.Their colony was to be a model for the rest of the world—what Winthrop identified as “a city set on a hill”17 (quoting from Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:14)—and not become like so many other colonies around the globe that involved rapine, oppression, greed, and selfishness. That sermon, later published, had direct positive impact upon countless colonists who arrived in America. That work, especially its theme, was also subsequently cited as a reminder to later generations by US Presidents, including John F. Kennedy18 and Ronald Reagan.19
The First Great Awakening, 1730-1770.
This was a decades-long religious movement that directly laid the foundation for American Independence. Likely the most notable name associated nationally with this movement was the Rev. George Whitefield,20 but there were many other regionally-famous names as well, including Jonathan Edwards and Jonathan Mayhew in Massachusetts,21 Gilbert Tennant in Pennsylvania,22 Samuel Davies in Virginia,23 Eleazer Wheelock in New Hampshire,24 and those in other regions.The movement produced positive changes in many areas, including the growth of a more personal faith that was applied every day and not just on the Sabbaths. But more importantly, the First Great Awakening undeniably provided the foundation upon which American Independence was later erected. In fact, every grievance raised in the Declaration of Independence had been preached from the American pulpit prior to 1763.25Founding Fathers such as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin attest to the national unity produced by the Great Awakening, specifically through the influence of the famous “Father Abraham” sermon of George Whitefield.26 As a result of the Great Awakening, America was no longer 13 jealously-divided nations, but had started becoming 13 individual states within one nation and faith.
The Destruction of the French Fleet, 1746.
In that era, France was warring with England for control of the interior of America, eventually leading to the French and Indian War in America (1754-1763). The French, seeking to defeat and drive the English from the region, dispatched a large fleet and nearly 11,000 men against the tiny settlements along the American northeast coast.27 Boston in particular was targeted to be burned and destroyed.28On October 16, 1746, with an enemy fleet underway, Massachusetts Governor William Shirley called for a Day of Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer, seeking God’s direct intervention against the approaching adversary.29 The Rev. Thomas Prince preached the sermon at the official gathering that day, leading Bostonians in a specific prayer: “Deliver us from our enemy! Send Thy tempest, Lord, upon the waters to the eastward! Raise Thy right hand. Scatter the ships of our tormentors and drive them hence. Sink their proud frigates beneath the power of Thy winds!”30 Appropriate to his prayer, a violent storm arose and destroyed the enemy force.31
On November 27, 1746, Governor Shirley accordingly called for a Day of Thanksgiving.32 By direct Providential intervention, the fledgling American colonies, particularly the city of Boston, were saved from an enemy many times more powerful.132 years later in 1878, legendary poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow captured this historic event in his “Ballad of the French Fleet,” in which he eulogized the prayer earlier offered by the Rev. Thomas Prince.33
Battle of the Monongahela, July 9, 1755.
During the French and Indian War, a young 23-year-old Colonel George Washington led American troops to join with British forces against the French and Indians in the interior of America. The top English commander, veteran British General Edward Braddock, against Washington’s recommendations, led them into a waiting ambush. More than half their troops were killed.34There were some 86 English officers in the battle, and of all mounted officers, Washington was the only one not shot down off his horse.35 After the battle, he openly attested to his family that “by the miraculous care of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation. For I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me.”36Washington was a young man still largely unknown to the nation at this time. But the most famous pulpit orator of that day, the Rev. Samuel Davies (who mentored and trained the young Patrick Henry), referred to this battle and this incident in a deployment sermon he preached to a company of soldiers being sent to fight in this war. In that sermon, he concluded that because God had saved the young Washington’s life in such a dramatic fashion that surely this young man was destined for the role of a great leader in the rising America.37 Davies’ prophecy turned out to be correct, and George Washington, as a result of God’s direct Divine protection, eventually became “The Father of his Country.”38
The First Prayer in Congress, 1774.
When the Founding Fathers gathered in their first-ever Congress, John Adams identified that the very first motion made was that they open with prayer.39 At the recommendation of Samuel Adams (a Puritan), the Rev. Jacob Duche (an Anglican) was asked to open that body in prayer. He not only prayed but he also read from the Scriptures, including from four chapters of the Bible (causing John Adams to enthuse over the reading of Psalm 3540), in what became a very lengthy service. The Founding Fathers enthusiastically reported the positive impact of that opening prayer and Bible session,41 and continued it each day thereafter, establishing the practice of having a chaplain open each session of Congress with prayer.
Government-Issued Calls to Prayer From Founding Fathers and Public Leaders.
From the first days of American independence, prayer was integral to official public proceedings. For example, on 15 separate occasions, the Continental Congress called the nation to alternating days of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, and then days of thanksgiving.42 Additionally, various prayer proclamations were issued by numerous Founding Fathers when they served as governors of their respective states.
This includes Governor John Hancock, who issued 22 separate prayer proclamations;43 Governor Samuel Adams, who issued 7;44 and so forth.Other notable Founding Fathers who, from their positions as public office-holders, also issued official calls to public prayer, include Signers of the Constitution such as George Washington45, James Madison,46 Ben Franklin47, John Langdon,48 William Livingston,49 William Paterson,50 Thomas Mifflin,51 and John Dickinson,52 and Signers of the Declaration John Adams,53 Thomas Jefferson,54 Josiah Bartlett,55 Caesar Rodney,56 Oliver Wolcott,57 Samuel Huntington,58 Elbridge Gerry,59 and Thomas McKean.60(And of course numerous presidents and countless governors, legislatures, and local leaders have followed in the footsteps of our forebears, repeating their same religious practices across the generations.)
Building the Military: General Orders, George Washington, 1776-1783.
The establishment of America’s military forces date to the American War for Independence. At that time, Commander-in-Chief George Washington instituted our original policies and standards, many of which still continue today.One of his earliest orders was for Divine Service to be a standard part of the activities of every military unit.61 Congress undertook the same practice for the Navy, stipulating, “The commanders of the ships of the Thirteen United Colonies are to take care that Divine Service be performed twice a day on board, and a sermon preached on Sundays.”62
Religion and morality were to be at the base of our institutions. As prominent Founding Father John Witherspoon affirmed, “There is not a single instance in history in which civil liberty was lost and religious liberty preserved entire….God grant that in America true religion and civil liberty may be inseparable.”63Thus, Washington included in his General Orders that all soldiers avoid “profane cursing, swearing, and drunkenness,” the “use of an oath or execration,” “games of chance,” “vice and immorality,” and other such behaviors. He continued, “As a mean to abolish this, and every other species of immorality, Brigadiers are enjoined to take effectual care to have Divine Service duly performed in their respective brigades,” for “We can have little hopes of the blessing of Heaven on our Arms if we insult it by our impiety and folly.”64
Significantly, these initial military orders originally issued by Washington were continued by subsequent presidents,65 becoming standard practice.
