EARLY AMERICAN WRITINGS



The early writings of the United States of America clearly indicate the Christian heritage of our country. William Bradford and the Pilgrims composed the Mayflower Compact just before they landed at Plymouth in 1620. In a speech with multiple references to the Bible, John Winthrop, the first Governor of Massachusetts, delivered the sermon, A Model of Christian Charity, to the Puritan Protestants on the way to Massachusetts in 1629. Roger Williams settled in Providence, Rhode Island in 1636, founded the Baptist Church of America in 1639, and wrote his famous book in defense of religious tolerance, The Bloody Tenent of Persecution, in 1644. Catholics under Lord Baltimore settled in Maryland in 1634, and the Maryland General Assembly passed the historic Toleration Act of Maryland in 1649, to promote religious harmony among Catholics and Protestants, and for toleration of all Christian religions. The final three writings from the Second Continental Congress during the War for American Independence, in addition to revealing the deep religious convictions of our Founding Fathers, show a subtle but definite progression of thought from conciliation with Britain towards independence. Congress called for two National Days of Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer, on July 20, 1775, and May 17, 1776; these two days were the origin of our yearly National Day of Prayer. Christian culture is also evident in the first National Thanksgiving Day Proclamation of the Second Continental Congress in 1777.


Just click on the following to read these early American writings:
The Mayflower Compact
The Toleration Act of Maryland
1775 National Day of Prayer
1776 National Day of Prayer
National Thanksgiving Day Proclamation




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