Miracles in Battle, 1776-1783.
George Washington personally attested to numerous miraculous Divine interventions that turned defeat into victory, including at the Battle of Long Island, the Battle of Trenton, the Battle of Yorktown, and others.66 In fact, on more than 250 separate occasions, Washington openly acknowledged witnessing the hand of God in what was occurring around him during the war.67 As an example, he testified to General Thomas Nelson that “The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations—but—it will be time enough for me to turn preacher when my present appointment ceases.”68
Prayer at the Constitutional Convention, September 1787.
In an effort to solve the flaws in the existing national government that became apparent after the successful conclusion to the War for Independence, leading Founding Fathers gathered at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. George Washington chaired the meeting.69James Madison proposed a new governing document for the country. After several weeks of discussion, however, the delegates reached an impasse. Tempers flared and frustrations soared. Some delegates began leaving the city in exasperation and disgust.70 Those remaining despaired of success.
Benjamin Franklin, the eldest delegate at the gathering, was stirred to personally address the delegates in an impromptu fashion. He challenged them to turn to God for His aid and assistance, urging that “henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of the city be requested to officiate in that service.”71 Significantly, in a span of only 11 short sentences in his address, Franklin, in a conversational manner, referenced or alluded to numerous verses from the Scriptures in calling for the time of prayer.Since the Convention was approaching the Fourth of July, delegate Edmund Randolph further proposed that a sermon be preached to and for the Convention delegates and that “thenceforward prayer be used in the Convention every morning.”72The Convention then recessed for three days, with the delegates attending church and listening to patriotic orations.73
The Rev. William Rogers prayed a special prayer over the delegates. His prayer was subsequently printed on the front page of the newspaper, taking up more than half the page.74When the delegates reconvened after those three days, there was a change in the atmosphere. They began making progress and eventually solved the major problematic issues. The result is the best form of government ever devised by man, and the US Constitution has proved the most valuable and stable civil document in history—no nation has been under the same constitution longer than the United States.75
George Washington’s Resignation from the Military, 1783, US Capitol Rotunda Painting.
Once Great Britain officially signed the 1783 Peace Treaty of Paris, ending the American War for Independence,76 George Washington submitted his resignation as military Commander-in-Chief from all the states and the Continental Congress.77 Following that, he sent what was known as “General George Washington’s Circular Letter to the States, June 8, 1783,” in which he submitted his final thoughts on what needed to be addressed by Congress and the states.78 The final page of his political agenda offers his prayer for the nation, now referred to as “George Washington’s Prayer.” Significantly, every year at the National Prayer Breakfast (the prayer event sponsored by Congress on the first Thursday of February, regularly attended by delegates from well over 100 nations), George Washington’s prayer appears on the printed program for the breakfast,79 thus sending a message worldwide.
President George Washington’s First Inauguration, April 30, 1789.
George Washington’s first inauguration was arranged by 14 clergy, including both Christian ministers and a Jewish rabbi.80 It involved seven different religious activities: (1) the use of the Bible to administer the oath; (2) solemnifying the oath with multiple religious expressions (placing a hand on the Bible, saying “So help me God,” and then kissing the Bible); (3) prayers offered by the president himself; (4) religious content in the inaugural address; (5) the president calling on the people to pray or acknowledge God; (6) church inaugural worship services; and (7) clergy-led prayers.81 In the inauguration of every subsequent president, these activities have been repeated in whole or part. And significantly, in Washington’s “Inaugural Address,” a full one-third of it reflected on the “Providential Agency” of God at work in the nation’s founding.82
Weekly Church in the US Capitol, Beginning 1800.
While New York City and then Philadelphia served as the first US capitals, construction began on the permanent Washington DC Capital City in 1793. In November 1800, work on the US Capitol building was sufficiently enough completed that the US House, US Senate, and the US Supreme Court moved into the structure.83On December 4, Speaker of the House Theodore Sedgwick and President of the Senate (and US Vice President) Thomas Jefferson approved the use of the new House Chamber for Sunday worship services, with the House and Senate Chaplain presiding over the weekly services inside the Chamber.84
Jefferson faithfully attended services there,85 being in attendance when Dorothy Ripley became the first woman to preach in the Capitol in 1806. In 1807, a larger House Chamber was constructed, and the church moved into that new area.86Other Presidents and Senators and Congressmen likewise went to Church at the Capitol. President John Quincy Adams attended church there and reported some 2,000 each week crammed into the House Chamber for church.87 He was also there when the second woman preached at the Capitol, Harriet Livermore.88 Bishop John England became the first Catholic to preach there in 1826 (also with John Quincy Adams in attendance).89In 1865, the Rev. Henry Highland Garnet was the first black American minister to preach in the Capitol Church, celebrating the end of slavery.90
Few think of the US Capitol building as a church, but by 1876 the Church at the Capitol was the largest in Washington DC, and the largest Protestant Church in the nation.
The Second Great Awakening, 1801-1850.
The years encompassed within this Awakening vary slightly according to the author or historian, but generally it is considered to have spanned the first half of the nineteenth century. In this movement were the names of many notable ministers, both black (Harry Hoosier, Lemuel Haynes, Andrew Bryan, Absalom Jones, and Richard Allen), and white (Francis Asbury, Charles Finney, Peter Cartwright, James A. Garfield, James McGready, Isaac Backus, and John Leland). This revival resulted in great impetus for many social reform movements, including the organized abolition movement, opposition to Indian removal, temperance, prison reform, women’s rights, and many others.
Robert Smalls, Charleston, SC, May 12, 1862.
While a slave, Robert Smalls piloted the flagship of Confederate General Roswell Ripley. Smalls and his crew of black comrades prayed fervently for their freedom. One day when the Confederate officers went ashore, Smalls and the other slaves decided to escape on the ship and turn it over to Abraham Lincoln.91Their escape route would take them past several Confederate forts, where they would be required to give the correct military code in order to continue. Fearful for their lives, the crew gathered around Smalls, who prayed, “Oh, Lord, we entrust ourselves into Thy hands. Like Thou didst for the Israelites in Egypt, please stand guard over us and guide us to our Promised Land of freedom.”92 They were able to safely pass every checkpoint, eventually reaching the Union fleet, where they presented them with the Confederate flagship.The crew was taken to Washington DC and met with President Lincoln. Smalls then joined the Union Army, serving on the same ship he had given to the Union,93 winning numerous engagements and becoming the first black military ship pilot in American history. After the war, he became a Major General in the South Carolina militia94 and then one of the early black members of Congress following the Civil War.95
President Abraham Lincoln’s Call for a Day of Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer, March 30, 1863.96
Amidst the nation tearing itself apart in the Civil War, this proclamation focused on correcting the spiritual condition of the American people. Almost ignoring the Civil War raging around them, Lincoln’s call to prayer urged the people to examine their own relationship with God and His Scriptures, and conform their lives to that standard. This was one of the most important calls for prayer and fasting in American history and seemed to be a turning point in the Civil War: the Union had won only two major battles before this, but lost only one major battle afterwards. The proclamation did not seek to create a winner or a loser but rather to reconnect Americans with God and urge them to live according to His ways.
President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863.97
This speech resounds with Biblical themes, even comparing the shed blood and atoning death of the brave men on Gettysburg’s battlefields, which made possible a new birth for the nation, with the atoning sacrificial shed blood and death of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross, which made possible a new birth and new life for fallen mankind.
Providence Spring, Andersonville, Georgia, Summer 1864.
During the Civil War, Camp Sumter in Andersonville became a POW facility. Designed to hold 10,000 prisoners, it was overcrowded with 33,000.98 It lacked sufficient food, shelter, or water. The only nearby water was a murky swamp, where prisoners washed clothes, bathed, and had a latrine. Disease was rampant, with some 100 prisoners per day dying.99 The men prayed and God sent a storm that began to fill cups, pots, and dishes. Lightning then struck the ground and a spring of clear water began spouting forth into the air. Named Providence Spring, it provided enough clean water for all the prisoners in the camp.100
The Rev. Henry Highland Garnet, Sabbath Morning, February 12, 1865.
On this date, the Rev. Garnet became the first black American to officially speak in the Halls of Congress.101 Two weeks earlier, the US House, joining their actions to the similar earlier actions of the Senate, had passed the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery.102The House chose to celebrate that momentous event by inviting the Rev. Garnet to preach in the official Church at the Capitol on the following Sunday. Garnet was a nationally-known black civil rights leader, at that time holding essentially the same fame and stature as Frederick Douglass.Rev. Garnet brought his church choir with him to the service. The result was a church service in the House of Representatives to celebrate the official end of slavery after nearly two-and-a-half centuries of bondage in America.
President Abraham Lincoln’s “Second Inaugural Address,” March 4, 1865.103
One of the shortest inaugural speeches, it is also one of the most spiritually profound in American history. This masterful speech draws deeply on Biblical texts, rhythms, and themes in a plea for national reconciliation. The former slave Frederick Douglass famously quipped, the President’s address “sounded more like a sermon than a state paper.”104 More recently, historian Ronald C. White, Jr. called it Lincoln’s “Sermon on the Mount.” 105
Military Bibles.
From 1774 to the present, more than 67 versions of Bibles and Armed Forces Prayer Books have been officially distributed to soldiers, sailors, and airmen106 as a source of spiritual strength and encouragement, including in every conflict from the American War for Independence to the War on Terror.
In both world wars, the US Government distributed Bibles to its warriors that, inside the front cover, included encouragements from notable leaders to read the Bible. This included pro-Bible messages from President Woodrow Wilson, President Teddy Roosevelt, and General John J. Pershing in World War I.107 Also prominent in later Bibles were the words and endorsement of famous World War II leaders108 including President Franklin Roosevelt, General George C. Marshall, General Omar Bradley, and General Douglas McArthur.
Also distributed to warriors in the Second World War were Bibles that had an outer-plate of steel on the cover. When placed in the left breast pocket over the heart, it was capable of stopping a bullet from a rifle. It was thus known as a “Heart-Shield Bible.”109 And inside the WWII US Navy Bible (easily identifiable because of its sea-blue cover), the picture across from the presidential letter shows the Christian naval pennant flying above the American flag. Significantly, in the US Flag Code to this day, the call to serve God still goes above the call to serve country.110
Numerous national heroes of great religious faith arose from within our military ranks, including Alvin York, the greatest soldier of World War I, who had been a pacifist but became one of the nation’s greatest heroes. Hollywood later turned his story of strong Christian faith into a blockbuster that won multiple academy awards, showing how Christian faith was not incompatible with patriotism and service to one’s country.111
The Four Chaplains, February 3, 1943.
An early tragedy after America entered World War II occurred in the North Atlantic, when the SS Dorchester troop carrier was torpedoed by a wolf pack of German submarines. Caught unprepared, hundreds of American soldiers died in the frigid waters.112 But responsible for saving scores, and perhaps hundreds of lives, were four Army Chaplains (a Dutch Reformed, a Methodist, a Jew, and a Catholic).113
As the American ship sank beneath the waters, the last sight by survivors was the four locked arm-in-arm, standing on the deck and praying as they plunged into the deep.114 President Truman created an equivalent Medal of Honor for the four (for they technically had not performed their remarkable acts of valor under enemy fire during combat).115 And special chapels (which President Truman helped dedicate) were built to honor the four.116Perhaps even more significant, in 1952, the American Legion (the nation’s largest military veterans’ organization) initiated a “Back to God” program in recognition of the Four Chaplains. They requested that every year annually, the Sunday closest to February 3 (the date of the disaster) should “be observed…throughout our nation and in all freedom-loving countries as ‘Go-to-Church’ Sunday, in worship and prayer for everlasting peace.”117
President Franklin Roosevelt, D-Day, June 6, 1944.
Perhaps the most momentous operation of World War II was D-Day. It had been kept a total secret from the American people, and its unfolding was a complete surprise. The President announced the active invasion in one of his “Fireside Chats.” He gave the people the news, then led them in a 6-minute prayer on behalf of the safety of the troops who, at that very moment, were unloading and under fire. He also prayed for the success of the operation.118 (Hear his announcement and prayer here: https://youtu.be/8-weBUzQleo.) Later that year, the White House had FDR’s D-Day prayer transcribed and turned into his Christmas Card for 1944.119
George Patton,Battle of the Bulge, Christmas 1944.
Behind D-Day, perhaps WWII’s next most momentous military engagement was the Battle of the Bulge. The Germans broke through American lines and brought the Allied advance to a complete halt. Supreme Commander Dwight Eisenhower dispatched George Patton and the Third Army to defeat the Germans and put the US Army back on the march to finish Hitler.120
Patton’s greatest nemesis at that time was the weather, which was causing more damage to his troops than the Germans. Patton brought in his Chief of Chaplains, James O’Neill, and they created a prayer card for the weather that Patton wanted distributed to all 250,000 of his troops121—he wanted them all praying.Then as Patton approached the town of Luxembourg, his headquarters for the battle, he stopped at a church and had a conversation with God. He marched up to the statue of Jesus in the front of the church, hat in hand, and had a very candid discussion with Him about what He needed to defeat the Germans and end the war, slaughter, and oppression. He told Jesus that if He would give him just four days of good weather, he could defeat the Germans at the Bulge and get back to Hitler.122
The records show that after nearly six weeks of horrible weather and unending rain, Patton immediately got several days of clear weather,123 allowing his planes to take to the air and destroy the German tanks and equipment, thus winning the Battle of the Bulge. After the battle, Patton stopped by the church on his way out of town and congratulated Jesus on His excellent results with the weather.124
Dwight Eisenhower’s Inauguration and Presidency, 1953-1960.
Eisenhower openly expressed his concern that America was becoming too secular, and wondered what he could do to help prevent that. After taking communion the morning of his inauguration, he personally penned and prayed his own inaugural prayer125 (see on YouTube at https://youtu.be/DKqgFY8wmhI).
Eisenhower then undertook a number of specific actions to ensure that American government did not become “too secular.”This included starting the National Prayer Breakfast,126 adding “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance,127 adding “In God We Trust” to all currency128 (Lincoln had it added to 2-cent coins in 1864 but to nothing else129), made “In God We Trust” the National Motto,130 and facilitated the addition of a Prayer Room to the US Capitol.131Also, Eisenhower was the only president to be publicly baptized while in office.132
Martin Luther King Jr, “Letter from A Birmingham Jail,” April 1963.133
After Birmingham passed a policy designed to halt the civil rights movement by forbidding any gatherings without a permit,134 King and his supporters continued to exercise their right to assemble. As a result, King was arrested (his 13th time) and placed in solitary confinement.135President John F. Kennedy directly intervened on his behalf.136 By King’s instruction, however, his supporters did not act to bail him out of jail.137 He wanted to keep national attention focused on the blatant injustice.
While in jail, eight local religious leaders, both Christian and Jewish, released an open letter criticizing King and his civil rights efforts.138 King typed a 21-page-long apologetic defending non-violent but direct actions against injustice. In that piece, he presented a long line of historical precedents from early church leaders proceeding up to his day who did not sit on the sidelines, thus establishing the moral and religious duty of direct engagement against wrong.
President John F. Kennedy, Christmas 1963.
While annual Christmas cards are regularly sent out from the White House to close supporters and friends, in 1963, the Christmas card sent out by President John F. and First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy was the first White House card to feature a crèche139—the Nativity Scene—the birth of Jesus Christ. The president was assassinated before they were able to distribute all of those cards, having signed only 30 at the time of his death.140
The Apollo Space Program. 1967-1972.
A cabin fire during a launch rehearsal for Apollo 1 resulted in the death of all three of its astronauts.141 Apollo personnel and workers, understanding just how dangerous the space program was, launched the Apollo Prayer League for employees and fellow workers to pray diligently for each mission and astronaut.142 The fact that a religious tone infused much of the Apollo space operations is apparent by what occurred during several of its missions.
Both Apollo 8 and 10 carried Bibles into space,143 and as Apollo 8 orbited the earth on Christmas 1968, the three astronauts broadcast their Christmas greetings back to earth by reading the Creation Account from the Bible (Genesis 1:1-10).144
With Apollo 11, man first landed on the moon. But before Buzz descended to its face, he took communion145 (see his communion cup to the right).
On Apollo 12, two Bibles were taken to the moon.146
On Apollo 13, 512 Bibles (in microform) were taken to the moon,147 but an explosion that occurred en route prevented them from landing. Thankfully, they were able to safely return to Earth.
On Apollo 14, some 513 Bibles were carried to the moon, of which 100 landed on the surface.148
On Apollo 15, a small red-paper Bible was left on the control panel of the lunar rover.149
Thus, as part of the space program a total of 1,029 Bibles were taken to the moon, of which 101 landed on its surface.
9/11 Memorial Service at the National Cathedral Following the Twin Towers Tragedy, 2001.150
These examples display clear and convincing proof of the prevalence of faith not only in everyday life but also as an indispensable positive influence in shaping America’s national public life. Our nation’s history affirms a clear and firm reliance on God and the Bible. These representative examples are well-documented historically and readily available for the average American to discover online. Although much of this history used to be well known, sadly most Americans have not been taught these stories and therefore are largely unfamiliar with them.
If a smaller portion of this list is selected to highlight or retell, we would not recommend pulling a subset from this list according to chronological order but rather in order of national impact and significance. For example, the first prayer in Congress or Franklin’s call to prayer at the Constitutional Convention would be more noteworthy than the first White House religious Christmas card; George Washington would be more nationally significant than Alvin York; and the Pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving was more impactful than the landing at Cape Henry.
Lastly, some examples, such as Providence Spring or the Apollo program, might bring extra criticism in this modern era. Sadly, many critics today (particularly among younger generations) openly doubt whether anyone landed on the moon.151 Similarly, there are many critics in certain states and geographical areas that still affiliate with one side or the other of the Civil War. These factors might result in added (and unnecessary) criticism from those quarters, but you will have to determine to what extent such external influences might carry weight. Nevertheless, there remains a definite and clear demonstration of faith and prayer in even these examples, as well as all the rest.
Endnotes
1 “Reverend Robert Hunt: First Chaplain at Jamestown,” National Park Service, accessed March 31, 2026, https://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/the-reverend-robert-hunt-the-first-chaplain-at-jamestown.htm; Walter S. Griggs, Jr., Historic Richmond Churches and Synagogues (Charleston: The History Press, 2017), 13-17.
2 “Who was Pocahontas?” Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, accessed March 31, 2026, https://www.acton.org/religion-liberty/volume-35-number-1/puritan-entrepreneur-do-all-glory-god.
3 Sarah A. Morgan Smith, Brian A. Smith. “The Puritan as Governor: With Consent of the Governed,” January 6, 2025, Acton Institute, https://www.acton.org/puritan-governor-consent-governed.
4 See, for example, “Mayflower Compact,” 1620, The Avalon Project, https://avalon.law.yale.edu/17th_century/mayflower.asp.
5 “America as a Religious Refuge: The Seventeenth Century, Part 1 – Religion and the Founding of the American Republic,” 2019, Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel01.html.
6 Edwin Hall, The Puritans and Their Principles (New York: Baker and Scribner, 1847), 148.
7 Christopher Cameron, “The Puritan Origins of Black Abolitionism in Massachusetts,” Historical Journal of Massachusetts (Summer 2011), 39:1&2:80.
8 Erik W. Matson, “The Puritan as Entrepreneur: Do All to the Glory of God,” January 13, 2025, Acton Institute, https://www.acton.org/religion-liberty/volume-35-number-1/puritan-entrepreneur-do-all-glory-god.
9 “The Mayflower Compact: Civil Body Politick,” November 24, 2015, Mass.gov, https://www.mass.gov/news/the-mayflower-compact.
10 David Rodriguez Sanfiorenzo, “Historical Foundations of Education in the United States: Colonial America to Reconstruction,” August 30, 2021, Introduction to Education, https://uen.pressbooks.pub/introtoeducation/chapter/historical-foundations-colonial-america-to-reconstruction-eese-2010-introduction-to-education/.
11 William S. Russell, Guide to Plymouth and Recollections of the Pilgrims (Boston: George Coolidge, 1846), 95.
12 William Bradford, History of Plymouth Plantation, ed. Charles Deane (Boston: 1854), 142.
13 Bradford, History, ed. Deane (1854), 142.
14 “A Day of Thanksgiving, Summer 1623,” September 28, 2023, Plimoth Patuxet Museums, https://plimoth.org/yath/unit-4/a-day-of-thanksgiving-summer-1623.
15 William Love, Fast and Thanksgiving Days of New England (Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1895), 446-447.
16 David Ammerman and Ronald Howard, “The Great Puritan Migration,” 2022, EBSCO Research, https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/great-puritan-migration.
17 John Winthrop, “A Model of Christian Charity,” A Library of American Literature: Early Colonial Literature, 1607-1675, eds. Edmund Clarence Stedman & Ellen Mackay Hutchinson (New York: 1892), 304-307.
18 John F. Kennedy, “The City upon a Hill Speech,” January 9, 1961, JFK Library, https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/historic-speeches/the-city-upon-a-hill-speech.
19 Ronald Reagan, “Farewell Address to the Nation,” January 11, 1989), The American Presidency Project, https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/farewell-address-the-nation.
20 Frank Lambert, “‘Pedlar in Divinity’: George Whitefield and the Great Awakening, 1737-1745,” Journal of American History (December 1, 1990), 77:3:824-825; Leonard Woolsey Bacon, A History of American Christianity, The American Church History Series (The Christian Literature Co., New York, 1897), 175-176.
21 Susan O’Brien, “A Transatlantic Community of Saints: The Great Awakening and the First Evangelical Network, 1735-1755,” The American Historical Review (October 1, 1986), 91:4:825; Clinton Rossiter, “The Life and Mind of Jonathan Mayhew,” The William and Mary Quarterly (October 1, 1950), 7:4:532.
22 Gilbert Tennent to Benjamin Franklin, September 22, 1741, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-02-02-0077.
23 Wesley M. Gewehr, The Great Awakening in Virginia (Duke University Press, Durham, 1930), 188.
24 “Eleazar Wheelock: Preacher, Dartmouth College Founder,” September 21, 2023, Connecticut History, https://connecticuthistory.org/eleazar-wheelock-preacher-dartmouth-college-founder/.
25 Alice M. Baldwin, New England Clergy and the American Revolution, (New York: G.E. Stechert & Co., 1928), 170.
26 Stephen Mansfield, Forgotten Founding Father: The Heroic Legacy of George Whitefield (Nashville: Cumberland House, 2001), 86; John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, December 3, 1813, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-07-02-0008.
27 Dan Landrigan, “Duc D’Anville Sails for New England in 1746 to Burn the Town of Boston,” October 28, 2025, New England Historical Society, https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/duc-danville-sails-for-new-england-in-1746-to-burn-the-town-of-boston/.
28 Dan Landrigan, “Duc D’Anville Sails for New England in 1746 to Burn the Town of Boston,” October 28, 2025, New England Historical Society, https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/duc-danville-sails-for-new-england-in-1746-to-burn-the-town-of-boston/.
29 Catherine Drinker Bowen, John Adams and the American Revolution (Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1951), 10-11.
30 Dan Landrigan, “Duc D’Anville Sails for New England in 1746 to Burn the Town of Boston,” October 28, 2025, New England Historical Society, https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/duc-danville-sails-for-new-england-in-1746-to-burn-the-town-of-boston/.
31 Bowen, John Adams (1951), 10-11.
32 Thomas Prince, The Salvations of God in 1746. In Part Set Forth in a Sermon at the South Church in Boston, Nov. 27, 1746 (Boston: D. Henchman, 1746).
33 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “A Ballad of the French Fleet,” October, 1746, Maine Historical Society, https://www.hwlongfellow.org/poems_poem.php?pid=239.
34 “The Battle of the Monongahela, July 9, 1755,” updated April 14, 2025, American Battlefield Trust, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/battle-monongahela-july-9-1755.
35 “The Battle of the Monongahela, July 9, 1755,” updated April 14, 2025, American Battlefield Trust, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/battle-monongahela-july-9-1755.
36 George Washington to John Augustine Washington, July 18, 1755, The Writings of George Washington, ed. John C. Fitzpatrick (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1931), 1:152.
37 Samuel Davies, Religion and Patriotism: The Constituents of a Good Soldier. A Sermon Preached to Captain Overton’s independnet company of volunteers, raised in Hanover County, Virginia, August 17, 1755 (Philadelphia: 1756), 10n.
38 George Washington to Lucretia Wilhelmina Van Winter, March 30, 1785, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/04-02-02-0330.
39 John Adams to Abigail Adams, September 16, 1774, Letters of John Adams, Addressed to His Wife, ed. Charles Francis Adams (Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1841), I:23.
40 John Adams to Abigail, September 16, 1774, Letters of John Adams (1841), I:23-24.
41 Speech delivered in the Supreme Court on February 20, 1844, The Works of Daniel Webster (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1860), VI:162.
42 “Days of Fasting, Days of Thanksgiving: The Continental Congress Marks Revolutionary War Watersheds,” March 20, 2026, US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives, https://history.house.gov/Blog/2026/March/3-20-Fasting-Thanksgiving/.
43 John Hancock, “A Proclamation for a Day of Fasting and Prayer,” Independent Chronicle and the Universal Advertiser (March 26, 1789), 1; John Hancock, “A Proclamation for a Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer,” April 25, 1782, Evans #17593; John Hancock, “A Proclamation for a Day of Public Fasting and Prayer,” May 15, 1783, Evans #18024; John Hancock, “A Proclamation for a Day of Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer,” April 17, 1788, Evans #21236; John Hancock, “A Proclamation for a Day of Fasting and Prayer,” March 31, 1797, Evans #23549; John Hancock, “A Proclamation for a Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer,” March 29, 1792, Evans #24519; John Hancock, “A Proclamation for a Day of Public Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer,” April 11, 1793, Broadside in the WallBuilders Collection.
44 See, for example, Fast Day Proclamation issued by Governor Samuel Adams, Massachusetts, March 20, 1797, in WallBuilders Collection; Samuel Adams, The Writings of Samuel Adams, ed. Harry Alonzo Cushing (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1908), IV:407; Samuel Adams, A Proclamation For a Day of Public Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer, Governor of Massachusetts, from an original broadside in WallBuilders collection; Samuel Adams, Writings, IV:385; Samuel Adams, Proclamation for a Day of Fasting and Prayer, March 10, 1793; Samuel Adams, Proclamation for a Day of Fasting and Prayer, March 15, 1796.
45 “Draft of a Proclamation by George Washington, [1 January 1795],” National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-18-02-0003.
46 James Madison, ”A Proclamation for a Day of Public Prayer,” Connecticut Mirror (July 20, 1812), 3; James Madison, “A Proclamation for a Day of Public Prayer,” July 23, 1813, Independent Chronicle (July 29, 1813), 3–4; James Madison, “A Proclamation for a Day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer,” January 12, 1815, The Yankee (November 25, 1814), 2.
47 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
48 John Langdon, “A Proclamation for a Day of Public Fasting and Prayer,” April 6, 1786, Evans #19824.
49 William Livingston, “A Proclamation for a Day of Fasting and Humiliation,” January 17, 1777, The Papers of William Livingston, ed. Carl E. Prince (New Jersey Historical Commission, 1979), I:200.
50 United States Oracle (Portsmouth, NH), May 24, 1800.
51 Thomas Mifflin, A Proclamation for a Day of Humiliation, Thanksgiving, and Prayer, issued November 14, 1793, published in Dunlap’s American Daily Advertiser (December 6, 1793), from WallBuilders Collection.
52 John Dickinson, “A Proclamation for a Day of Public Prayer,” November 19, 1781, Evans #17134.
53 John Adams, “A Proclamation for a Day of Solemn Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer,” May 9, 1798, Russell’s Commercial Gazette (April 4, 1798); John Adams, “A Proclamation for a Day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer,” March 6, 1799, The Works of John Adams, ed. Charles Francis Adams (Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1854), 9:572.
54 Thomas Jefferson, “Resolution of the House of Burgesses Designating a Day of Fasting and Prayer, 24 May 1774,” The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, ed. Julian P. Boyd (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1950), 1:105–107.
55 Josiah Bartlett, Proclamation for a Day of Fasting and Prayer, March 17, 1792.
56 Caesar Rodney, “A Proclamation for a Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer,” May 6, 1779, Evans #43623.
57 Oliver Wolcott to Laura Wolcott, April 10, 1776, Letters of Delegates to Congress: 1774-1789, ed. Paul H. Smith (Washington: Library of Congress, 1978), 3:502-503.
58 Samuel Huntington, “A Proclamation for a Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer,” April 17, 1788, Evans #21761; Samuel Huntington, “A Proclamation for a Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer,” Pennsylvania Packet or General Advertiser, March 4, 1780, 3; Samuel Huntington, “A Proclamation for a Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer,” March 31, 1791, Evans #23284; Samuel Huntington, “A Proclamation for a Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer,” April 12, 1792, Evans #24218; Samuel Huntington, “A Proclamation for a Day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer,” April 17, 1793, Dunlap’s Daily American Advertiser, March 30, 1793, 3; Samuel Huntington, “A Proclamation for a Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer,” April 22, 1789, Evans #21018; Samuel Huntington, “Proclamation for a Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer,” March 28, 1789, from Broadside in the WallBuilders Collection.
59 Elbridge Gerry, Proclamation for a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise, October 24, 1810, from a proclamation in our possession; Elbridge Gerry, Proclamation for a Day of Fasting and Prayer, March 13, 1811, from a proclamation in the WallBuilders Collection; Shaw #23317; Elbridge Gerry, Proclamation for a Day of Fasting and Prayer, March 6, 1812, from a proclamation in the WallBuilders Collection; Shaw #26003.
60 William B. Reed, Life and Correspondence of Joseph Reed (Philadelphia: Lindsay and Blakiston, 1847), II:36-37.
61 George Washington to Lucretia Wilhelmina Van Winter, March 30, 1785, Founders Online.
62 “A History of Regulations in the United States Navy.” 1947, U.S. Naval Institute, https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1947/november/history-regulations-united-states-navy.
63 “Dominion of Providence Over the Passions of Men,” 1776, Online Library of Liberty, https://oll.libertyfund.org/pages/1776-witherspoon-dominion-of-providence-over-the-passions-of-men-sermon.
64 Washington, “General Orders,” May 2, 1778, Writings of Washington, ed. Fitzpatrick (1934), 11:343; Washington, “General Orders,” August 3, 1776, Writings of Washington, ed. Fitzpatrick (1932), 5:367; Washington, “General Orders,” February 26, 1776, Writings of Washington, ed. Fitzpatrick (1931), 4:347.
65 “General Orders No. 100: The Lieber Code,” April 1863, The Avalon Project, https://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/lieber.asp.
66 George Washington Parke Custis, Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington, by His Adopted Son (New York: Derby & Jackson, 1860), 190-192; Earl Cornwallis to Sir Henry Clinton, October 20, 1781, Correspondence of Charles, First Marquis Cornwallis, ed. Charles Ross (London: John Murray, 1859), 129; October 24, 1781, Journals of the American Congress: from 1774 to 1788 (Washington: Way and Gideon, 1823), III:679.
67 See, for example, Jerry Newcombe, “God’s Providence at Christmastime 1776,” March 13, 2024, Providence Forum, https://providenceforum.org/blog/gods-providence-at-christmastime-1776/.
68 George Washington to Brigadier General Thomas Nelson, Jr., 20 August 1778, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-16-02-0373.
69 George Washington to James Madison, March 31, 1787, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/04-05-02-0111; George Washington to David Humphreys, October 10, 1787, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/04-05-02-0333.
70 “Convention and Ratification – Creating the United States,” Library of Congress, accessed March 31, 2026, https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/creating-the-united-states/convention-and-ratification.html.
71 “Franklin’s Proposal for Prayer,” June 28, 1787, National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/articles/constitutionalconvention-june28.htm.
72 “Convention: A Daily Journal – Thursday, June 28, 1787,” 2020, Center for Civics Education, www.cui.edu/centers-institutes/center-for-civics-education/convention-a-daily-journal/post/thursday-june-28-1787.
73 George Washington, diary entry for July 4, 1787, The Writings of George Washington, ed. Worthington Chauncey Ford (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1891), XI:148.
74 The Massachusetts Centinel (August 15, 1787), 1.
75 See, for example, a comparison with other national constitutions in David & Tim Barton, The American Story: The Beginnings (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 2024), 357-358, n64.
76 “Treaty of Paris (1783),” March 6, 2025, National Archives, https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/treaty-of-paris.
77 “Resignation of Military Commission,” 2024, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/resignation-of-military-commission.
78 George Washington to The States, June 8, 1783, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-11404.
79 George Washington to The States, June 8, 1783, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-11404.
80 The Jewish Encyclopedia (New York: Funk and Wagnalls Company, 1907), XI:160, “Gershom Mendez Seixas.”
81 The History of the Centennial Celebration of George Washington as First President of the United States, ed. Clarence Winthrop Bowen (New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1892), 51-52; George Washington, April 30, 1789, James D. Richardson, A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents (Published by Authority of Congress, 1897), 1:44-45; The Daily Advertiser (New York: April 23, 1789), 2; April 29, 1789, The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States, ed. Joseph Gales (Washington: Gales and Seaton, 1834), I:231-232; George Bancroft, History of the Formation of the Constitution of the United States of America (New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1882), II:363.
82 “First and Second Inaugurals,” 2024, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/first-and-second-inaugurals.
83 December 4, 1800, Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (Washington: Gales and Seaton, 1853), 797, Sixth Congress.
84 Federal Orrery (Boston, July 2, 1795), 2.
85 Bishop Claggett’s (Episcopal Bishop of Maryland) letter of February 18, 1801, reveals that, as vice-President, Jefferson went to church services in the House. Available in the Maryland Diocesan Archives; Margaret Smith, The First Forty Years of Washington Society (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1906), 13; James Hutson, Religion and the Founding of the American Republic (Washington, DC: Library of Congress, 1998), 84.
86 Hutson, Religion and the Founding (1998), 91.
87 William C. Allen, A History of the United States Capitol, A Chronicle of Design, Construction, and Politics (Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 2001), 271.
88 Mrs. Samuel Harrison Smith (Margaret Bayard), The First Forty Years of Washington Society, ed. Galliard Hunt (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1906), 15.
89 Thomas W. Jodziewicz, “Bishop John England: A Catholic Apologist at the United States Capitol,” American Catholic Studies (2010), 121:1:29–50.
90 “The First African American to Speak in the House Chamber,” US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives, accessed April 7, 2026, https://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/35139.
91 Stephen Ruiz, “The Former Slave Who Stole a Confederate Ship to Achieve His Family’s Freedom, June 16, 2025, Military.com, https://www.military.com/history/former-slave-who-stole-confederate-ship-achieve-his-familys-freedom.html.
92 Okon Edet Uya, From Slavery to Public Service: Robert Smalls, 1839-1915 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1971), 15.
93 “The Black Hero of the Planter Among His People,” The Evening Post (New York: October 7, 1862), from WallBuilders Collection, https://wallbuilders.com/resource/robert-smalls-honored-with-medal/.
94 William K. Donaldson, “Robert Smalls and the Steamship Planter: Turning the Tides for the Union Military in the Civil War,” The Gettysburg College Journal of the Civil War Era (2020), 10:5:15.
95 “Robert Smalls,” updated June 26, 2025, National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/people/robert-smalls.htm.
96 Abraham Lincoln, “Proclamation 97—Appointing a Day of National Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer,” March 30, 1863, The American Presidency Project, https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/203143.
97 “Gettysburg Address,” Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, accessed April 8, 2026, https://presidentlincoln.illinois.gov/exhibits/online-exhibits/gettysburg-address-everett-copy/.
98 Andersonville National Historic Site, “History of the Andersonville Prison,” December 11, 2024, National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/ande/learn/historyculture/camp_sumter_history.htm.
99 Andersonville National Historic Site, “History of the Andersonville Prison,” December 11, 2024, National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/ande/learn/historyculture/camp_sumter_history.htm.
100 John L. Maile, Prison Life in Andersonville: With Special Reference to the Opening of Providence Spring (Los Angeles: Grafton publishing Company, 1912), 61-71.
101 “The First African American to Speak in the House Chamber: February 12, 1865” United States House of Representatives, accessed April 8, 2026, https://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/35139.
102 “The Thirteenth Amendment: January 31, 1865,” United States House of Representatives, accessed April 8, 2026, https://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/36815.
103 “Second Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln,” March 4, 1865, The Avalon Project, https://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/lincoln2.asp.
104 Frederick Douglass, Life and times of Frederick Douglass, Written by Himself (Hartford: Park Publishing Co., 1881), 369.
105 Ronald C. White, Jr., “Lincoln and Divine Providence,” Response: The Seattle Pacific University Magazine (Summer 2006), 29:3, https://spu.edu/depts/uc/response/summer2k6/features/lincoln.asp.
106 “Congressional Record: Senate (Washington D. C.: Government Printing Office), Vol. 151, Issue 148 (November 9, 2005), Senator James Inhofe, “Sec. 1073. Prayer at Military Service Academy Activities.”
107 See: “Typewritten Statement by Woodrow Wilson on the Bible, Framed,” Museum of the Bible, accessed April 9, 2026, https://collections.museumofthebible.org/artifacts/34440-typewritten-statement-by-woodrow-wilson-on-the-bible-framed; “Colonel Roosevelt’s message to the troops,” Theodore Roosevelt Center, accessed April 9, 2026, https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o284904/; General Pershing’s Message to the Troops in a 1918 New Testament, Kentucky Historical Society, https://kyhistory.pastperfectonline.com/Webobject/AF7DD51E-412E-48F3-9041-615064940182; The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (New York: American Bible Society, 1917).
108 See: “D-Day and the Bible in War,” Museum of the Bible, accessed April 9, 2026, https://www.museumofthebible.org/magazine/collections/d-day-and-bibles-in-war; Colonel Ron Ray, Endowed by Their Creator (Crestwood, KY: First Principles Press, 2013), passim; The Armed Forces Prayer Book, ed. Daniel A. Poling (New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1951), 1, 12-13, 52, and passim; The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1942).
109 The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing Company, 1942); John Phillips’ story, “Heart Shield Bibles,” June 7, 2021, Museum of the Bible, https://www.museumofthebible.org/book-minute/heart-shield-bibles; George Ferris’ account, “May This Keep You Safe From Harm,” February 28, 2002, 87thinfantry.org, https://87thinfantry.org/articles/?&id=1645111110&search=May%20This%20Keep#single.
111 “Movie: Sergeant York,” Sergeant York Patriotic Foundation, accessed April 9, 2026, https://sgtyork.org/movie.
112 “Chaplain Corps History: The Four Chaplains,” January 28, 2014, US Army, https://www.army.mil/article/34090/Chaplaincy_History__The_four_chaplains/.
113 “Fact Sheet: Four Chaplains,” WWII Informational Fact Sheets (Washington, DC: Department of Defense, 1995), 13-14.
114 “Chaplain Corps History: The Four Chaplains,” January 28, 2014, US Army, https://www.army.mil/article/34090/Chaplaincy_History__The_four_chaplains/.
115 “Chaplain Corps History: The Four Chaplains,” January 28, 2014, US Army, https://www.army.mil/article/34090/Chaplaincy_History__The_four_chaplains/.
116 “Fact Sheet: Four Chaplains,” WWII Informational Fact Sheets (1995), 14.
117 “Resolution No. 229: All Members of the American Legion Participate in Back to God Program,” August 1952, American Legion Digital Archive, https://archive.legion.org/node/88.
118 “FDR’s D-Day Prayer,” The National WWII Museum, https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/franklin-d-roosevelts-d-day-prayer-june-6-1944.
119 “From the Museum: Gifts from the Roosevelts,” May 29, 2015, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, https://fdr.blogs.archives.gov/2012/12/21/from-the-museum-46/.
120 “Battle of the Bulge,” December 4, 2001, The National WWII Museum, https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/battle-bulge.
121 Evan Andrews, “8 Things You May Not Know About the Battle of the Bulge,” August 22, 2023, History.com, https://www.history.com/articles/8-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-battle-of-the-bulge
122 Lt. Col. Jack Widmer, “Patton’s Talk With God,” True: The Man’s Magazine (December 1947), 109-110.
123 Larry Newman, “What the Hell is All the Mourning About? (December 24-29, 1944),” Nathaniel Lande, Dispatches from the Front: A History of the American War Correspondent (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998), 248-252; James H. O’Neil, “The True Story of the Patton Prayer,” The Army Chaplaincy (Department of the Army: Spring 1995), 25, reprint of a 1950 US Government Printing Office original; Note by Col. Paul D. Harkins, George S. Patton Jr., War as I Knew It (Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, Company, 1947), 185-186.
124 Lt. Col. Jack Widmer, “Patton’s Talk With God,” True: The Man’s Magazine (December 1947), 112.
125 “Inaugurations,” January 12, 2026, Eisenhower Presidential Library, https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/eisenhowers-presidential-years/inaugurations.
126 Diane Winston, “The History of the National Prayer Breakfast,” February 2, 2017, Smithsonian Magazine, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/national-prayer-breakfast-what-does-its-history-reveal-180962017/.
127 Dwight Eisenhower, “Statement by the President Upon Signing Bill To Include the Words “Under God” in the Pledge to the Flag,” June 14, 1954, The American Presidency Project, https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/statement-the-president-upon-signing-bill-include-the-words-under-god-the-pledge-the-flag.
128 Law passed on July 11, 1955, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-69/pdf/STATUTE-69-Pg290-2.pdf.
129 “An Act in Amendment of an Act Entitled ‘An Act Relating to Foreign Coins and the Coinage at the Mint of the United States,’ Approved February Twenty-One, Eighteen Hundred and Fifty-Seven,” April 22, 1864, The Statutes at Large and Proclamations of the United States of America, ed. George P. Sanger (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1866), XIII:54-55.
130 Law passed on July 30, 1956, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/36/302.
131 The Prayer Room in the United States Capitol (Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1956).
132 Introduction to Manuscript Collections, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, accessed April 9, 2026, https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/research/subject-guides/pdf/eisenhower-religion.pdf.
133 “Letter From Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr.,” April 16, 1963, Bill of Rights Institute, https://billofrightsinstitute.org/primary-sources/letter-from-birmingham-jail/.
134 “Birmingham Campaign,” The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, accessed March 31, 2026, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/birmingham-campaign.
135 “Birmingham Campaign,” The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, accessed March 31, 2026, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/birmingham-campaign.
136 “Birmingham Campaign,” The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, accessed March 31, 2026, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/birmingham-campaign.
137 “Birmingham Campaign,” The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, accessed March 31, 2026, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/birmingham-campaign.
138 Alabama Clergymen’s Letter to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., April 12, 1963, https://www.samford.edu/arts-and-sciences/files/History/Statement-and-Response-King-Birmingham.pdf.
139 “White House Tour Omits Rare ’63 Christmas Card,” December 23, 2007, NBC News, https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna22371826.
140 “White House Tour Omits Rare ’63 Christmas Card,” December 23, 2007, NBC News, https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna22371826.
141 “Apollo 1,” July 26, 2021, National Air and Space Museum, https://airandspace.si.edu/explore/stories/apollo-missions/apollo-1.
142 Carol Mersch, “Religion, Space Exploration, and Secular Society,” Astropolitics (January 1, 2013), 11:1-2:68.
143 Grace Chung, “His Cosmic Ministry: John Stout, Aerospace Ministries, and the Lunar Bible Project,” Princeton Historical Review, accessed March 31, 2026, https://history.princeton.edu/undergraduate/princeton-historical-review/issue-22-23/his-cosmic-ministry.
144 “Apollo 8’s Christmas Eve, 1968 Message,” YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToHhQUhdyBY.
145 Buzz Aldrin & Ken Abraham, Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon (New York: Harmony Books, 2009), 26-27.
146 First Presbyterian Church of Tulsa, “Lunar Bible Story,” YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJSQ8r__opQ.
147 Chung, “His Cosmic Ministry,” Princeton Historical Review, https://history.princeton.edu/undergraduate/princeton-historical-review/issue-22-23/his-cosmic-ministry.
148 Chung, “His Cosmic Ministry,” Princeton Historical Review, https://history.princeton.edu/undergraduate/princeton-historical-review/issue-22-23/his-cosmic-ministry.
149 Ben Evans, “Rovering Across the Moon During Apollo 15,” August 9, 2019, RocketSTEM, https://www.rocketstem.org/2015/07/07/rovering-across-the-moon-during-apollo-15/.
150 “President’s Remarks at National Day of Prayer and Remembrance,” September 20, 2001, George W. Bush White House, https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010914-2.html.
151 See, for example, “Why Do People Persist in Denying the Moon Landings?,” April 1, 2010, National Air and Space Museum, https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/why-do-people-persist-denying-moon-landings; “What do astronomers say about Moon landing deniers? Batting down the conspiracy theory with an assist from the 1969 Miracle Mets,” July 17, 2023, The Conversation, https://theconversation.com/what-do-astronomers-say-about-moon-landing-deniers-batting-down-the-conspiracy-theory-with-an-assist-from-the-1969-miracle-mets-207300; Mike Carmon, “The History of Moon Landing Denialism, and Why It Persists Today,” September 5, 2025, Meteored US, https://www.theweather.com/news/science/the-history-of-moon-landing-denialism-and-why-it-persists-today.html.
These sermons were preached to government officials at the state capitol upon the annual opening of the legislature
The American practice of calling days of fasting or thanksgiving was so strong that by 1815, civil governments had issued at least 1,400 official prayer proclamations. Thousands more have been issued since that time—a tradition that now spans more than four centuries of the American Story, and one that continues to the present day since a 1952 federal law requires that every president issue a prayer proclamation on the National Day of Prayer, commemorated the first Thursday of every May, and observed by every president since Dwight D. Eisenhower.
